a county of Scotland, situated between 55° 2' and 55° 31' N. Lat. and between 2° 39' and 3° 53' W. Long. is bounded on the north by the counties of Lanark, Peebles, and Selkirk; on the east by Roxburghshire, and Cumberland in England; on the south by the Solway Frith; and on the west by the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and the county of Ayr. Its greatest length, in a south-east direction, is about 50 miles; and from Peebles-shire on the north, to the Solway Frith on the south, the distance is about 32 miles; but the boundaries are very irregular. It contains somewhat more than 1006 square miles, or 644,385 English acres, of which about 86 miles are in general low arable land, lying on the sea coast, 322 miles chiefly hilly, and 598 mountainous. It was anciently divided into three districts, Annandale, Eskdale, and Nithsdale, so named after its principal rivers, each under a separate jurisdiction; and these names are still retained in the common language of the people. Within the limits of the county there are 42 parishes, and 43 officiating clergymen. These are under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the synod of Dumfries, which extends over five presbyteries, and fifty-three parishes.

This county has for the most part a southern exposure, and, being surrounded by vast ranges of mountains on the north, east, and west, the climate, though moist, is mild and salubrious. Snow seldom Dumfries remains long, even on the declivities of the mountains. The average annual temperature is about 45°. The winds in summer and harvest are from the west and south, and in winter and spring from the east and north. About one acre in a hundred may be under wood; but it is not sufficient either for shelter or ornament. The soils are gravel or sand, loam, and clay, with moor and moss in some places, and alluvial tracts on the banks of the rivers and the Solway Frith.

The principal rivers are the Nith, the Annan, and the Esk. The Nith, after entering the county from Ayrshire, traverses it in a south by east direction, for more than 40 miles, and, passing by the town of Dumfries, falls into the Solway Frith. Annan, the central river, has its source in the mountains in the north, where the county is bounded by Lanark and Peebles, and near which the rivers Clyde and Tweed also take their rise, and, flowing south by Moffat, discharges itself into the Solway Frith below Annan, after a course of about 30 miles. The Esk rises in the mountains on the borders of Selkirkshire, and, after flowing past Langholm, it forms for a mile the boundary with Cumberland, which it then enters, and, passing by Longtown, falls also into the Solway Frith, the whole extent of its course being above 40 miles. Over the Nith, and within this county, there are six bridges, five over the Annan, and as many over the Esk. The bridge over the Nith at Dumfries was built in the middle of the thirteenth century. A number of tributary streams join these rivers in their progress. Of the lakes, Loch Skeen, 1500 feet above the level of the sea, is most worthy of notice. It feeds the well known cascade, called the Gray Mare's Tail, near the head of Moffat Water. Near Lochmaben there are six or seven lakes; the ancient royal castle of that name is situate on the margin of one that is three miles in circumference.

The minerals and fossils of Dumfries-shire are lead, antimony, manganese, coal, sandstone, iron in different forms, limestone, marble, and slate; and gold in small quantities is still occasionally found in the sand, or adhering to quartz, near Leadhills. The lead-mines at Wanlockhead belong to the Marquis of Queensberry, and yield him about L.5000 a-year. In 1809, their produce was 15,552 bars, of 9 stones each, worth L.32 per ton. Silver is sometimes extracted from the lead, in the proportion of from 6 to 12 ounces in the ton. About 300 people are employed, of which 118 are pickmen, who earn about L.32 a-year, working six hours out of the twenty-four. There is a library of 700 volumes, accessible to the workmen for a small payment; and they are distinguished for their information and good conduct. The only coal capable of being wrought is at the extremities of the county,—Sanquhar on the north-west, and Canobie on the south-east; so that the greater part of it is supplied with this article from England, and from Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. The principal limeworks are at Closeburn in Nithsdale, and Kelhead in Annandale.

