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Agust 27th, y Session mett. Alex. Selcraige did not compear. The qlk day Alexr. Selcraig, son to John Selcraig, elder, in Nether Largo, called, but did not compear, being gone avay to ye seas; this business is continued till his return.

1701.

Nov. 25th, the Session meet. John Selcraige compeared.

The same day John Selcraige, elder, called, compeared, and being examined what was the occasion of the tumult that was in his house, he said he knew not, but that Andrew Selcraige, having brought in a cane full of salt water, of qch his brother Alexr. did take a drink through mistake, and he laughing at him for it, his brother Alexr. came and beat him, upon qch he rune out of the house, and called his brother. John Selcraige, elder, being againe questioned, what made him to site one the floor with his backe at the door, he said it was to keep down his sone Alex', who was seeking to go up to get his pystole; and being enquired, what he was to do with it, he said he could not tell. Alexr. Selchraige compeared not.

The same day Alex Selcraige, cal led, compeared not, because he was at Coupar, he is to be cited pro secundo

agst the nixt Session.

John Selcraige, younger, compeared.

The same day John Selcraige, younger, called, compeared, and being questiond concerning the tumult that was in his father's house the seventh of Nov, declared, that he being called by his brother Andrew, came to it, and when he entered the housse, his mother went out, and he seeing his father sitting on the floor, with his back at the door, was much troubled, and offered to help him up, and ...... brang him to the fire, at which time he did see his brother Alex' in the other end of the house casting off his coate, and coming towards him, where upon his father did get betwixt them, but he knew not what he did otherwayes, his head being born down by his brother Alex', but afterwards being liberate by his wife, did mak his escape. Margaret Bell compeared.

The same day Margaret Bell, called, compeared, and being enquired

what was the occasion of the tumult which fell out in her father of law's

house the seventh of Nov", she said that Andrew Selcraige came running for her husband John, and desireng him to go to his father's house, which he doing, the said Margaret did follow her husband, and coming into the house, she found Alex' Selcraige gripping both his father and her husband, and she labouring to loose Alex''s hands from her husband's head and breast, her husband fled out of doors, and she followed him, and called back againe, you fals loun will you murder your father and my husband both; whereupon he followed her to the door, but wither he beat her or not, she was in so great confusion, she cannot distinctly tell, but ever since she hath a sore pain in her head. Andrew Selcraige compeared.

The same day Andrew Selcraige, called, compeared, but said nothing to purpose in the forṣaid business.

This business is delayed untill the next Session, till further enquiry be mad yrunto.

Nov. 29, the Session meet. Alex. Selcraige compeared.

Moderator, John Lundine of BalThe qlk day sederunt, the minister, James dastard, Magnus Wilsone, Beat, James Smith, in the Kirktowne, William Beat, John Guthrie, James Smith in Drummechee, Thomas Ness, Thomas Mortone, William Jervies. After prayer, Alex Selcraige, scandalous for contention and disagreeing with his brothers, called, compeared, and being questioned concerning the tumult that was in his father's house, whereof he was said to be the occasion, he confest that he, having taken a drink of salt water out of the cane, his younger brother Andrew laughing at him for it, he did beat him twice with a stafe; he confest also that he had spoken very ill words concerning his brothers, and particularly he challenged his eldest brother John to a combate, as he cal led it, of neiffells, then he said he would not come to do it even now, which afterward he did refuse and regrate; moreover he said several other things, whereupon the Session appointed him to compear before the pulpit agst to morrow, and to be rebuked in face of the congregation for his scandalous carriage.

Alexr. Selcraige's public compearance before the pulpit.

Nov. 30.-Alex' Selcraige, according to the Session's appointment, compeared before the pulpit, and made acknowledgment of his sin in disagreeing with his brothers, and was rebuked in face of the congregation for it, and promised amendment in the strength of the Lord, and so was dismissed.

JOURNAL OF A VISIT TO HOLLAND, AND PART OF FLANDERS, IN THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST 1817.

IN A SERIES OF LETTERS FROM A GENTLEMAN TO A FRIEND IN EDINBURGH.

(Continued from Vol. II. p. 543.)

Letter Third.

DEAR J.

