The Statistical Account of Scotland: Drawn Up from the Communications of the Ministers of the Different Parishes, Volume 11W. Creech, 1791 - Scotland |
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Common terms and phrases
acres alfo almoſt alſo arable barley becauſe befides beſt black cattle bolls built Callander cattle chalders church circumftances coaft coal confequence confiderable confifts crops decreaſe diſtance ditto Dunnet Head eftate Engliſh eſpecially eſtabliſhed expence extent faid falary falmon fame farmers farms feems feet fervants feveral fide fince firlots fituation fize fmall foil fome fometimes foon fown fpirit fpring ftill ftone fuch fufficient fummer fupplied fupport glebe grafs greateſt ground heritors hills horfes horſes houfes houſes increaſe induſtry inhabitants Kirkcudbright labour laft land laſt late lefs lime Lord of Galloway manfe meaſure miles minifter mofs moft moſt muſt neceffary oats Oban occafion pafture parish perfons poor population prefent proprietors purpoſe quantity raiſed refide refpect rent rifing river road rock ſchool Scotch Scotland ſeaſon ſeveral ſheep ſmall ſome ſtate Sterling ſtill ſtone tenants thefe themſelves theſe thofe thoſe town turnips uſed veffels village
Popular passages
Page 627 - They knead a cake of oatmeal, which is toasted at the embers against a stone. After the custard is eaten up, they divide the cake into so many portions, as similar as possible to one another in size and shape, as there are persons in the company. They daub one of these portions all over with charcoal, until it be perfectly black. They put all the bits of cake into a bonnet. Every one, blind-fold, draws out a portion. He who holds the bonnet is entitled to the last bit. Whoever draws the black bit,...
Page 177 - It was required that this grand master should be nobly born, or a clergyman of high rank and character. He had his deputies in the different counties and towns of Scotland. Every new brother paid him a fee at entrance.
Page 627 - After the custard is eaten up, they divide the cake into so many portions, as similar as possible to one another, in size and shape as there are persons in the company. They daub one of these portions all over with charcoal until it be perfectly black ; they put all the bits of the cake into a bonnet ; every one blindfold draws out a portion.
Page 626 - Beltein-day, all the boys in a township or hamlet, meet in the Moors. They cut a table in the green sod, of a round figure, by casting a trench in the ground, of such circumference as to hold the whole company. They kindle a fire, and dress a repast of eggs...
Page 34 - And so we rode thither one night, and coming a little after sun-rising, they who saw us coming barred their gates and kept their dikes : for the town is diked on both sides, with a gate to the water-ward, and a gate in the over end of the fell-ward.
Page 627 - ... portion. He who holds the bonnet is entitled to the last bit. Whoever draws the black bit is the devoted person who is to be sacrificed to Baal, whose favour they mean to implore in rendering the year productive of the sustenance of man and beast. There is little doubt of these inhuman sacrifices having been once offered in this country, as well as in the east, although they now pass from the act of sacrificing, and only compel the devoted person to leap three times through the flames ; with...
Page 585 - Benvenu ; the heron stalks among the reeds in search of his prey ; and the sportive ducks gambol on the waters, or dive below. On the other, the wild goats climb where they have scarce ground for the soles of their feet ; and the wild fowls perched on trees, or on the pinnacle of a rock, look down with composed defiance at man.
Page 187 - ... stone on the Saint's cairn, and leave behind, as tokens of their confidence and gratitude, some rags of linen or woollen cloth. The rock on the summit of the hill, formed, of itself, a chair for the Saint, which still remains. Those who complain of rheumatism in the back, must ascend the hill, sit in this chair, then lie down on their back, and be pulled by the legs to the bottom of the hill. This operation is still performed and reckoned very efficacious.
Page 584 - In walking en the north side, the road is sometimes cut through the face of the solid rock, which rises upwards of 200 feet perpendicular above the lake : Sometimes the view of the lake is lost, then it bursts suddenly on the eye, and a cluster of islands and capes appear, at different distances...
Page 252 - By two o'clock the whole frith seems to rage. About three in the afternoon, it is low water on the shore, when all the former phenomena are reversed — the smooth water beginning to appear next the land, and advancing gradually till it reaches the middle of the frith.