Mineral waters are found in different parts of the county, particularly a fine chalybeate, near the burgh of Annan; another at Brow, in the parish of Ruthwell; and a sulphureous spring at Closeburn House. But the two most esteemed are near Moffat, one of which is sulphureous, and the other a chalybeate. The former, which has been known for two centuries, is about a mile from the village; and issues from a rock of compact greywacke, which contains interspersed iron pyrites; and a little above it there is a bog. Dr Garnet found a wine gallon of it to contain of muriate of soda 36 grains, sulphureted hydrogen gas 10 cubic inches, azotic gas 4 inches, and carbonic acid 5 inches. In its taste and medicinal qualities it is similar to the sulphureous waters of Harrowgate, only less powerful. It is commonly drank at the fountain, and also used for the warm bath. The chalybeate, or Hartfell Spa, is about five miles from the village, in a deep and sequestered ravine, on the side of the Hartfell mountain, and contains, according to Dr Garnet's analysis—of sulphate of iron 84 grains, sulphate of alumina 12, oxide of iron 15, and 5 inches of azotic gas, in a wine gallon. It is strongest after rain. It is a powerful tonic, taken at the rate of a wine glassful twice or thrice a-day; and may be carried to any distance. This spring was discovered about 70 years ago.

The most extensive proprietors in this county are the Duke of Buccleuch, the Marquis of Queensberry, the Earl of Hopetoun, and the Earl of Mansfield; and besides these, the number of proprietors is about 460. The valued rent is L.158,509, 10s. Scots, of which more than a half is held under entail. In 1811 the real rent of the lands was L.246,001, 12s. 6d. or about Rental 7s. 6d. the English acre, and of the houses L.16,787 Sterling. In the vicinity of the castle of Lochmaben, a considerable tract of rich land, called the Fourtowns, is held by what is termed the kindly tenure, the only instance of the kind perhaps in Scotland. The land is parcelled out in lots among a great number of proprietors, who pay a small fixed sum yearly, in full of rent-duty and tithe, to Lord Mansfield, as keeper of his Majesty's castle of Lochmaben; and they transmit their shares simply by possession. This peculiar tenure is said to be as ancient as the time of Robert Bruce. Many of the lots are too small to afford their owners the means of subsistence. The principal seats are Drumlanrig Castle, on the west bank of the Nith, now the property of the Duke of Buccleuch; Rachills, built by the late Earl of Hopetoun, on the old family estate of Annandale; and Langholm Lodge on the Esk, the occasional residence of the Duke of Buccleuch. Caerlaverock, near the Solway Frith, the seat of the Lords Maxwell; Mortoun Castle, Torthorwald, and Sanquhar Castle in Nithsdale; Achincass, Lochwood, Lochmaben, and Comlongan, in Annandale, are ancient buildings, now in ruins.

Farms vary much in size—arable, from 50 to 600 acres, and hill sheep walks, from 300 to 3000. The latter description of land maintains about two sheep for every three acres. The number of farmers has been stated at 1300. The leases of arable land are from nineteen to twenty-one years, of sheep farms commonly from nine to thirteen years. The rents are all paid in money. The agriculture of this county seems to hold a middle place between that of the Dumfries, border counties of Roxburgh and Berwick and the Lothians, and the more northerly divisions of Scotland. Though the prevailing soil be light and friable, turnips do not generally form one of the crops in rotation, nor is it the practice of most farmers, who raise them on a smaller scale, to feed them off with sheep. The crop chiefly trusted to for keeping the land clean is potatoes, which are cultivated to a considerable extent, and receive nearly all the farmyard manure. Wheat is not a general crop, and beans very rare. The growth of barley has been checked by the duties on malt. Oats are cultivated extensively on every farm. About 1,200,000 Winchester bushels of lime are supposed to be used every year as manure, the expense being about £54,000. The implements are not different from those in use in most parts of Scotland, except that single horse carts are almost universal. The fences on the sheep farms are dry stone walls, and on the low grounds white-thorn hedges; but the latter, owing to neglect, are often worse than useless. Mr Menteath of Closeburn laid down a large tract of thin peat moss with Yorkshire fog (Haleus latatus), after paring and burning, and has found it to form a valuable pasture. He allows six bushels of seed, and a dressing of eighty bushels of lime to the Scots acre. Timothy has been cultivated with great success by Mr Mundell of the Academy at Closeburn. The cattle are of the Galloway breed, though not always unmixed; few comparatively are carried forward to the butcher, most of them being driven to the south, at the proper age for fattening. A number of Highland cattle, bought at the Falkirk Trysts, are kept for a season, and then resold, and also Irish cattle in a smaller proportion. The dairy is not an object of much attention. The number of cattle of all ages bred in the county has been computed to be 30,000. The sheep are of the Cheviot and black-faced breeds, with a few flocks of Leicester on the arable farms, the number of the whole being about 200,000. A great many hogs are bred and fattened chiefly on potatoes; the pork is cured in the county, and sent off in bacon for the London and Newcastle markets, to the yearly value, it is said, of about £50,000. The district of Annandale has the greatest share of this trade. For agricultural produce, the Winchester bushel and avoirdupois weight are in general use; but oatmeal, as in other parts of Scotland, is sold by the stone of 17½ lb. avoirdupois, eight of which = 140 lb. make a boll.

