The history of Edinburgh : from its foundation to the present time. Containing a faithful relation of the publick transactions of the citizens; accounts of the several parishes; its governments, civil, ecclesiastical, and military; incorporations of trades and manufactures; courts of justice; state of learning; charitable foundations, &c. With the several accounts of the parishes of the Canongate, St. Cuthbert, and other districts within the suburbs of Edinburgh. Together with the antient and present state of the town of Leith, and a perambulation of divers miles round the city. With an alphabetical index. In nine books / By William Maitland. The whole illustrated with a plan of the town, and a great variety of other fine cuts of the principal buildings within the city and suburbs.
- Maitland, William, 1693?-1757.
- Date:
- 1753
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The history of Edinburgh : from its foundation to the present time. Containing a faithful relation of the publick transactions of the citizens; accounts of the several parishes; its governments, civil, ecclesiastical, and military; incorporations of trades and manufactures; courts of justice; state of learning; charitable foundations, &c. With the several accounts of the parishes of the Canongate, St. Cuthbert, and other districts within the suburbs of Edinburgh. Together with the antient and present state of the town of Leith, and a perambulation of divers miles round the city. With an alphabetical index. In nine books / By William Maitland. The whole illustrated with a plan of the town, and a great variety of other fine cuts of the principal buildings within the city and suburbs. Source: Wellcome Collection.
![THE HISTORY of EDINBURGH. B O O K IX. A Ter ambulation of divers Miles round Edinburgh. Containing Accounts of the federal natural and artificial Curiofities therein ; together with thofe of the Scotifh, Pidtifli, Roman and Danifh Antiquities] HAVING fat out from Edinburgh on my Perambulation Eaftwards, at the Diftance of about a Mile, from the Watergate, at the Foot of the Canongate, lies the Lake or Loch of Lejlal- rig, vulgarly Loch-end: This Lake, which is about five hundred Yards in Length, half as much in Breadth, and where deep- eft, about eighty Feet as ’tis faid; and the Fifh wherewith it is faid to abound are only Pikes and Eels; however, as it is of late become more noted on account of applying its Waters to another Ufe, it is necefiary to fay fomething farther concern¬ ing the fame. Leith being of late greatly increafed, both in its Dimenfions and Number of Inhabi¬ tants, it was judged necefiary to have it fup- plied with fweet Water for the Ufe of the People, and as this Affair has been much talked of, I think it will not be amifs to give fome Account of it; viz. the Magiftrates, and chief Men of the Town began to treat with one Graham, a • Plummer, concerning the fame; but the Hawkhill Rock being near the Place where the Trench was to be dug for Reception of the leaden Pipe, a final Agreement was not made, left they fhould be obliged to cut through Part of the faid rocky Hill, whereby the Expence would have been con- fiderably inhanced ; wherefore the Conclu- fion of the Agreement was deferred till they faw how it would turn out. And as the faid Magiftrates and princi¬ pal Inhabitants are of opinion that the faid Loch is fed with Springs therein, without the leaft Reafon for this their Belief. How¬ ever, to inform themfelves in fome Things concerning the faid Loch, they repaired to one, Baird a Farmer, who had lived many Years in that Neighbourhood, but unluckily for¬ got, or more probably did not know, that the firft Queftion to be afked of him was, whether the Lake difcharged itfelf by a Run of Water from it, and for what Time; but that not being done, remain in the fame Degree of Uncertainty, whether the Loch be fupplied with Springs therein or not. Matters hitherto being carried on by the Leithers in this Manner, a Wellwifiler of theirs, without the leaft View to Intereft, indeavoured to inform himfelf in the beft Sort, of every Thing touching the faid Loch, to prevent the People’s being impofed on as aforefaid ; when on Inquiry he was inform¬ ed, that as it were periodically, the Loch difcharged itfelf by a Run from it for about the Space of a Month, early in the Spring which being occafioned by the great Rains and Snow during the Winter, gives Room to fufpedt that there are no Springs in the Lake, but if there are, they mull be fo very fmall as not to be able to fupply the Expence of Exhalation, whereby it is exhauftedto fuch a Degi ee in Summer, that it is feared it will not be in a Condition to fupply Leith with fix Feet Depth of Water, which is the Quantity it is required to furnifii. Now,. as is here furmifed, if the imagi- nary Springs in the Loch are not fufficient to fupply it with Water, ’tis necefiary to in¬ quire whence the Supply comes, which is from Rain and Snow as aforefaid ; which falling on the furrounding Heights, wafh- eth the neighbouring Fields, and brings a- long with it moft of the Filth within its Reach, whether it be human Excrement, Cation, &c. which being brought to this Receivei, the rare Part thereof is exhaled, while](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30451644_0560.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
