Field Meetings. 89 



the distinctive idea of their creed was a profession that they should 

 never taste of death, but be lifted up bodily and alive into the 

 New Jerusalem. The leader of this "peculiar people," Lucky 

 Buchan, shared the common lot on the 29th of March, 1791 ; but 

 it was not until half a century afterwards that all hope was aban- 

 doned by the last surviving of her followers of her miraculous 

 ascension, and her remains were committed, "dust to dust," to the 

 keeping of the grave. Though a sadly deluded community, the 

 Buchanites were kindly, inoffensive, and industrious. As wheel- 

 wrights and spinners they established the work of their hands in 

 the South of Scotland. It was they who introduced the two- 

 handed spinning-wheel ; and they obtained as much emjjloyment 

 as they could address themselves to in spinning linen yarn for the 

 well-to-do families of the neighbourhood. They possessed their 

 goods in common ; lived peaceably and " beinly" together ; and 

 were not without hope when the end came and they fell asleep 

 in death. 



This and the neighbouring parishes were the theatre of much 

 black business in the time of the persecution. On the bleak, 

 stony ridge of Larghill a rough obelisk of grey granite was seen, 

 and ascei'tained to be a monument to the Covenanters, who were 

 shot on the adjoining moor of Lochankit. The grave of the 

 martyrs is on the moor itself, and over it a tombstone bears the 

 following inscription : 



" Here lies 4 Martyrs, John Wallace, Wm. Heron, John Gordon, and 

 Wm. Stewart, found out and shot dead upon the place by Captain Bruce 

 and Captain Lag, for their adhering to the Word of God, Christ's Kingly 

 Government in His House, and the Covenanted work of the Reformation 

 against Tyranny, Pei'jury, and Prelacy. 



2nd March, 1685. 

 Rev. chap. xii. v. 2. 

 Behold here in this wilderness we lie, 

 'Witnesses of hellish cruelty ; 

 Our lives and blood did not their ire assuage, 

 But when we're dead they did against us rage, 

 That match the like we think ye scarcely can, 

 Except the Turk or Duke de Alva's men." 



There were in all six Covenanters captured by Bruce on Lochinkit 

 Moor. Nicholson says this occurred on the 19th February, 1685, 

 and that four of them were at once ordered to be shot. Two 

 others, Alexander M 'Robin or M'Cubbin and Edward Gordon, 



