270 OLD AND NEW EDINBURGH. [Leith.
under distinguished patronage has in no way
altered.
In 1763, on the 28th February, a thirty-guinea
purse was run for by Cartouch, a chestnut horse,
belonging to Lord Aberdour, Colonel of the old
Scots 17th Light Dragoons, a bay colt, belonging to
Francis Charteris of Amisfield, and a mare, belonging
to Macdowal of Castlesemple. The colt won.
In the following month, His Majesty's plate of a
hundred guineas, was won, against several other
horses, by Dunce, a chestnut, belonging to Charteris
bf Amisfield.
On the 4th March, the city purse of thirty
guineas was won by a bay colt, belonging to the
latter, against two English horses.
'' List of horses booked for His Majesty's purse
of IOO guineas, to be run for over the sands of
Leith, 1st July, 1771 . . . 29th June, appeared
William Sowerby, servant to Major Lawrie, and
entered a bay horse called 'Young Mirza ;' rider,
said Wm. ; livery crimson; and produced certificate,
dated at Lowther Hall, signed by Edward Halls,
dated 24th May, 1770, bearing the said horse to
be no more than four years old last grass. . .. ,
Appeared the Right Hon. the Earl of Kellie, entered
' Lightfoot.' Appeaed Sir Archibald Hope,
Bart. (of Pinkie), entered ' Monkey.' " Mirza won
For the race advertised for a pool of A60 and
upwards, the Duke of Buccleuch, who signed the
articles, marked Ago, to be paid in money, not
plate. '' Cornpeared, Mr. James Rannie, merchant
in Leith, and entered a bay horse, ' Cockspur,' belonging
toHis Grace the Dukeof Buccleuch." Itwon.
The Duke of Hamilton and the Earl of Eglinton
repeatedly entered horses (says Robertson) ;
and in I 7 7 7 the former gave the I 00 guineas won
to aid in the construction of the Observatory on
the Calton Hill.
In the ScatsMagazine for 1774 we find noted
the appearance at these races of the Count de
Fernanunez, " attended by the Chevalier Comanc,"
then on a tour through Scotland.
In 1816 the races were transferred to the Links
of Musselburgh permanently, for the sake of the
ground, which should be smooth turf; and though
attempts were made in 1839 and 1840 to revive
them again at Leith, they proved abortive.
the purse. '09-
CHAPTER XXXI.
LE I T H-T HE HA R B 0 U R
Thc Admiral and Bailie Courts-The Leith Science (Navigation) School-The Harbour of Leith-The Ekr-The Wooden Piers-Early Improve.
ments of the Harbour-Erection of Beacons-The Custom House Quay-The Bridges-Rennie's Report on the required Docks-The
Mortons' Building-yard-The F'resent Piers-The Martello Tower.
THOUGH the Right Hon. the Lord Provost of
Edinburgh is'Admira1 of the Firth of Forth, the
Provost of Leith is Admiral of the port thereof,
and his four bailies are admirals-depute. These,
With the clerk, two advocates as joint assessors,
and an officer, constitute the Admiral and Bailie
Courts of Leith.
There is also a society of solicitors before this
court, having a preses and secretary.
For the development of nautical. talent here,
there is the Leith Science (Navigation) School, in
Eonnection with the Department of Science and Art,
With local managers-the provost and others, ex
o#&, the senior bailie, master and assistant-master
of the Trinity House, chairman of the Chamber of
Commerce, etc.
The harbour of Leith is formed by the little
estuary of the river into the Firth of Forth, and is
entirely tidal, and was of old, with the exception
of being traversed by the shallow and unimportant
stream which takes its rise at the western base of
the Pentlands, quite dry at low water, and even I the channel towards the side streams of the Firth."
yet its depth is trifling. As the Water of Leith
has to make its way seaward, across the very broad
and flat shore called the Sands of Leith, alternately
flooded by the tide and left nearly dry, the
channel, in its natural state, was subject to much
fluctuation, according to the setting in of the tides.
A bar, too-such as is thrown up at the entrance
of almost every river mouth-lies across
its entrance, formed at that point where the antagonistic
currents of the river and tide bring
each other into stagnation or equipoise, and then
deposit whatever silt they contain. Thus, says a
writer, '' the river constantly, and to an important
amount, varies both the depth of the harbour and
the height of the position of the bar, according
to the fluctuations which occur in the volume of its
~ water or the rapidity of its discharge; for in a
season of drought it leaves everything open to the
invasion of sediments from the tide, at other times
it scours away lodgments made on its bed, drives
seaward and diminishes in bulk the bar, and deepens
