86 Tue CastLe oF DuMrRIES. 
On the recapture of the castle a stocktaking of the munitions 
took place, as was usual when a change took place. Sir James 
de Dalelegh had an account “ for the destruction of 9 casks of 
wine and 2 casks of honey by the lord Robert de Bruce from the 
stores in the Castle of Dumfries, at the time in which he took the 
said castle when lord Comyn had been killed.’’ Another 
account, which, however, is imperfect, mentions 221 quarters salt, 
and 182 horse shoes, as part of the “ loss and destruction through 
the lord Robert de Bruce in the time of the killing of lord John 
Comyn, in the castles of Ayr and Dumfries.” 
Much activity is now observable in bringing together great 
quantities of victuals, and otherwise. 2698 quarters of wheat, 77 
jars of flour, 2484 quarters of oats, 491 quarters of ground oats, 
480 casks of wine, and 16 pipes; 136 carcases of oxen and 2 
spaulds, and 33 bacons, were got from Skimburness and Salt- 
coats, where the said victuals were received as far as Carlisle, 
the castle of Dumfries, and the Wellhouse and abbey of Holm- 
coltram ; 58 quarters 7 bushels of wheat, 79 quarters 2 bushels of 
ground oats, and 28 casks of wine, and 7 barrels of wine hooped 
with iron, were forwarded from Carlisle to the castle of Dumfries, 
for the munition of the same castle, both by land and by water. 
Payments were made for the wages of various messengers carrying 
letters to our lord the king and other magnates of the council of 
the king himself, containing the state of the land of Scotland, and 
of the king’s enemies, etc. ; for money paid for one great rope 
bought for drawing the bridge of the castle of Dumfries, for hemp 
bought for cables, great ropes for the engines, and for making 
ropes for the tounges ; for making of the same cables and ropes 
from the aforesaid hemp, and for the carriage of the same from 
Carlisle to Dumfries ; and for feathers and grease bought for the 
quarrels and sent to the aforesaid castle of Dumfries, etc. 
On 3 May, 1307, Sir James de Dalelegh or his clerks or 
lieutenants at Skimburness is commanded on the king’s behalf, © 
with the utmost haste to send from the king’s stores, or buy corn 
for the purpose, to the castle of Dumfries, 20 casks of wine, 100 
quarters of malt, or barley, to make malt, and in the quickest 
manner possible to have the whole ground at Dumfries, by day 
and night, so that the flour and the malt also may be ready when 
needed. 
Dumfries had become a centre from which supplies were dis- 
