41 are non-refidents, is L. 2100 Scots: The real rent may, at an average, be rated at L. 2 Sterling the acre.

Borough. The capital of the parish, and from which it derives its name, is the ancient borough of Rutherglen; fituated 2 miles to the S. E. of Glafgow. This town, which is faid to have been at first built by Reuther, one of the Kings of Scotland, was erected into a royal borough by King David I. about the year 1126. Its privileges and immunities, as appears from charters yet extant, were very great. Thefe, however, were gradually diminished, as Glasgow and the neighbouring towns rofe into confequence. It is, fince the Union, inrolled with Glafgow, Renfrew and Dunbarton; and in conjunction with them, fends a member to the British Parliament. No borough in Britain enjoys a more free and unembarraffed election of magiftrates and council.

Fairs. The market-day is not now frequented; but 6 fairs are annually held in the town, and are famous for the best draught-horses in Europe. It is faid, that more than a century ago, one of the ancestors of the prefent Duke of Hamilton, brought with him, to Scotland 6 coach-horses, originally from Flanders, and fent them to Strathaven, the castle of which was at that time habitable: The horfes were all ftallions, of a black colour, and remarkably handfome. The farmers in the neighbourhood readily embracing the favourable opportunity, made this foreign breed crofs with the common Scotch kind; and thereby procu red a breed fuperior to either. From this, a strong and hardy race of horfes was foon fpread over the country; but in many places, owing to neglect, was left to degene rate. By want of proper attention, we often let flip the

most

most favourable opportunities of improvement, and suffer unmanly indolence to deprive us of many bleffings we might otherwise enjoy. A high degree of credit, however, is due to the farmers in the upper part of the county, for their unremitting endeavours to improve this excellent breed. They pay ftrict attention to every circumftance refpecting the colour; the foftness and hardness of the hair; length of the body, breaft and fhoulders of their breeders. No inducement whatever, can lead them to encourage the breed of a horse, that is not poffeffed of the best qualities. Providence commonly favours the attentive and the diligent. Their laudable attempts have proved to be fuccessful, and Britain is now reaping the merited fruits of their well directed care. Every farm almost, through the extent of several parishes, supports 6, or at least 4 mares; the half of which are allowed annually to foal. The colts are mostly fold at the fairs of Lanark and Carnwath, and bring to the owners from L. 5 to L. 20 each. They are generally purchased by farmers from the counties of Renfrew and Ayr, where they are trained for the draught, till they are about 5 years old; they are then fold at the fairs of Rutherglen from L. 25 to L. 40 each; from thence they are taken to the Lothians, England, &c. where they excel in the plough, the cart and the wag

gon.

Population. The parish contains 286 dwelling-houses, inhabited by 444 families, containing 1860 persons; of whom 907 are males, 953 females, and 297 children under 6 years of age. The number of fervants is 6y, of whom 21 only are males. The increase, fince the year 1755, if the return (988) made to Dr Webster was accufollowing is a lift of the number of

rate, is 872. The

baptifms,

baptifms, in the following periods, as they stand in the fef

The increased population must be owing to the rapid progrefs of manufactures in this part of the country.

Wages. Owing to this also, fervants are scarce, and their wages high. A man-fervant receives, befides bed, board and washing, L. 5 the half year; and a woman-fervant from 40 s. to 50s. A labourer, when hired by the year, receives I s. every day; when not hired by the year, he has from 15 d. to 18 d. a-day. Artificers, as masons and wrights, get 2 s. for their day's wages. But the practice of undertaking by the piece, almost universally prevails.

Character of the Inhabitants.-The prefent inhabitants are active and induftrious, and under their good management, the peace of fociety is preserved. They are confiderable adepts in borough politics. This, however, does not, in general, obftruct an induftrious application to their feveral employments. But their tranquillity meets, at times, with short interruptions: A competition for their

influence

influence, in a vote for a member of Parliament, fometimes convulfes the community; enervates the finews of industry; and brings ruin on fome few individuals. On these occafions, one would be ready to think, that liberty was turned into licentiousness, and that the privileges of royal boroughs were curfes, instead of bleffings, to the perfons poffeffed of them. But where is the conftitution that is free from defects? or where the people that may not in fome inftances go wrong? It may, however, be observed, that the inhabitants are fo far from being bad members of fociety, that none of them have, in the memory of man, committed any crime, for which they were liable to public punishment. They are ftrongly attached to the Eftablished Church; there being not above 8 or 10 families belonging to fectaries.

Trades, Manufactures, &c.—How the inhabitants are employed, will appear from the following lift of mechanics and labourers within the parish: The number of individuals employed in each occupation is annexed:

coopers

Of the weavers, 10 only continue at cuftomary work; the reft are employed in the muflin branch. Most of the mafons profefs the wright bufinefs. About three fourths of the smiths are nailers, and work to employers in Glasgow. Mr Robert Bryce hath distinguished himself for making edge-tools, especially augers and fcrews, both black and polished. He fells the black from 3 s. 6 d. to L. 1, 5 s. the dozen, wholesale ; and the polished, from 13 s. to L. 2 9 6 the dozen. His carpenters and axes and adzes, are fold from 5 d. to 8 d. the lb. All his tools, on account of their excellent workmanship, and extremely good temper, are preferred, in Glasgow and Greenock, to any from England. His demands are always greater than he can execute. For grinding his tools, he prefers the stones from Hamilton-hill, in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, to Newcastle grindstones. The former are compofed of a smaller grit than the latter, but take down remarkably faft; they wear equally round, because no part of them is harder than another; and they are not intermixed with nodules and ftreaks of the martial-pyrites, which are extremely hurtful to edge-tools, and frequently render grindstones totally useless.-Mr Bryce hath also acquired a peculiar fkill in the dextrous management of bees. He can, without killing the queen-bee, unite different fwarms, or parts of fwarms, and make them keep together in harmony: His apiary is fometimes ftocked with 42 hives. There are two printfields in the parish, known by the names of Rutherglen and Shawfield-bank printfields. The former is carried on by Mr Cummin and Company, and the latter by Mr Dalgleish; they employ about 200 perfons. All the women in the parish find abundance of suitable employment. Every 4 looms give work to at least one woman, who winds the yarn for them.

There