The Burgh of Nairn is of considerable antiquity. We find it mentioned as early as the year 1008. And as long as it had a good harbour, and the King's Constable residing in the Castle of it, no doubt it flourished and made a good figure,—now the want of trade has brought it much into decay. The constitution of the town is much the same with that of Elgin, except that Gentlemen in the country are admitted upon the Common Council, because the town cannot afford the necessary annual changes. It has a weekly market, and some annual Fairs, and the Courts of Justice for that county sit there. The common good is but small. The inhabitants are about six hundred.

The arms of the town are-Saint Ninian in a proper Habit, in the right hand a Cross Fitchie-in the left a Book open.

The earliest mention I have found of the Burgh of Forres is, Dovenaldus filius Constantin occisus est in oppido Fothir anno 904.'* Fothir is supposed to be Forres, and King Duffus was murdered in Forres about anno 966. How early this town was erected into a Royal Burgh, I find not. A charter of De novo damus,' by James IV., dated June 23, 1496, bears, that the ancient charters granted to this Burgh, had been destroyed by fire and other accidents, and, therefore, the King erects it of new into a free Burgh, with all the privileges of a Royal Burgh. I have placed an abtract of this charter in the App. No. XXV.+ The constitution of this Burgh is much

• Donald, son of Constantine, slain, in Fothir, in the year 904.

↑ The charter of the town of Forres grants to them,---“ Aquam et Piscaturam de Findhorn, tam in aqua dulci quam salsa." This right is to be understood as follows :---First, The Fishing of the Sluie· pool pertains to the Earl of Moray; and he claims and possesses this fishing, from that pool down the river as far as the Forest of Tarnua extends. Secondly, By King James I.'s charter, anno 1425, the whole fishing of Findhorn was granted to the Monks and Abbot of Kinloss; and King Robert's charter to them, anno Regni 4to, of the whole fishing of the river, was confirmed. Thirdly, By charter, December 2, 1505, the whole fishing, except the Sluie-pool, was granted to the Abbot. Fourthly, By con

the same as that of Elgin. The only Sett they have, is the following indistinct one: "At Forres, 20th September 1711, in presence of the Town Council of the Burgh, a letter being read, directed by the agent of the Burghs to the Magistrates of the said Burgh, anent their making a true account and return to their agent, of their Sett in electing yearly. In obedience to which the said Magistrates declare, that the number of their Council exceeds not seventeen, Provost, Bailies, Dean of Guild, and Treasurer included; and that, at Ilk election, the Old Council chooses the New, and are changed yearly as occasion offers; and to that effect timeous premonition is made to the whole burgesses, heritors, and inhabitants, of the day prefixed for election of the said Magistrates and Town-Council, by tuck of drum, and placading on the cross, and by other advertisements used and wont; and that the New Council chooses the Magistrates, and puts off, and takes on, or continues them as the circumstances of the place may require. And this our Sett has been unaltered for many years and ordains our clerk of court to send an extract hereof to the agent of the Burghs. Signed in our name and by our order, by Robert Tulloch, our common clerk; sic subscrib. Robert Tulloch, Clerk." This Sett leaves room to admit gentlemen in the county upon the Council, which, accordingly, is the practise.

tract betwixt Thomas Abbot of Kinloss, with the Convent, and the Town of Forres, Alexander Urquhart of Burdsyards, and William Wiseman, of date February 15, 1505-6, the Town, Burdsyards, and Wiseman, renounced all title to the fishing of the river. (It is probable the Town obtained this charter, anno 1496, unknown to, and to the prejudice of the Abbot.) And the Abbot and Convent did set heritably, and in feu-farm to the foresaids, the fishing on the fresh water, from the Sluie-pool, to the entering of the burn of Masset into the sea. Fifthly, The Lord of Kinloss, and Earl of Elgin, came in the room and right of the Abbot and Convent, to whom the whole fishing, from the Sluie-pool downward, both in fresh and salt water, did originally belong. And by charter, of date February 26, 1664, under the great seal, (Thomas, Earl of Elgin, having resigned), Alexander Brodie of Lethin acquired a right to all the fishing that had belonged to the said Earl and Abbot. And now, Sixthly, The Town of Forres holds of Lethin,---Tanachie and Durn hold of Forres,---the Earl of Moray and Burdsyards hold of the Crown; and the estate of Grangehill, pu chased in 1749, by Sir Alexander Grant of Dalvey. The fishing upon that estate lay partly in the Priory lauds of Pluscarden, and partly in the Abbey lands of Kinloss.

