The great westc rn Roman road from Carlisle into Annandale and Nithsdale, and up these districts to the Castle of Crawford, where the lines meet, having also a branch up Eskdale to Castle Oe'r, was planned by Agricola ; and lith; executed by his successors, was most frequented by the Roman armies down to the time of Sevcrus. Many remarkable stations occur in the vicinity of these lines of road ; and coins and other things have been discovered, indicating that Romans had frequented the country.
Dumfries-shire is now opened up by six lines of turnpike roads; five of which are under the direction of the commissioners within the county, having twenty nine toll-gates, and returning for the year ending at Whitsunday 1811, the gross rent of 41341. 58. One important line is now carrying through, executed part ly by the commercial interest of Glasgow, and partly depending on subscriptions in this county and on go vernment aid. The district or county loads and bridges, are made and repaired by the converted value of the statute labour, now authorised to be raised as high as 30s. in the 100 merks valued rent from the occupants of End, which, if carried to the maximum, would raise a gross fund of 3570/. a year: in aid of which fund, the county is in use to assess landholders in a moderate sum for bridges; and individuals are also accustomed to subscribe.
Manufactures on a very moderate scale arc carried on in carpets, in paper. cotton-yarn, spades,- tanned leather, soap, candles, salt, ale. and beer, porter and stockings. Linen is hardly made for sale, though it is manufactured for use. The toanufseture of wool is al most lost in this comity, and over Scotland in general, for want of correct •stapling houses, to -assort the taw. material.
Commerce is improving ; and by the Custom-ho Ise returns for 1809, there were 493 cargoes inwards, 287 cargoes outwards; the total of the burdens 29,i27 tons.
The royal borough of Dumfries is the county town. The other royal burghs are Annan, Lochmaben, and Sanquhar. Annan is already much improved; lint it wants a port. Lochniaben stands in the finest and most open and improvable district in the county, and is likely to be soon improved materially, together with the adja cent country, by means of a canal from the mouth of the river A iman by the litneworks at Kelhead.
The fine village of Moffat, situated at the base of Ihrtfell mountain, sheltered from the nottli and cast, and furnished with sulphur and chalybeate waters, and with accommodations for genteel sttangers,—is well known. That of Langliolm on the river Esk, and of Thornhill on the Ntth, are advantageously situated. New villages have been laid out on the properties of Dais winton, Mount Annan, Kellhead, and Rockhall.
It is not supposed that the woods and plantations of the whole county exceed six or seven thousand acres. Many of the heath ridges appear to have been in culture for corn at a remote period of time ; and peat mosses have accumulated in rich forest lands. The Scots pine grew in some of these lands naturally. Most of the mountain arms of Dumfries-shire, that intersect it from north to south, are admirable subjects for the planter tss work in.
The total number of sheep is supposed to exceed 200,000. Of these mountain flocks, the greater part arc now of the Cheviot breed, and next in number are those of the black-faced breed. Lesser flocks of New Leicester sheep are reared in the lower farms, by the most respectable improvers. A few small parcels, also, of the Spanish, and some of the Merino blood. The cattle are mostly of the Galloway race, and rise in num ber to about 30,000. It has been found, that so many pigs are now reared as to furnish bacon for export from the county, to the extent of nearly 50.000/. a-year. The returns made in gross from the milk cows and other cat tle, and from the sheep in the common walks and lower -districts of Dumfries-shire, have been computed as ris ing above 300,000/. a-year. The gross produce of the crops raised on 150,000 acres of cultivated soils, is con sidered as rather more than all the returns from live stock; the lands in pasture not being included.
The number of the ft echolders on the last roll was 74; and that of the commissioners of supply about 198. There are 20 deputy lieutenants to assist the lord or vice-lieu tenant in arranging and maintaining the domestic force of the county; and the justices of the peace exceed 140.
The property taxes levied in this county for the year 1808, alter all deductions and abatements were made, amounted to 31,709/. 1 Is. 7d.; being from two to three times the whole valued rents at the time of the usurpa tion.
Wheat is now cultivated throughout all the county, except in the very highest parts of it. It is believed that in remote times, this valuable grain was cultivated in quantities in Dumfries, Galloway, and•Ayr. Oats are in high perfection, raised in all parts of the county. Po tatoes arc almost the staple produce. Sown grasses and meadow hay are abundant.
The principal articles of export are in lead, cattle, wool, grain, and potatoes; and those of import consist mostly of coal, slates, and foreign pine timber, with gro ceries of all kinds, wine, and iron.
The most venerable castles are those of Caerlaverock, Lochmabcn, Achincass, Morton, Sanquhar, Comlongan, Torthorwald, Exc.: and the chief houses are those of Drumlanrig, Rachills, Dalswinton, Castlemilk, Close burn, Springkell, Blackwood, Ste.
The fishings in the rivers have greatly failed of late years. This failure is ascribed to the killing of the spawn ing fish in these rivers; and a new act to prevent it was lately obtained. But it proceeds very much from the almost entire capture of the fish as they move up the Solway, in the numerous nets that are placed there in the salt water.
Fuel, in various parts of Dumfries-shire, is expen sive; coal being remote, and the peat-mosses requiring Much labour, time, and expellee.
The common lands, in this county, have been either altogether or for the most part divided, and are now either improved, or in process for that purpose. A great proportion of the marches of conterminous estates have also been straightened and fenced; and inclosure and subdivision are going forward in most of the farms.