CAMPBELLTOWN, or as it is vulgarly written, Campbelton, a royal burgh of Argyleshire, is situated on the east coast of Kintyre, within twelve miles of the ex tremity of that long peninsula. Before it received its present name, about a century ago, in honour of the Ar gyle family, its proprietors and benefactors, it was called Kinloch (Loch-end), and Cean loch Chille Ciarain, in al lusion to its position at the extremity of Kilkerran loch. This fine bay, which extends into the country above two miles, in the form of a crescent, is the harbour of Camp belltown. Being completely sheltered on every side by high grounds, it affords security in all weathers, the in sulated rock at the entrance effectually breaking the swell. This natural harbour is two miles long and near ly one in breadth, having a depth of from 6 to 11 fathoms, and the best holding ground imaginable. The town itself, which is situated at the western angle of the bay, presents nothing particularly striking to the view ; though, from the high grounds in the vicinity, there is one of the grandest prospects in the world. On the cast you have the whole Firth of Clyde, covered with ships ; at the distance of 12 miles the island of Arran stretch es out before you ; a little further to the south is the stu pendous rock of A ilsa, rising out of the water in the !Man of a sugar-loaf ; beyond, at a vast distance, are the blue mountains of Ayr and Galloway ; and looking in the opposite direction you see the north of Ireland, some of the western isles, and the immeasurable expanse of the Atlantic.
Dr Smith, in his Statistical Account, asserts, that here was the first establishment of the Dalriads, those Irish ad venturers who are said, in the sixth century, to have re established the Scottish monarchy ; and, as a proof of this, that one of the adjacent villages is still called Dal ruadhain. This is not the place for discussing the doc tor's theory, nor enquiring whether the 1)alriads had any town at all. One thing, however, is certain, that there is not one vestige existing of a Scottish capital in this place ; the most ancient building remembered being a castle of the Mac Donalds of the Isles, which occupied the spot on which one of the churches now stands. IVs know little inure of the history of Campbelltown, than that in the 17th century, it was already a considerable fishing village; that in 1701, it was erected into a royal burgh ; and that in 1755, according to the returns made to Dr Webster, the whole parish, town and country, con tained a population of 4597 souls. In 1791, the inhabi tants amounted to 8700; of whom the town contained nearly 5000. The population of the town has been ra
pidly increasing within these last ten years; its present numbers (1812) being above 6000.
The inhabitants of Campbelltown and the neighbour ing district, consist of two distinct races ; the Gael and the (;oil, or Highlanders and Lowlanders. About 200 years ago, a colony of the latter was invited from the opposite coast to settle here by an earl of Argyle, who at the same time that he afforded a comfortable asylum to an oppressed people, obtained a tenantry for his ara ble lands, far superior to the indolent natives. No Jews ever preserved their original character more distinctly among a strange people than these Lowlanders have done. Though never amounting to a number equal to one third part of the natives, with whom they have been all along mixed, they have to this day preserved their own original names, language, manners, and dress, and retain even some degree of that religious enthusiasm and taste for the scho lastic theology, for which Ayr and Galloway were so fa mous at the period of the migration. It is not 20 years since a prophet arose among therm, who published visions and predictions exactly in the manner of Alexander Peden, the famous Gallo•idian seer. This distinction of cha racter is much less marked in the town than in the ad joining districts, as the English language is there uni versally understood, and the more frequent intercourse with strangers has diminished peculiarities. Even there, however, the Lowlanders have their own dissenting meeting-house and minister ; and are remarkable for their sobriety, industry, and success. Notwithstanding the remote situation of this interesting little town, being nearly 200 miles by land from Edinburgh, the better classes are remarked for their politeness and intelli gence; the females are not above three days in point of fashion behind the ladies of our metropolis ; and stran gers arc not a little surprised to see the numerous and genteel assemblage of both sexes v, Inch can be mus tered on occasions of festivity. The fact is, that from the establishment of excellent packets plying almost every day from this place to Greenock and Glasgow, the intercourse with the Lowlands is scarcely affected by the distance. The proportion of poor people is here very great, consisting of the widows and orphans of sail ors, of whom several perish annually; of indigent fami lies, who come in from the country for incidental em ployment; and of swarms of professed beggars, who lay the whole peninsula under contributions.