The town has a jurisdiction of Sheriffship by their charter; a weekly market, and several annual fairs. Their revenue is about £1,000 Scots. The number of inhabitants is about nine hundred.

The town's arms are, St Lawrence in a long habit, standing on a brander; a Chaplet round his head; at his right side a crescent, and at the left a Star of six points, holding in his right hand a book. Motto, JEHOVAH TU MIHI DEUS, QUID DEEST.*

Every one of these Burghs has a post-office, and a regular return of posts seven times in the week. And since the union of the two kingdoms, Forres, Nairn, Inverness, and Chanonrie, in Ross, make a district; and Elgin, Cullen, Banff, Inverurie, and Kintore, make another. Each district sends a Member to the British Parliament; and each of the counties of Banff, Elgin, and Inverness, chooses a Commissioner; but the county of Nairn, being small, chooses only alternately with the county of Cromarty.

Besides these Royal Burghs there are, in this Province, several Burghs of Barony. These are erected by Royal Patents or Charters. What their privileges and immunities are, will appear from the following instances,-Garmouth was erected into a Burgh of Barony by a Patent, anno 1587; the Kirktown of Spynie, an Ecclesiastical Barony, anno 1452; the town of Findhorn made a Barony, and the the erection ratified in Parliament, 1661; the town of Geddes, in the parish of Nairn, was erected into a Burgh of Barony, by a charter, anno 1600; "cum potestate creandi Balivos et Burgenses, et vendendi et vinum et cervisiam, et mercemonia quæcunque;"+ with a weekly market, &c.

• Jehovah (or the Lord) is my God, what is wanting.

+ With the power of making Bailies and Burgesses, and of selling Wine and Ale, and all manner of merchandise whatever.

By a charter, anno 1635, in favour of John Grant of Loggie, Moyness, Broad-land and Aldearn, were erected into the Barony of Moyness, with a weekly market on Saturday, and an annual fair at Michaelmas. By charter, anno 1476, the Thanedom of Calder, Barony of Durris, &c., were erected into one Barony, called Campbelltown, with power to create Bailives, Constables, Serjeants, and other Officers therein, with liberty to buy and sell within the freedoms thereof, and to have a Town-House, and a market-cross, with a weekly market on Wednesday, and an annual fair on July the 15th, -the Castle of Calder being the principal Messuage at which infeftments and seizins may be taken, &c. The town of Fochabers, the Kirktown of Duffus, Blackstob, in Muirtown, the town of Cromdale, in Strathspey, and, no doubt, other villages within this Province, were Burghs of Barony.

PART V.

THE

MILITARY HISTORY OF MORAY.

tus,

Royal Forts, at Elgin, Forres, Nairn, Inverness, Urquhart, Cromwell's Fort, at Inverness, Fort-George, at Inverness, Fort-AugusRuthven-Barrack, Fort-George, at Ardersier. Fortalices, at Duffus, Raite, Abernethie, Ruthven, Lochindorb. Battles,at Forres, with a description of the Obelisk, or Sueno's Stone, at Forres,-at Mortlich, anno 1010,-at Spey, anno 1078,—at Spey, anno 1110, -at Urquhart, anno 1160,-at Invernahaven, anno 1386,-at Perth, anno 1396, as having a connexion with the History of this Country, at Drumnacoal, anno 1427,—at Elgin, anno 1452,— at Clachnaharie, anno 1454,-at Cean-Loch-Lochie, anno 1544, -at Glenlivat, anno 1594,-at Aldearn, anno 1645,-at Cromdale, anno 1690,-at Inverness, anno 1715,-at Culloden, anno 1746,—Military Roads,―Military Officers, Customs, &c.

IT does not appear that the Romans had any military exploits within this Province, nor have they any monument of such actions. Though Severus forced a march into the northmost bounds of Scotland, yet he fought no battle, but lost 50,000 of his army in struggling with cold, hunger, and fatigue; and Agricola's ships, which sailed round the North, and first discovered Britain to be an Island,