(from a foot, and μέτρον, a measure), an ingenious instrument in the form of a watch, designed to ascertain the space of ground over which one has travelled. Of the various contrivances of this sort, that of Payne, watchmaker in Bond Street, London, is decidedly the most convenient. The instrument is so arranged that when the body of the traveller is raised by the spring of his feet in walking, or by the motion of his horse, a small lever is jerked downwards which communicates its motion to the wheel-work of the machine. The distance passed over is pointed out in miles on a dial-plate, by means of an index. In adapting the pedometer to carriage travelling, the ordinary horizontal position of the lever becomes perpendicular, and the instrument is allowed to oscillate like a pendulum.

PEEBLESHIRE, or Tweeddale, a county in Scotland, situated between 55° 24' and 55° 50' N. Lat., and between 2° 45' and 3° 23' W. Long. It is bounded on the N. by Mid-Lothian or Edinburghshire, E. by Selkirkshire, S. by Dumfriesshire, and W. by Lanarkshire. Its greatest extent from N. to S. is about 30 miles, and its greatest breadth from E. to W. about 22; the area being 354 square miles, or 226,488 English acres, of which only about an eighth part is fit for cultivation. It is divided into sixteen parishes, twelve of which form the presbytery of Peebles, and four belong to that of Biggar; but all are under the synod of Lothian and Tweedside.

The surface of this county is hilly, and towards the S. mountainous, the principal high grounds in that quarter being Hartfell, 2635, Broadlaw, 2740, and Dollarlaw, 2790 feet above the level of the sea. None of the southern counties of Scotland have so great a general elevation as Peeblesshire; yet, with few exceptions, the hills are covered with green herbage, and afford good sheep pasture. On the banks of its streams are many pleasant and fertile spots, and the large extent of young plantation has added greatly to the amenity of the district, which was formerly very bare of timber. The soil of the cultivated land, lying chiefly on the sides of the lower hills and the banks of the streams, is for the most part a light loam, with clay, moss, and moor on the high grounds. Graywacke, both massive and slaty, is the prevailing rock in the S. and middle of the county, and there are many good quarries in the neighbourhood of Peebles, though in other places it is too laminated in its structure to be good for building. In the northern parts old red sandstone is the principal formation. Coal, limestone, and freestone abound in the parishes of Linton and Newlands, on the N. side of the county, and are profitably worked in the former of these parishes; in the latter ironstone is also found. At Stobo, slate of a good quality is quarried, and sold with advantage to the proprietor. In the parish of Traquair there is also a slate quarry, but the increased use of Welsh slates has affected the demand. The river Tweed, from which this district is often called Tweeddale, rises from a well of the same name, in the parish of Tweedsmuir, in the south-western extremity of the county, about 1500 feet above the level of the sea, and flowing first N.E. and then E., dividing the county into two nearly equal parts, it passes into Selkirkshire at Gatehope Burn, after a winding course of about 36 miles. The Annan and the Clyde have their source in the same hill. Of the other streams, here called waters, the most considerable are Biggar, Lyne, Peebles or Edzellstone, Leithen, Manner, and Quair, which fall into the Tweed; and the North and South Esk, which pursue their course into Mid-Lothian. The lakes or lochs are St Mary's, Waterloch, and Slipperfield. These, as well as the rivulets, abound in the common fresh-water fish, and most of the streams are occasionally visited by a few salmon; but these are not found in such numbers during the fishing season, even in the Tweed, within the bounds of this county, as to afford a fishery that will pay rent.

The climate of Peeblesshire, owing to its elevation, is sharp and bracing, but as regards its other characteristics is similar to the rest of the south of Scotland.

As this is almost exclusively a pastoral country, the farms are in general large, most of them being from 1000 to 4000 acres. On the arable land they are small, the greater number being below 100 acres. These are in general held on leases for nineteen years, as in other parts of Scotland. The average rental in 1843 was above 6s. an acre. This is chiefly derived from live stock, especially sheep, of which there may be about 120,000. These were formerly of the black-faced heath variety, sometimes called Tweeddale sheep, from the name of a village on the northern side of the district, where great fairs are held for the sale of them; but for a number of years the Cheviot breed, which bears a much more valuable fleece, has been established on many of the lower hills, and the majority of those now fed in the county are of this variety. The crops are the same as in other parts of Scotland, excepting that wheat is cultivated only upon a very small scale. A variety of oats, called the red oat, and sometimes the Hopetoun oat, from its being first cultivated here on that estate, is very well adapted to Peebles contains numerous noblemen's and gentlemen's seats, some of which are remarkable for antiquity or beauty. The principal of these are:—Nidpath Castle, belonging to the Earl of Wemyss; Traquair House, to the Earl of Traquair; Darnhall, to Lord Elphinstone; King's Meadows, to Sir Adam Hay, Bart.; Stobo Castle, to Sir Graham-Graham Montgomery, Bart., and others. The old valued rental was £4328; the new valuation for 1858-9 was £78,361. The number of proprietors is 193. The principal remains of antiquity are rude monumental stones at Stobo and Gatehouse; Roman camps at Lynx, Linton, and Manner; and British chesters, or hill forts, in various places. Drochil Castle in the parish of Newlands, which, however, was never finished, and Nidpath Castle in the parish of Peebles, are the only two which are in tolerable preservation; but vestiges of ancient castles or towers abound in the whole valley of the Tweed. The remains of the Castle of Tinnis or Thanes are 6 feet in thickness, and the mortar is as hard as the stone.

The county is traversed by numerous roads, which are kept in good repair. The principal are those which lead from Peebles to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dumfries, and Melrose. The town of Peebles is also connected by railway with Edinburgh. The principal towns or villages in Peeblesshire are, Peebles, Linton, Eddleston, Skirling, Broughton, and Innerleithen. At this last place there is a mineral well, which annually attracts numerous visitors to the village; and both Peebles and Innerleithen have become favourite resorts for summer visitors. Several woollen manufactories are in operation in Innerleithen.

According to the census of 1851, Peeblesshire contained in all 31 places of worship, of which 13 belonged to the Established Church, 8 to the Free Church, 5 to the United Presbyterians, 2 to the Episcopalians, and 1 to the Independents. There were at the same time 28 day-schools, with 1526 scholars; and 19 Sunday schools, with 879 scholars. The county, including the town of Peebles, returns one member to the House of Commons. The parliamentary constituency in 1857 was 389. Pop. (1811) 9935; (1821) 10,046; (1831) 10,578; (1841) 10,499; (1851) 10,738.