Antiquities feom the Stewaetry. 43 



Domestic Utefisils, ME. — Of these number 47 is given in the 

 Catalogue as a greybeard, 12 in. high, from Thoruey Hill, Ken- 

 mure, by Mr Gilchrist, in 1865. 



Lighting Appliances, MG. — In this section, many of the 

 objects of which are, even in our own day, fast becoming obsolete, 

 snuffed out by new and even newer inventions, seven come from 

 the Stewartry. No. 48 is a combined tinder box and candlestick 

 made of thin sheet iron, with lid and bottom of cork ; 50, a pocket 

 tinder box with hinged lid ; 55, steel for striking fire — all pre- 

 sented by the late Dr John Shand in 1880. No. 76 is a peerman 

 of iron with sliding top and tripod stand, presented by the Kirk- 

 cudbright Museum Association in 1889. No 81, the exception- 

 ally neat and well-finished little bronze save-all, for using the last 

 bits of candles, was found in or near New-Gallovi ay, and presented 

 by Rev. Geo. Murray in 1863. 



The objects connected with Spinning and Weaving comprise 

 extremely interesting- appliances and specimens. MN 14 is a pair 

 of stockings made of white S23indle-made yarn, and the note upon 

 this seemingly commonplace donation is interesting : " They were 

 knitted," says Sir Arthur Mitchell, the donor, " by Sarah Rae, an 

 old imbecile who lived in the parish of Balmaclellan. The yarn 

 she used was made by herself. In making it she employed a 

 spindle weighted with a potato for a whorl." Close beside these 

 stockings is a spindle with grey-blue yarn on it which once was 

 also weighted with a potato, and the potato is preserved in a 

 bottle beside it. These were also picked up by Sir Arthur 

 Mitchell at Daviot, Inverness-shire. 



In the old Scottish loom for weaving tape for braces, from 

 Carsphairn (47), we have one of those homely, but ingenious, and 

 effective hand appliances, in the construction of which Scotsmen 

 have been famous. It is not the most archaic hand-loom in the 

 collection, but its method of working — somewhat too elaborate 

 for description here — is much the same as that of the very 

 primitive specimen from West Calder. Our loom was presented 

 by Rev. Geo. Murray in 1881. 



Among Miscellaneous Exhibits MP 40 is an iron anchor, 6 ft. 

 long, found in a meadow near Kirkcudbright, and presented by 

 Rev. J. Milligan in 1868. Nos. 92-99 represented a perhaps quite 



