Transactions. 31 



per place of safety, the ' Silver Gun/ presented to the 

 Trades by King James VI., and upon the condition that in 

 future if the majority of the Trades in Dumfries agree to 

 shoot for the said Gun as formerly, they should have liberty 

 to do so, upon an obligation that it be returned and restored 

 to the said place of safety. The Council, on the motion of 

 Mr M'Gowan, and seconded by Bailie Crombie, unanimously 

 agreed to accept of the custody of the said Gun, and ten- 

 dered their unanimous thanks to the Seven Incorporated 

 Trades for the great confidence reposed in them. 



" The Council appointed the following committee to make 

 arrangements as to a proper place in which to keep the Silver 

 Gun, viz. : — Messrs Dunbar, Dinwiddle, and Blaind, — Mr 

 Dunbar convener. 



" The meeting adjourned till Thursday first at 2 o'clock.- 



" (Signed) Wm. NICHOLSON. 



" Present — 



" Provost Nicholson. 

 Bailie Leighton. 

 „ Crombie. 

 „ Watt. 

 Dean Payne. 

 Messrs Dunbar. 



P. MUNDELL. 

 DiNWIDDIE. 



Lawson. 



Clark. 



Sloan. 



Blaind. 



M'Gowan. 



Smyth." 

 The Dumfries Gun has on it the letters I M, and a mod- 

 ern inscription : — " Presented by King James VI. of Scotland 

 ' to the Seven Incorporated Trades of Dumfries, MDXCVIII." 

 The King was in Dumfries in the month of November of 

 the previous year, 1597, — ten years after the gift to Kirk- 

 cudbright, — and spent the greater part of that month in the 

 town, in anxious endeavours to repress the disorders of the 

 times, and bring the western borders to quietness. It is sup- 



