a thriving manufacturing town of Scotland, in the counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk, and in the parishes of Galashiels and Lauderdale. It stands on both sides of the Gala, about a mile above its confluence with the Tweed, and is 33 miles distant from Edinburgh by the North British Railway. Galashiels was made a burgh of barony in 1599, when it contained 400 inhabitants; but it is mentioned in history nearly three centuries before that date. Until late in the eighteenth century, however, it was a mere village standing on the side of Gala Hill. Being situated in a rich pastoral district, yielding abundance of wool, a woollen-mill was erected here in 1791, in which was placed one set of engines. Since that date the trade of the town has steadily increased, so that now more than a mile of the picturesque valley of the Gala is covered with neat modern houses and mills. There are at present (1853) fifteen of the latter, of large size, which contain 46 sets of carding engines, employing 32,200 spindles. Yarns spun in England, sufficient to employ 12 sets of engines, are also brought here for manufacture into cloths. The wool formerly used was all of home growth; but now the wools of Germany and Australia almost exclusively occupy the looms. There are about 2300 persons employed in the trade, who receive £4600 per month in wages, and turn out annually from £250,000 to £300,000 worth of goods, at manufacturers' prices. These goods are chiefly Tweeds, shawls, plaids, and tartans. The drainage of agricultural lands has been found seriously to affect the water-power of the Gala, the stream being greatly swollen after rains, and nearly dry in their absence. This has led to the general introduction of steam power, and to migration to the neighbouring town of Selkirk and to the village of Innerleithen. Besides this staple manufacture, Galashiels has a tannery, a skininery, brewery, saw-mill, bone-mill, savings-bank, four bank agencies, and one weekly newspaper, the Border Advertiser. The places of worship are—two parish churches, two Free churches, two United Presbyterian churches, one Episcopal and one Roman Catholic chapel, an Independent meeting-house, a Glassite and a Baptist place of worship. There are five public schools, a town library, a public reading-room, and a mechanics' institution with library. The town is a burgh of barony; but in 1850 it adopted the provisions of the police act, 13th and 14th Vict., cap. 33, and is now governed by a chief magistrate, two junior magistrates, and five commissioners. Pop. (1851) 5918. Abbotsford is about a mile and a half from the town, on the right bank of the Tweed.

In connection with Galashiels it may be mentioned, that it was from observations made here that the salubrious nature of the employment in wool manufactures was first particularly pointed out. In working up the wool there is a large consumption of oil, with which the air becomes impregnated, and which is thus imbibed into the system. Children working in the mills are in consequence healthier and heavier than those in the town not so employed; and weakly children are purposely sent to mill employment for the strengthening and development of their bony frames. Mr McDougall, surgeon in Galashiels, was the first to call attention to this fact, and his observations have been confirmed by the further investigations of Professor Simpson.