152 Meld Meetings. 



Annandale, of which the grass-grown track is to this day very 

 distinctly visible along several fields, and there are some 

 indications that another outpost had existed a short way along 

 the road in the opposite direction, where it afforded a line of 

 communication with the English border. The indubitable 

 existence of this piece of ancient roadway, proceeding in a north- 

 westerly direction from this important military station, affords 

 material support to the theory, recently assailed, of the existence 

 of other vestiges of it in the vicinity of Moffat. On the western 

 summit of Burnswark there is a wonderfully perfect circular 

 earth-work, the remains apparently of a still older Celtic strong- 

 hold, which the Romans would, no doubt, utilise as a post of 

 observation. A camp so elaborately constructed was not, of 

 course, a mere casual resting place ; but must have formed the 

 permanent quarters of a large body of troojDS, from which they 

 would be able to keep the surrounding country in subjection, to 

 prosecute campaigns against the Novantes in western Galloway, 

 and to carry on their road-making and other civilising works. 

 Here they would dwell in huts constructed probably of timber 

 cut from the forest that overspread the land in all directions, and 

 covered over with leather or the skins of animals taken in the 

 chase. The numbers resident in the camp would, of course, 

 fluctuate with the exigencies of the service. Gibbon states that 

 three legions were regularly assigned for the occupation of 

 Britain ; and while the number of Romans in a legion only 

 slightly exceeded six thousand, he calculates that the auxiliaries 

 attached to it would bring its strength up to about 12,500. On 

 this basis the army of occupation for both England and Scotland 

 would number some 37,000. 



I^ew Member. — Mr John F. Cormack, Lockerbie. 



The following botanical specimens were found by Mr Scott- 

 Elliot : — Conium maculatum — Gasstown, Repentance Tower, and 

 Ecclefechan ; Scabiasa Columbaria — Hoddam Brig ; CEItrusa 

 Cynapium - — Ecclefechan roadside ; Rosa arvensis — Roadside, 

 near Birnswark ; Viola lutea, var. amcena — Summit of Birnswark. 