The manufactures of Dumfries-shire are not very extensive. Cotton-spinning at Langholm and Annan, and cotton-weaving at the latter place; linen only for home consumption; a small iron-work at Kirkconnel; a paper-mill, two small founderies, and several breweries and tanworks at Dumfries, and a carpet manufactory near Sanquhar, comprise all the branches worthy of notice. Salt was formerly made from sleech without paying duty, in the parishes of Cummertrees and Ruthwell, in consequence of an act in 1671, but the right to this exemption has been lately questioned.

The port of Dumfries extends from Southwick in the parish of Colvend, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, along the Solway Frith to the border stream of Sark, and therefore nearly all the exports and imports of the county by sea pass through it. In 1809, the entries inwards were 493 vessels, carrying 1339 men, and 18,985 tons; and 287 vessels cleared outwards, with 802 men, and 12,090 tons. Most of the inward vessels are laden with coal, and of the outward with grain. But its most valuable exports are cattle, sheep, bacon, and wool; almost all of which, excepting the last, are sent out of it by land.

The only fisheries that can be said to belong to this county, which has no other communication with the sea than by the Solway Frith, are those of its rivers, and they are inconsiderable. The salmon fishings have lately failed, owing, it is alleged, to the fish being intercepted in their passage up the Solway, by the numerous stake-nets placed there in the salt water. The fishing ground to the west of the Annan, including a part of that river, was let some years ago for £900. An act was obtained for the protection of these fisheries in 1804.

It is not so common in this as in the other southern counties of Scotland, to have cottages on every farm; the lower unmarried labourers, who live in the farmers' houses, being in many cases preferred. Hence the lower classes are lodged for the most part in towns and villages, where their accommodations are various as their means, but in general much superior to those which the country cottages afford. Many of these last are built of dry stone dashed with lime, some of them of stone and turf without any lime, and a few with walls of mud. In 1812, wages were from 1s. 6d. a day in winter to 3s. in harvest, and might average nearly 2s. 6d. throughout the year; but here, as in every other part of Scotland, country labour has fallen at least one-third within these few years, except that of married servants hired for the year, whose wages are paid in oatmeal and other kinds of farm produce. Their food, when they eat in their employers' house, is oatmeal and potatoes for breakfast and supper, with broth and meat to dinner. Peat or turf is the common fuel. They are all taught to read, and the boys at least to write and cast accounts; in many of the country parishes Latin, and in all the larger villages Greek and French may be learned for very moderate fees. The number of paupers is about one thousand, and the payments in common years do not exceed £3000. There is a poor-rate levied in a few parishes, which may amount to about one per cent. on the rent; and it is paid in equal proportions by the landlord and tenant.

Dumfries-shire sends one member to Parliament; and the boroughs of Dumfries, Annan, Lochaben, and Sanquhar, in this county, with Kirkcudbright in the stewartry of that name, join in electing a representative for the Scots boroughs. Moffat and Langholm are well built, populous, and thriving villages: several new ones have been laid out according to regular plans within these few years, by spirited proprietors. Graitney, or, as our southern neighbours write it, Gretna Green, has long been notorious for the celebration of clandestine marriages, for which it is conveniently situated near the English border. The local militia and yeomanry cavalry, in 1812, amounted to 1958, which, with the county militia,