The ancient history of Galloway is extremely obscure and perplexed. Previous to the invasion of Agricola, the Selgovce, a British tribe, in addition to Dumfries-shire and part of Cumberland, occupied the district lying between the Nitn and the Dee ; and the division of the stewartry to the west or the Dee formed, with Wigtonshire, the terri toly occupied by another tribe, named Novant ffl. During the Roman dominion, the greater part of the stewartry was included in the province of Xovantium, whose capital, Can dida Casa, supposed to have been built on the site of the present Whithorn, is mentioned by Ptolemy. After the subversion of the Roman power, Galloway v::ais long a prey to every species of disorder. Successively overrun by the Cruithne or Picts, and the Angli, it still, however, pre served a kind of independent existence ; and, according to Lord Hailes, so late as the 12th century, the lords of Gal loway were merely feudatories of the Scottish kings. This opinion has been controverted by Mr. Chalmers, though, as it appears to us, on no very satisfactory grounds ; but, at all events, it is certain that Robert Bruce confirmed the Gallovidians in the possession of those special and ancient laws, of which Edward I. had attempted to deprive them. The first authentic mention of the lords of Galloway, oc curs in the account of the battle of the Standard in 1138, when Ulric and Dovenald, invested with that rank, were both slain. They were succeeded by Fergus, commonly called the first lord of Galloway, whose descendants conti nued to enjoy this title, until the expulsion of the abject Baliol, who had married the heiress of the family. Bruce then bestowed the lordship of Galloway on one of the branches of the house or Douglass, in whose hands it conti nued till 1455, when their estates were forfeited, and an nexed to the crown.
Long subsequent to this era, Galloway, as well as the other districts of Scotland, continued in a very uncivilized and unsettled state. But the gradual decline of baronial influence, and the increasing authority of the crown, and of the public law, were ultimately attended with the happiest effects ; and, in conjunction with the reformation, and the consequent destruction of the exorbitant powers of the cler gy, paved the way for the rapid impros einem that has since taken place.
The inhabitants of this district are a strong, active, and healthy race. The general diffusion of elementary in struction has enabled them to acquire extensive and solid information. But their dispersion over a large extent of country ; the want of public meetings ; of political privi leges ; and of all collision of political opinion ; by depriving them, in as far at least as matters of public interest are concerned, of all stimulus to mental exertion ; occasions a morbid uniformity of character, and an extreme sameness and insipidity of conversation. These circumstances do not indeed affect the inhabitants of tne stewartry, more than those of any of the other agricultural counties of Scotland. But they have a curse almost peculiar to themselves. The extraordinary prevalence of cattle-dealing, and the kind of universal jockeyship to which it gives rise, is attended with the very worst consequences. It not only has a strong ten dency to induce habits of dissipation, hut is often accom panied with an extreme degree of vulgarity. The whole ideas of such persons are centered in cattle, and extend to nothing else. They frequent markets, when they neither need to buy nor sell. And the most important tillage operations arc ueglected, or left to the care of servants, in order that the master may be able to attend a nisi kit where he cannot have any particular business. We do not mean to say, that in et cry instance this would be a just character of the Kirkcudbright farmers. On the cunt; any, many of them are men of enlarged minds, who manage their farms On the most approved principles, and woo des pise the kind ol gambling and agiotage indulged in by their neighbours. It is only a general outline that we are now sketching ; and as such, we are afraid, it will not be found very inaccurate.—This article has chiefly been drawn up from private in ; but several works, and, among others, Smith's Survey of Galloway, have been consulted. (J. R. at.)