ALTHOUGH the disHelvoetsluys, tance across the chanThursday, nel between Lowestoft July 31st. and the island of Schoen, on the Dutch coast, is only about 93 miles, not more than across the entrance of the Firth of Forth, from St Abb's Head in Berwickshire, to Buchanness in Aberdeenshire, yet, in setting out for a foreign place, the mind insensibly connects with it the idea of distance ;-and, about midnight, I went to bed, without any impression of being disturbed, till the usual time. But at 5 A. M. I heard the watch upon deck call out, a "Dutch pilot-boat a-head," which immediately circulated through the ship as good news. Soon afterwards we spoke the boat; but the questions and answers were by no means reciprocally understood, which occasioned so much vociferation that every one on board was either suddenly brought upon deck, or silently listening below to what was going forward. The pilot-boat, being one of those clumsy doggers, of about 25 tons, employed in this service in Holland, our captain refused to allow a vessel so unhandy, as he expressed it, to sheer up alongside of our vessel, to allow the pilot to leap on board, as is customary, lest the two vessels should strike and do mischief; he rather wanted the Dutchman to hoist out his deck-boat; but, as this did not seem to be convenient,

he told the pilot that he would rather lower the ship's stern-boat, and send it on board for the person who was to carry us into port; upon which the hand in token of assent, and called master of the pilot-boat held up his out, in a very full tone, "ya, ya, ya," o'clock he was brought on board. Our i. e. yes, yes, yes; and about six pilot, who, on being asked if he could take our ship into the Briel, answered,

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Ya, Mynheer," was a strong healthylooking man, about six feet in height. He could speak very little English; and had large clumsy shoes on his feet, such as our sailors, in their nimble way of footing the decks and rigging of their ships, could not wear. The other parts of his dress were in unison with the shoes, excepting his thin calico vest, with a white ground and variegated colours. Upon asking him the time in Holland, he took out his silver watch, which was kept in an outer case of brass, as is common with Dutch fishermen. By his account, we were about twelve miles off the

coast of Holland, and the ship accordingly for some time kept her course for the Briel passage, or most direct entrance of the Maes for Rotterdam. About half-past seven the pilot directed the vessel to be laid to, having now got into what he called "slack water," where she was to toss about at a great rate till mid-day, waiting for the tide to carry the vessel over the bar at the Briel. But after a little consultation, and as every one thought he could discover anguish in the countenance of his neighbour at the threatened durance, our pilot, who had speedily retired below to the comforts of a good English breakfast, was no less hastily called upon deck, when, much against his liking, he was directed to carry the ship into the Helvoet channel, where the Harwich packets go, and into which there is water at all times of tide. By this means a disagreeable suspense was avoided, while the ship's way and our journey was only a little lengthened in going up to Rotterdam.

As the vessel stood in upon the land we made it more and more distinctly, though the haze which too often hangs upon this coast rendered objects less distinguishable. The first land was the island of Schoen, meaning fine or beautiful, on which there is an eminence, which in Hol

land may be termed a hill. Soon afterwards the island of Goree was distinctly visible, with its church; the steeple of which the frugal Dutch make use of for the joint purpose of a lighthouse for the direction of the mariner on this most dangerous coast, without altering its purpose as a clock-case and belfry. About ten, we entered the channel between the islands Goree and Vroon, which forms a very fine piece of river sailing to Helvoetsluys. Coasting along the shores of Goree, the tide being then low, exposed an extensive ebb to view; and here the painful attention of the Dutch is most apparent. For miles together I could observe with the telescope, rows of stakes crossing the sands from high to low water mark, at intervals of from 50 to 100 yards, to preserve the shores from the waste of the sea, which, on this whole kingdom, it requires the united efforts of this industrious people to counteract. Here we had also fully in view, and sailed close past the wreck of an American brig which took the ground about three months ago, and was now completely sanded up, her masts only being visible. After getting round the island of Goree, a fine spacious sheet of water opened, leading by various channels to Rotterdam, Williamstadt, and Dort. At mid-day the ship anchored off the entrance of Helvoetsluys, and was immediately boarded by a boat from a frigate, which lay near the quay of Helvoetsluys, to know the vessel's name, and other particulars, which were all entered in a book by a very active-looking young man, in the capacity of a midshipman, though neither his dress nor the appearance of the boat's crew indicated his connection with a regular establishment, as is the case with the officers of the British navy, who wear uniforms according to their rank, and the boat on duty generally displays a small flag. Upon inquiry we found the frigate to be the Melampus, which had been presented to the King of the Netherlands to carry him on his return to his own country, after the Revolution in 1814. This naturally suggested a long train of associations, among which the old adage occurred, of one good turn producing another; and here we have seen this verified in the case of kings.

