Gazetteer of Scotland

SAN
S AR
too little value to defray the expence.
There are feveral tumuli; fome of
which were opened in prefence of,
and at the defire of Sir Jofeph Banks,
and other gentlemen, on their return
from Iceland in 1772: they were found
to contain human bones and afhes.
In 1794, the population was 301a;
increafe 12 fince 1755-
SANQUHAR ; a royal borough in
Dumfries-mire, feated on the river
Nitb, on the borders of Ayrfhire ; a-
bout 27 miles diftant from Dumfries,
and 33 from Ayr ; and nearly equi-
diftant from the Solway Frith and the
Atlantic ocean. It has only one prin-
cipal ltreet, about a quarter of a mile
in length, but is rapidly increafing in
extent and population^ It has long
been famous for its woollen manu-
factures. Prior to the year 17775 its
chief trade confifted in the making
of woollen ftockings for exportation,
and was carried on to fuch an extent,
that one perfon, for a number of years,
fent to a fmgle houfe in Glafgow 48000
pairs of ftockings annually.. This ma-
nufacture received a great check from
the American war ; but is ftill carried
on, though to no great extent, the
carpet manufactory having fupplied
its place. Sanquhar was erected into
a burgh of barony in 1484; " prior to
which period," as the charter narrates,
" it had been a burgh of the fame
kind from time immemorial." At the
inftarice of Robert Crichton Lord of
Sanquhar, it was erected into a roy-
alty in 1596, by King James VI. It is
governed by a provoft, 3 bailies, dean
of guild, treafurer, and 11 councilors;
its revenue, exclusive of an extenlive,
but wild and uncultivated common,
is about 50I. fterling per annnm. It
joins with the burghs of Dumfries,
Annan, Kirkcudbright, and Lochma-
ben, in electing a reprefentative to
parliament. The parifh of Sanquhar
is of an irregular figure, extending a-
bout 15 miles in length, and from 9 to
10 in breadth. The general appear-
ance is rugged and mountainous, and
may be reckoned the higheft land in
the S. of Scotland, the furface rifrng
with a gradual flope from the S. to
the elevation of 3000 feet above the
fea level. The hills are partly green,
and partly covered with heath, and
paftured with about 19,000 or 20,000
fheep. The foil, at the foot of the
hills, i? partly moffy, and partly a deep
clay, affording only a fcanty crop, and
a precarious and late harveft. On the
banks of the Nitb, indeed, which in-
terferes the parifh from one end to the
other, and the fmall rivulets, which
are its tributaries, there are confider-
able fields of a light loam, tolerably
early and productive, when properly
cultivated. Upon the whole, however,
not more than 600 or 700 acres are
under culture. But, while the moun-
tains exhibit fo rugged and barren an
exterior, they contain immenfe riches
in their bowels. Beiides inexhauftible
quarries of limefrone and coal, the
mines contain great abundance of lead
ore, which is wrought by the miners
in the village of Wanlock-head. The
variety of limeftone is confiderable :
fome approaches to the hardnefs of
marble ; other fpecimens are foft, and
of a bluifh colour, in plates, having
the furface covered with petrified fhelis
adhering to it, chiefly of the cockle
fpecies. The argillaceous ftrata, which
are incumbent on the limeftone, ex-
hibit many fpecimens of vegetable im-
prefhons ; and in the coal fhafts are
found frequent fpecimens of petrified
wood. There is one ftratum of coal,
of a lingular kind, about 40 inches
thick, of a clofe texture, which con-
tains a confiderable quantity of ful-
phur and iron. When burnt in a
common fire, the allies are of a red
colour, refembling ochre ; but, when
burnt in a hot furnace, the iron melts,
and runs through the grate in a fluid
ftate, combined with the fulohur,
forming a fulphuret of iron. The old
caftle of Sanquhar, at a fmall diftance
from the town, has been a building of.
confiderable extent and ftrength; and,
about a mile from it is the houfe of
Elliock, noted as claiming the birth of
the admirable Crichton. 1111791, the
population was 2600 ; increafe 601
fince 17 < r ,.
SANSTING. VideSANDSTiNG.
Sark ; a' fmall river in Dumfries-
fhire, which difcharges itfelf into the
Solway Frith, about a mile from the
place where the Ejk runs into that
arm of the fea.
SARKFOOT; a fmall village in
Dumfries-fhire, in the parifh of Grait-.
ney, at the mouth of the river Sari,
It has a good harbour, which admits
veffels of 120 tons burden.