Transactions. 35 



tenants, and tradition says that it also contained " a jail and other 

 public buildings." Sinclair's " Statistical Account " says that " at 

 the cross poinds have lately been comprised." Since the appear- 

 ance of Sinclair's work the cross appears to have been thrown 

 down, as a few years prior to 1850 it was found lying a few feet 

 below the surface, and was re-erected at the expense of the pro- 

 prietor on a pyramidal base and surrounded by a wall. The cross 

 itself is about 7 ft. high, the side portions being 1 ft. from the top 

 and 10 in. in length. Its thickness is 3 in. and breadth 6 in. It 

 is formed of two pieces of red sandstone, plastersd together in 

 the centre. Like the other property of the Eegent Morton in 

 Galloway, after his execution, Preston passed to the family of the 

 Maxwells of Nithsdale. 



An account of the antiquities of Kirkbeau is hardly complete 

 without a reference to the cottage at Arbigland in which the 

 celebrated Paul Jones was born. This was originally named 

 Beancroft, and was occupied by John Paul, sen., the father of 

 Paul Jones, whose real name was John Paul. As is well known, 

 John Paul, sen., was gardener at Arbigland. The house fell into 

 disrepair; but in 1831 Lieutenant Pinkham, of the U.S. Navy, 

 ^.isited the cottage and asked the then proprietor of Arbigland to 

 allow him to be at the expense of re-building it. For this purpose 

 he left a sum of over £20, and the cottage was put into habitable 

 repair. But for the action of Lieut. Pinkham, Paul Jones' cottage 

 would in all likelihood have long ago disappeared. After its 

 repair the house became known locally as Paul Jones' or Pink- 

 ham's cottage. Since that time the building has been considerably 

 enlarged ; but the round tool house which stood near it, and in 

 which the future famous seaman is said to have been imprisoned 

 by his father after one of his boyish exploits, no longer exists. 



3. — A Further Note on the Nun's Slab at Dundrennan. 

 By Mr Eobert Brydall. 



Perhaps it may interest you to have ray reasons for suggesting 

 the alteration in reading the inscription. The change of arrange- 

 ment of the parts of the stone consists in the transposition of two 

 pieces to the right and left. 



I assume that a tail has been added to the " o " to make it 

 read " pr(ioressa)" ; I would expect a stronger evidence of it on 

 the stone even now, as that part is not quite worn down the 



