30 Operations and Finds in Upper Nithsdale. 



existing remains. The work has been executed with great care 

 by Mr Gibson, who has also the work at Sanquhar Castle in 

 hand, and the stately ruins should now be proof against time's 

 destroying finger for a long period of years. 



//. Finds. 



I will now give some account of the various finds in the 

 district which have come under my notice. The loan exhibition 

 in Sanquhar a few years ago revealed many objects of interest 

 not before heard of except by the possessors of them. At that 

 time I was unsuccessful in seeing a large bronze sword or spear 

 found in the course of drainage operations in a meadow on 

 Kirkland farm, Kirkconnel. It got into the hands of some 

 children, who soon broke it into pieces and destroyed its interest. 

 This beautiful whetstone was got about the same time on the 

 farm of Carco, Kirkconnel, in a drain at a depth of two feet. It 

 resembles the one figured in the catalogue of the National 

 Museum of Scotland on page 51, found near the Cathedral of 

 Lismore, but is more entire. Here is another whetstone found 

 on Carcomains, Kirkconnel, but more modern in appearance. 

 Very likely this is one of the " rags " used in the days when 

 clenched back reaping hooks were in use. However, there is 

 one in the museum in Thornhill very like it in size and general 

 appearance which was found at the lake-dwelling on Sanquhar 

 moor. Another from the bed of the Nith at Sanquhar is a 

 natural flake which has seen service as a whetstone. 



A beautiful celt or stone axe was exhibited at Sanquhar by 

 the late Mr Brown, Bennan. Lately I got it from his son, Mr 

 Stephen Brown, and it is now in the museum at Thornhill. I 

 exhibit two photographs of it, one of which shows it to have 

 been slightly adze-shaped. The ticket attached to it in the 

 museum bears that it was found at Bennan ; weight, 3 lbs. 6 oz. ; 

 length, 9 inches ; breadth, 3^ inches. Its use when I got it was 

 most degenerate — for striking matclies upon. 



A very fine bronze axe is in the possession of Mr Hewitson, 

 Auchenbainzie, and was found on his lands. It is ornamented 

 with oblique lines radiating from the rib to each side, and is in 

 excellent preservation. Captain Steuart, Castle-Gilmour, has in 

 his possession a stone axe or hammer found on the adjoining 

 farm of Auchentaggart. It is about eight inches in length, and 