The ship no sooner came to an anchor, than the party was permitted, with great civility and readiness, to land, without any thing of that unnecessary consequence which is sometimes met with abroad, from officers on duty; and all that was afterwards required, was to produce our passports, after which we were no more troubled upon that score in Holland. The Clare master at the same time examined the ship's papers, and she was immediately allowed to proceed (the wind being fair, and the tide favourable) for Rotterdam. Upon first landing in a Dutch town, the stranger perhaps finds more to stare and wonder at than he does under similar circumstances in France, where the contrast to the English is by no means so striking. Here the cleanliness of the Dutch town is the first thing to be remarked :-the difference of dress,-of carriages and buildings,

the universal use of brick instead of stone, both for the houses and streets, are all remarkably set forth in these respects at Helvoetsluys.

The day being too far advanced for attempting to see Helvoet and reach Rotterdam with any degree of comfort, it was agreed to stop all night here; and Mr Hobson, our landlord at the Packet Hotel, being very attentive in every respect, procured an order for our admission to the dockyard, &c. which afforded ample employment for the day. Helvoetsluys, situate in the island of Vroon, is a very neat small town, and has about 1500 inhabitants. It is also well fortified, and has a good harbour, naval arsenal, or dock-yard, with extensive barracks for the cantonment of infantry. The people have not much the appearance of business, and probably depend chiefly upon their shops for the supply of the surrounding country for a few miles, the military, and the passengers of the Harwich packets. The harbour commands a draught of water equal to twenty-one feet at low water, near the entrance, but the interior has only about eleven feet. To these depths is to be added the perpendicular rise of the tides, which, on these shores, is only eight or nine feet. The harbour is formed at the entrance by wooden piers, projecting into the river about sixty yards. These piers are formed of beams of oak of great strength,

squared to two feet, and even two feet six inches; are partly of open work, and partly filled in a very ingenious manner with brushwood. By projecting in this manner, the place commands a much greater depth of water for the shipping, but these barriers are intended also as a defence to the town against the effects of the river, especially when the ice breaks up in the spring of the year. Some of the outer piles or beams of these piers are said to have been lengthened, and driven to the enormous depth of 150 feet! before the foundation was reckoned sufficiently firm. The harbour consists of a straight cut or canal of about 100 feet in width, and a quarter of a mile in length, and divides the town into two compart ments, which are connected by a draw-bridge over the lock-gate of the canal, at the further end of which ships enter into the wet-dock of the naval yard. This dock is only partly excavated, but it may be enlarged to contain any number of ships. This again terminates with a floating or basin gate of a dry or graving dock for the repair of ships, in which there was a first rate man of war under repair; connected with which, in the graving dock, there is a steam-engine for pumping surface and leakage water. And here it is particularly worthy of remark, that the engine was shewn as a great curiosity in Holland, though it is upon so old a plan as to have probably been one of Bolton and Watt's first construction; for they said it was originally made in England. The whole of the walls of the extensive piers of the tide-harbour, wet and dry docks, are built of brick of a small size, and remarkably good in quality. These walls are coped with blue limestone or Tournay marble, which is brought hither by water carriage from the neighbourhood of that town in great masses. I measured several of the cope stones, from 7 to 12 feet in length, 18 inches in thickness, and varying in breadth from 2 to 6 feet! What invaluable materials for water works!

la, were lying in a state of rottenness and decay, and the latter being now the only remains of the flotilla, become more the object of curiosity and interest. The vessels appeared to be of about 20 tons burden, and 25 or 30 feet in length upon deck. If ever this expedition was seriously intended against England, its projectors must only have reckoned upon the sea leagues of separation between the two countries, without remembering that an army may sometimes be "scattered" as ef fectually by the force of the winds as by the intensity of a "frost;"-or, having escaped all these, that the energies of the invaded people are still to be contended with, and these, called forth upon the shores of Sussex or of Kent, would have been found no less powerful than on the plains of Waterloo.

