there has been a large camp with a deep ditch. It seems to have been about 3 quarters of a mile in circumference, and is called the Chefter-know or Knoll.

Mr Milne defcribes other camps, feveral of them large, and gives an account of other antiquities and particulars referring to this parish,

NUM

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NUMBER VII.

PARISH OF INNERKIP,

(COUNTY OF RENFREW, SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR, PRESBYTERY OF PAISLEY.)

By the Rev. Mr THOMAS BROWN.

Name, Extent, &c.

HE fituation feems to have given rife to the name,

which is partly Gaelic; Inner, by fome called Inver, implies the mouth of a river,' which agrees with the fituation of the church and village; immediately below which, the small river Kip empties itself into the sea, or frith of Clyde. This parish is bounded by the frith of Clyde upon the W. and N. In length, from E. to W. along the shore, it is 7 miles in a straight line; but confiderably longer, if all the little bays were followed; in breadth, 6 miles. It was much more extenfive two centuries ago, comprehending then the two parishes of Greenock.

Climate and Surface.-From fituation, the climate is rather wet, and rains are frequent and heavy; yet very healthy,

healthy, by means of the fea-air, which feldom allows any fogs or noxious mists to settle down, nor froft and fnow to continue long. By this the fummer heat is also moderated to a very defirable equality. The inhabitants are feldom visited by epidemical distempers, or local diseases. The rheumatifm is indeed complained of, but not generally. Great numbers of children are fometimes fweeped off by the fmall pox. An unconquerable averfion to inoculation, expofes them at all ages to this disease, which is very fatal, when of a bad kind. Though there is no inftance of remarkable longevity, yet there are many of confiderable age; it is not uncommon to fee men and women. of 80 employed daily in their ufual labour; and one woman is confiderably above 90. The surface of the country, in general, is no lefs pleafing to the eye, than the fituation is conducive to health. From the fhore to the S. E. is a gradual and irregular afcent, beautifully varied with plains, gentle declivities, and eminences clothed with furze and broom, interfected by fmall rivers or burns, which are fometimes loft in deep glens, fhaded with wood, and fometimes water rich and fertile meadows. On one fide, furrounded with lofty mountains, covered with heath; on the other, washed by the frith of Clyde, conftantly crowded with the foreign and coafting trade to and from Greenock; the towering fummits of the Isle of Arran terminate the view to the S. W.

Soil and Agriculture.-The foil upon the fhore is light, fandy, and of quick vegetation; farther in the country, it is a little wetter, and more inclined to a red gravel. The moor-grounds are covered with heath, and in fome places afford mofs of a confiderable depth. More than one half of the parish is moor, and a great part of that a common undivided; a confiderable part natural meadow, and the remainder

remainder arable. But as no measurement has been taken, how many acres are of each, cannot be conjectured. From the appearance of the country, it may be supposed that inore land was in tillage 50 years ago than at prefent. Most part of the arable, and a great part of the low pafture lands, are inclosed with good stone fences, which the proprietor erects, on the tenant paying 7 per cent. for outlaid money, and on condition he leaves them fencible at the end of his leafe. Agriculture here has made but flow progrefs, and still the improvement of land is little attended to; perhaps for the following reafons: The foil, which is light, will hardly bear the labour requifite to clear it of weeds; and when put into a ftate, from which a good crop might be expected, it is eafily hurt by the severity of dry or wet weather. Allowing the crop to answer the expectation of the farmer, the price it brings, is feldom a fufficient compensation for expense and labour; this is owing to the immenfe quantity of grain imported into Greenock, and from which port it is circulated through the country, to a great distance, whereby it is kept lower than in most inland places. Another thing which impedes agriculture, is, the farmer pays his rent much eafier from his dairy than his plough; and for his encouragement, he finds a ready market, and good prices for all kinds of produce, grain excepted, in the town above mentioned. In order to favour this mode of farming, great part of the land is thrown into grass; fo much only is ploughed, as is barely fufficient to fupport the cattle through winter. The me thod of working land in general, is to reft it 3 or 4 years, and plough it 2; feldom doing any more to it, than what their cattle and manure do. The dung of the cattle is used in raifing barley and potatoes, which are excellent in quality, and frequently confiderable in quantity; befides those

confumed

confumed in the parish, many bolls are carried to Greenock.

From this method of farming, there are some exceptions among the tenants; and especially 2 or 3 heritors, who do the lands they hold in their own hands great juftice, and are well repaid. Excepting what is done by thefe, agriculture is nearly in the same state it was 50 years ago. During many years, the farms have been increafing in extent, as well as in value, confequently at present much diminished in number. The number of acres in crop cannot well be known. If the season be favourable for ploughing, the price of cattle, and the produce of the dairy low, more is thrown into crop than when these are otherwise. Crops, in general, are but very moderate, as may readily be expected, from the manner of improving, and confift chiefly of oats and a little barley. Rye grafs has been introduced, but is not much followed after. The old Scots plough, drawn by 3 horfes, is moftly in ufe. Ploughing commonly begins about the middle of March, fowing the first week of April, reaping the end of September, or beginning of October. The farmer generally holds his own plough, where there are no children, or not grown up. As the tillage is not great, the produce is not nearly fufficient for the inhabitants. Though there are few farms, if any, in the parish, that can be called ftore farms, yet there are 50 or 60 scores of sheep; almost one half of these are allowed to range in the common moor, during summer, and come down to the low grounds in winter. If the price of lands be a proof of value, here they fall nothing below those fyftematically improven; when fold, which is feldom, they bring from 40 to 50 years purchase. The valued rent of the parish is L.3177 Scots.*

VOL. IX.

N

Population.

Prices of Labour and Provifions.-The expense of country labour is at prefent almost double of what it was 30 years ago. This is not so

much