capital of the county of Moray in Scotland, and formerly a bishop's see, is situated on the river Lossie, about six miles north from the Spey, in W. Long. 2° 25' N. Lat. 57° 40'. Mr Pennant says, it is a good town, and has many of the houses built over piazzas; but, excepting its great cattle-fairs, has little trade. It is principally remarkable for its ecclesiastical antiquities. The cathedral, now in ruins, has been formerly a very magnificent pile. The west door is very elegant and richly ornamented. The choir is very beautiful, and has a fine and light gallery running round it; and at the east end are two rows of narrow windows in an excellent Gothic taste. The chapter-house is an octagon; the roof supported by a fine single column with neat carvings of coats of arms round the capital. There is still a great tower on each side of this cathedral; but that in the centre, with the spire and whole roof, are fallen in; and form most awful fragments, mixed with the battered monuments of knights and prelates. Boethius says, that Duncan, who was killed by Macbeth at Inverness, lies buried here. The place is also crowded with a number of modern tomb-stones.—The cathedral was founded by Andrew de Moray, in 1224, on a piece of land granted by Alexander II.; and his remains were deposited in the choir, under a tomb of blue marble, in 1244. The great tower was built principally by John Innes bishop of this see, as appears by the inscription cut on one of the great pillars: "Hic Jacet in Xto, pater et dominus, Dominus Johannes de Innes, hujus ecclesiae Episcopus;—qui hoc notabile opus incepit et per septemnium aedificavit." Elgin is a royal borough; and gives title of earl to the family of Bruce.

Elginshire, is the middle district of the ancient county of Moray. It is bounded on the north by that branch of the German ocean called the Moray Firth; on the east and south-east by Banffshire; on the south-west, by Inverness-shire; and on the west by the counties of Inverness and Nairn. It extends about 42 miles in length, and its average breadth is about 20. The southern part is rocky and mountainous, called the district of Braemoray, which is occupied with extensive forests. The lower parts, towards the north, are rich and fertile; but might easily be rendered more productive. Elginshire, productive. The principal rivers are, the Spey, Findhorn, and Lossie; all of which abound with salmon. It contains two royal boroughs, viz. Elgin, the county town, and Forres; and several considerable towns, as Grantown, Garmouth, Lossiemouth, &c. The principal seats are Gordon-castle, the seat of the duke of Gordon; Castle Grant, the seat of Sir James Grant; Altyn, the seat of Colonel Cumming, &c. Morayshire abounds with many remains of antiquity; the principal of which are the magnificent cathedral of Elgin, the priory of Pluscardine near the town of Elgin, the bishop's palace at Spynie, the castles of Lochindorb, Dunphail, and the dun of Relugas, in the parish of Edenkellie. The ancient Scottish historians, particularly Fordun and Buchanan, give accounts of the Danes landing in Moray, about 1098, when Malcolm II. marched against them, and was defeated near Forres: after this they brought over their wives and children, and were in possession of the country for some time; until they were finally expelled by that monarch, after the victories gained over them at Luncarty near Perth, at Barrie in the county of Angus, and at Mortlach in the county of Banff. There are many monuments of that nation; the most remarkable of which is Sueno's stone or pillar, on the road from Nairn and Forres, in the parish of Rafford. Except freestone, limestone, and marl, no mineral substance of value has been discovered.

| Parish | Population in 1755 | Population in 1790—1793 | |--------|-------------------|------------------------| | Alves | 1691 | 1111 | | Birnie | 525 | 402 | | Dallas | 700 | 888 | | Drainy | 1174 | 1040 | | Duffus | 1679 | 1800 | | Duthil | 1783 | 1110 | | Dyke and Moy | 1826 | 1529 | | Edenkellie | 1443 | 1800 | | Elgin | 6306 | 4534 | | Forres | 1993 | 2987 | | Kinloch | 1191 | 1031 | | Knockandoow | 1267 | 1500 | | Rafford | 1313 | 1072 | | Rothes | 1940 | 1500 | | St Andrews | 1132 | 777 | | Speymouth | 994 | 1347 | | Spynie | 865 | 602 | | Urquhart | 1110 | 1050 |

Decrease, 28,934