In Helvoet there is, it seems, only one school for the education of youth, where 60 scholars are taught by one master. The children were all clean and decent in their apparel, and appeared to be very orderly in their behaviour. They are taught the Dutch and French languages, writing, and accounts, by a very respectable-looking man, whose fee is 2d. per week, increasing somewhat, according to the branches taught. Each scholar has a small box for containing his books, which is hung upon a nail when he leaves the class, and, on his return, he proceeds to take it down, and apply his private key to it. This is gone about in a manner quite surprising for the years of the children, and bespeaks a docility and orderly deportment, which is, unquestionably, more characteristic of the Dutch than of the English youth. I was, upon the whole, much pleased with my visit to the school, and regret that I happened to be the only one of the party who had an opportunity of seeing its systematic arrangement. The master. seemed to feel pleased when I expressed my satisfaction, and, in pretty good English, said he would be much gratified by a visit from all the Eng

LETTERS FROM ENGLAND. No. I.

In the harbour there were few trad-lish at the hotel. ing vessels. Two of the Harwich packets, with a few fishing doggers and boats, were all that occupied this noble harbour. In the wet dock and naval yard there were only one first-rate, two or three frigates, and a few cut down and disabled ships; these, with about 20 of Bonaparte's English flotil

S.

[The following letters are extracted from the correspondence of a young gentleman of genius and accomplishment_now

abroad. They were written a good many years ago, without the slightest idea of being published, and entirely for the information and entertainment of the friend to whom they were addressed. They have been thought, however, sufficiently interesting, from the striking contrast exhibited in them between English and Scottish Scenery and Manners, to be given to the public through the present channel,-after the curtailment, of course, of such passages as relate to private or personal concerns. The writer, it will readily be perceived, in describing the contrast, which continually recurred to him, between the two great divisions of the island, both in a physical and moral aspect, speaks with all the pride, and perhaps with all the partiality, of a Scotchman ; but, though hasty observation, and an enthusiastic temperament, may have occasionally led him somewhat too far, he was above being actuated by any thing of the puerile jealousy or paltry prejudice which have alternately jaundiced the perceptions of Scotch and English tourists.

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Should the present pages reach the muchesteemed author in those remote regions where his lot is now cast, we trust they will recal to him many pleasant recollections we are sure at least, that, though printed without his express permission, he will be gratified to be reminded (even by this anonymous notice) that he is still affectionately remembered by some of the friends and companions of his youth.]

Malvern Wells, February 12. MY DEAR CI ARRIVED here on Tuesday last, having finished a journey of 360 miles precisely in eight days. Instead of taking the west road by Cumberland and Westmoreland, we set out by Dunbar and Berwick,- —a route much more gratifying to me, as it led us across the very centre of England, in the direction of Sheffield and Birmingham, where I had an opportunity not only of seeing the country more completely, but of viewing also those great manufacturing towns whence England derives no small share both of her wealth and her fame; and which, being rich and luxurious, as well as busy, are finely adorned by elegant buildings, or graced with sacred dignity by their lofty and venerable cathedrals. When I began my journey, I intended to have given you an account of every thing by which my attention was particularly arrested; but, as we proceeded, I gradual

ly abandoned this design. There was no end of variety of prospect, or novelty of incident. I soon perceived that a faithful account of one county would convey a pretty exact idea of the fertility and beauty, the extent of prospect, and peculiarity of scenery, by which every other division of England is distinguished from the romantic features of our dear native land ;—~ and when I had finished my journey, and set myself down to consider all my travels' history, I found my fancy had been bewildered by the rapidity and novelty of my late perceptions. Things which when present had appeared most worthy of glowing description, seemed now fit only for the chit-chat of a tea-table, or the milk and water eloquence of journalists and tourists. therefore accept, as a fulfilment of my I hope you will promise, such an account of the peculiarities of South Britain as I can sion left on my mind of what I obnow furnish, from the general impres served during my rapid journey hither through the centre of the island.

Evening began to fall just as we were leaving the ancient town of Berwick; my first view of England, therefore, was such as could be ob tained during the early hours of a winter evening,-rendered more fit for observation by the reflection of an unbroken waste of snow, and beautified by the striking appearance of the "Sire of gods" and "Queen of Love," who were flaming in the light of heaven on the pure bosom of the western sky. During the whole, or at least the greater part of the succeeding day, we pursued our journey through Northumberland. A stanza from Marmion, in which the nuns are said to have " Northumberland," was perpetually past the strand of mountainous rising upon my mind, and I looked frequently around me for something which might justify the description of the poet. You who have been lately wandering among the glens of Cheviot, will easily be able to account for what at first puzzled me, cept the part which lies immediately in that neighbourhood, no region could have in my mind fewer pretensions to be thus exalted. Northumberland is, like every other county of England through which I have passed, almost one continued plain. It has, however, something very ancient and ve

but ex

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