Gazetteer of Scotland

€R A
&f the coal. In Corstorphine hill there
is a species of stone, Seemingly com-
posed of schistus and quartz, which
is so hard that, when beated and pul-
verized, it has been found to answer
most of the purposes of emery. There
is another kind of mixed stone, which
has the appearance of coarse whin-
stone, but has evidently a considera-
ble quantity of calcareous matter in-
ks composition. When taken from
the quarry, it is hard enough to strike
fire with steel* but by exposure to the
weather it soon crumbles down to
an earth, in the fragments of which
very fine specimens of crystallized
zeolite are found. There is a mineral
spring on the lands of Marchfield,
called the well of Spa>7, containing a
Sufficient quantity of sulphate of mag-
nesia to render it highly purgative.
John Strachan, Esq. of Craigcrook,' in
this parish,- about the year 1720, mor-
tified his estate, of above SOOl. per cn-
num, to certain managers, to be ap-
plied by them in relieving the necessi-
ties of " poor old men, women, and
orphans;" The parish of Cramond
has given birth to several men who
have become eminent by their talents
or their virtues. Of these may be
mentioned, 1st, John, second Lord
Balmerinoch, noted for his spirited
opposition to Charles I: and for being
the best friend of the Covenanters,
having spent the greatest part of his
fortune in support of that cause ; 2d>
Sir Thomas Hope of Grantown, a c'e*
lebrated lawyer at the Scottish bar ;
3d, Sir George Mackenzie, first earl
of Cromarty* well kffown for his vo-
luminous productions ; and 4th, Dr.
Cleghorn, professor of aftatomy in the
university of Dublin, who may be
considered as the founder of the school
6f medicine in that university. To
these may be added John Law of Lau-
riston, one of the most remarkable
characters this or any other country
has ever produced. He Was born at
Lauriston about the year 1670. Dis-
gusted with some treatment he had
received in this country, he went over
to France, where he nearly completed
the ruin of that monarchy by his finan-
cical speculations. After being raised
to the high rank of comptroller-gene-
ral of the finances of France, he ob-
tained liberty to erect a national bank,
which was attended with the most be-
C R A
neficial effect. Afterwards he began"
gradually to develope the scheme,
which he had long before digested,
called the Mississippi system. This
was the establishment of an American
or western trading company, the ob-
ject of which was the planting and
cultivation of the French colonies of
North America/ The plan was im-
mediately adopted, and the abundance
of fallacious wealth which poured in*
to the kingdom $ promised to have
exalted that nation to the highest-
pitch of prosperity. The event is
well known : that scheme proved to
France (what the South Sea Company
afterwards was to Britain)' only a bub-
ble, threatening to involve the nation
in ruin. Law ended his chequered
life" about the year 1720, somewhere
in Italy, in a state of almost extreme
indigence, after having astonished all
Europe with his abilities, his projects,
his success, And his ruin. Population
in 1801, l-lll.
CRAMOND (NETHER) ; a vil-
lage in the parish of the same name.
It is situated on the river Amond,
where it discharges itself into the
Frith of Forth. It contains upwards
of S40 inhabitants, who are mostly
employed in the iron-works carried
on in the neighbourhood. The A-
mond is navigable for small vessels
nearly a quarter of a mile from the
Forth, forming a safe and commo-
dious harbour ; (specified in the re-
cords of the Exchequer as a creek be-
longing to the port of Leith.) To
this harbour belong 8 or 10 sloops,'
employed by the Cramond Iron-work
Company. Cramond lies about three
miles N. W. of Edinburgh.
CRANSHA WS \ a small parish si-
tuated in the midst of the Lammer-
muif hills, in the county of Berwick.
The surface consists mostly of high
hills, covered with heath, and there-
fore better adapted for pasture than
for tillage. Every farm, however,
possesses a Considerable portion of
arable land, which is generally culti-
vated and sown with turnip, for the
support of the sheep during the seve-
rity of winter. Lime has been of the
greatest service in meliorating the soil.
The rivers Whrttadder and Dye watef
this parish. The general appearance
is naked and bleak, having few trees
of any kind to. shelter the soil from
O