L o b s t e r s ,
S e p t . i .
Incredible numbers of lobfters are taken on this coaft, from the
village,of Ufan. Sixty or feventy thoufand are. fent annually to
London, and fold at the rate of twopence halfpenny a-piece,, pr0.
vided they , are five inches round in the body; and if lefs, two are
allowed for one. The attention of the natives to this fpecies of
fifliery is one reafon of the negledt of that of white fifli, to the
great lofs of the whole country, which by this inattention is de.
prived of a^cheap and comfortable diet. Agates of very beautiful
kinds are gathered in great quantities beneath the cliffs, and fent
to the lapidaries in London.
I cannot difcover any veftiges of antiquity about this place,
except a,large mount called the. For thill, on the eaft fid e of the:
town.. No marks are left o f its ever having been f o r t i f i e d ; but
the materials might have been applied to other purpofes: and
there is a tradition that it was in full repair when Edward I I I . was-
in Scotland. Boethius* relates, that it was a fortified place at the
landing of the Banes, a little before the battle of Loncarty: that
thole barbarians put the. inhabitants, to the fword,, levelled the
walls, and deftroyed the caftle. This is the only remarkable
event which I canQdifcover to have happened to the town. In this
century it was diftinguiihed b y , the flight of the Pretender, who,
on the 4th of February, 1716, efcaped on board of a frigate which
lay in the road, and conveyed him fafe to France.
This day we were honored-with the freedom of the town; and
handfomely entertained by the magiftrates. I obferved that the
Teal of the diploma was impreffed with rofes allufrve to its prefent
name,, which feems a poetical fidtion.
* Lib . X I. p. 228*
Aureoli*
Aureolis urbs pi&a ro iis : mons molliter urbi
Imminet, hinc urbi nomina fa£ta canunt. ,
A t veteres perhibent quondam dixifle C e l u r c am *
Nomine fie prifco et nobilitata novo eft.
E t prifca atque nova infignis virtute, virumque
Ingeniis, Patriae qui peperere d.ecus * .
■ Leave Montrofe, and after five miles riding, -crofs the North-EJk,
at North. Bridge. This river and that of South-E/k rife in the extreme
northern borders, of the county, among the Benchichin hills :
this, flowing along Glenejk, retains the fame name from the fource
tothe fea-, the other is called the IVhite Water for a confiderable
way from its fountain. Near this bridge is Englijh Maddie, the feat
of the Falconers, barons of Halkerton, whofe family took its name,
from the office of an anceftor, falconer to William the Lion. Af-.
ter palling the river, enter the county of
■ M E R N S.;
O R ,
'The Shire of K 1 n c a r © i n e .
■ Some derive the firft from Merns, a valiant nobleman, who
fobduing the country,- received it in reward from his prince Kenneth
II. Camden with much probability fuppofes it to retain part
of the name of the old Inhabitants, the Vernicones of Ptolemy, it
being common for the Britons in difcourfe to change the V into M.
The other name is taken from its antient capital, Kincardine, now
an inconfiderable village.
■ Lie this night at the village of Laurence Kirk. The cultivation
* Jonfion*
U 2 of