his power to promote that moft ufeful o f arts, by givino- a certad
number of bolls of burnt lime to thofe who can ihew the larseftl
and beft fallow; and allowing ten per cent, out of the rents to!
fuch farmers who lay out any money in folid improvements • fid
example, in inclofing, and the like. The duke alfo ihews much!
humanity in another inftance, by permitting his tenants in the
filaces of his eftates where flags inhabit, to deftroy them with iiJ
punity ; -refigning that part of the antient chieftains magnificence]
rather than beafts of chace ihould wafte-the bread of the poor.
Cantyre was granted to the houfe o f Argyle after a fuppreffion of
a rebellion of the Mac-donalds o fth e iiles (and I fuppofe of tliiij
peninfula) in the beginning of the laft century *, and the grant
was afterwards ratified by parlement f . The antient inhabitants
were the Mac-donalds, Mac-eacbrans, Mac-kays, and Mac-maths.
'Take a ride along the Weft fide o f the bay. See, mKilkerm]
church-yard, feveral tombs o f artificers, with the inftruments of
their trades engraven : amongft others appear a goofe, and Ihears,
to denote that a taylor lay beneath. A little further, on the ihore,’
are the ruins of Ktlkerran caftle, built by James V. when he vi-i
fited this place in order to quell a rebellion : he was obliged to]
fly to it for protection, and, as is faid, to abandon it to the]
fury of the infurgents, who took the fortrefs, and hung his g<W
vernor.
Turn to the South, and vifit fome caves in the rocks that face
the Firth : thefe are very magnificent, and very various ; the tops
are lofty, and refemblegothic arches; one has on all fides a range
* Br. Biography, II, 1 141. f CraivforÎs Peerage, 15.
of
L f natural feats; another is. in form of a crofs, with three fint gothic
L o c o s , for entrances ■, this had been the refidence of St. Kerr an-,
lad formerly a wall at the entrance, a fecond about the middle, and
■ t h i r d f a r up, forming different apartments. On the floor is the
lapital of a crofs, and a. round bafon, cut out of the rock, full of
K n e water, the beverage of the faint in old times, and of failors in
Hie prefent, who often land to drefs their viftuals beneath this fhel-
L An antient pair, upwards o f feventy years of age,,once, made
Ibis their habitation for a, confiderable time.
| Return, view- the crofs,.in the middle o f the town : a moft beau-
liful pillar, r i c h l y -ornamented with foliage, and with this infcription
In one fide: Uac I ejl crux Domini': Y v a r i i M H ! E a c h y r -
| - i ' : quondam': ReBorislde K y r e c a n i et I Domini': A n d r e : nati:
■ht ■■' Kelt or is de K j l : c o m a n : qui bancg cruce fieri faciebat, Mr. Gor-
Jmm (by report only) mentions this as a Danijh obelifk, but does not
lenture the defcription, as he had.not opportunity.of feeing i t : his
Informant faid, .that it was brought from Jona, which concurs with
Bhe tradition o f this place.
I At night am admitted freeman-of Campbeltown, and; according
lothe. cuftom ofthe place, confult the o r a c l e of the B o t t l e about
Bny future voyage; affifted by a numerous company of brother
IburgefTes.
I Leave Campbeltown with a full fenfe of all the civilities-received
■there. Ride over a plain about five miles wrde. See on the road
Ifide a great wheel, defigned for the railing water from the neigh--
■boring collieries. The coal is eight feet thick, dips one yard in
[five, and points -N. E. by N. W . ; is fold on the bank for four ihillings
T he C & o j s .
J u n e 28^