DUMFRIESSniRE AND GrALLOWAY A CRNTUUY AGO. 79 



entered into celebration of the communion by larg-e gatherings. 

 In St. Michael's, he mentioned, the services were protracted over 

 two weeks, and began at six o'clock in the morning, two ministers 

 preaching simultaneously— one from the church, the other from a 

 pulpit-tent in the churchyard. Smuggling was not regarded by 

 the community as a very blameworthy offence, and besides the trade 

 that went on with the Isle of Man and other places they used to 

 make spirits in little stills, of which he had seen some on the hills 

 about Dalswinton. Mr Dickie observed that it was not only 

 whisky which was smuggled but salt : the people were obliged to 

 carry on a contraband trade in necessaries of life if they were to 

 procure them. Mr Barbour further referred to a curious case 

 that came before the church courts from Irongray two hundred 

 years ago, in which the German mud-bath cure for consumption 

 was anticipated. A woman suffering- from this malady was buried 

 in the earth all save the head ; and the parties were brought 

 before the church courts on a charge of using certain incantations. 

 Mr J. S. Thomson stated that several years ago, when a woman 

 was taken ill in a close off the High Street, near his shop, a woman 

 declared that she had been bewitched, and drew a circle round 

 her and uttered incantations for the purpose of freeing her from 

 the spell. The Chairman referred to the case of the Rev. Peter 

 Rae, contemporary historian of the rebellion of 1715, who believed 

 that a woman had bewitched him, and took the usual course for 

 breaking- the spell by cutting her across the brow. For this he 

 was tried before the Presbytery of Penpont and reprimanded. 



21st Aprilf 1899. 



Mr James Barbour, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Communications. 



1 . LitJiestone Nodules in Glacial Deposits Jiear Moffat. By Mr J. 

 T. Johnstone, Moffat. 



In a former note I mentioned that the occurrence of these 

 nodules in this district was confined to the glacial deposits, and 



