Address of the President. 7 



Arms. Many invited visitors attended. Dr. Simpson read 

 an interesting sketch of the antiquities around Sanquhar, and 

 the subjects of the day's excursion were discussed, until train 

 time called off each to seek their respective homes. 



The next expedition, being the turn of Galloway, was 

 fixed for the Creetown district, Mr. M'Diarmid having under- 

 taken to lead the party. 



The general rendezvous of the members was at Dalbeattie, 

 whence they proceeded by the Portpatrick Rail to the station 

 at Creetown, where the excursion may be said to commence. 

 Having gained the shore road, the party proceeded to ex- 

 amine the granite quarries, which supply the principal 

 amount of stone used for the Liverpool docks. These 

 quarries are situate close to the public road, and have a run 

 or tramway to an embarking stage on the shore. On de- 

 scending from the Creetown Station to the sea level, we 

 perceive on the land or left side, looking seaward, large 

 terraces running in a line with the estuary or firth. It is 

 through one of these that the entrance to the quarries has 

 been cut, exposing its structure above the granite, which 

 stands in nearly erect beds, the tops of which have the 

 appearance of being rounded oflf. The rock itself is of a 

 grey colour, and is not so pure a syenite as that of Munches, 

 but, nevertheless, it produces fine blocks of a very large 

 size. The covering of the quarries is a very irregularly-sized 

 drift, the parts of it laying in all directions, without arrange- 

 ment, quite unrolled, and with sharp, square, or angular 

 surfaces. This is well worthy of closer examination, as well 

 as the wide terraces which could be traced skirting the road 

 until they became concealed by the woods which cover them 

 as Carseluith toUbar is approached. 



Along the shore Aster tripolium was abundant, also, 

 Arenaria iniarina ; Statice limonium, not abundant. These 

 were on the muddy banks. By the roadside Agrimonia 

 eupatoria was common, and some patches of lunula crith- 

 moides occur. East of the tollbar we pass a very neat 



