Recent Fire in Town Hall, Dumfries. 93 



taken from an earlier structure. One exhibited a shield bearing 

 the arms of the Browns, and at one side the town's motto, 

 " A'Loreburne;" the other bore certain initials and signs, the 

 meaning of which have not been explained, and below these the 

 word "Baillies." The stones are now affixed to the wall of 

 a summer-house at Knockhill. 



To admirers of Scott and his story of Jeannie Deans the 

 following, from M'Diarmid's "Picture of Dumfries" (1832), 

 referring to this jail, may be of interest : — " A female still alive, 

 who knew both sisters intimately, stated lately, in the presence 

 of her master, Mr Scott, optician, that the individual who 

 wronged Effie, and afterwards became her husband, frequently 

 visited Dumfries in the evenings, and conversed and condoled 

 with her through the grating." 



The Weather of 1908. By Rev. Wm. Andson. 



Barometer — The highest reading of the barometer occurred 

 in the month of February, and was 30.689 inches on the 6th 

 of that month. The lowest reading was on the 10th of Decem- 

 ber, and was as low as 28.665 in., giving an annual range of 

 more than two inches, viz., 2.024 in. The mean barometrical 

 pressure for the year, reduced to 32 degs. of temperature and 

 sea-level, was 29.946 in., which is decidedly above average. It 

 has rarely been so high as this in the last twenty-one years, 

 although I notice that in 1887 — a peculiarly fine and warm year 

 — it was 29.964 in. In accordance with this fact, the weather of 

 the past year was on the whole exceedingly favourable. The 

 cyclones were neither so numerous nor so tempestuous as usual, 

 and the temperature, especially in the summer and autumn 

 months, was propitious in a degree seldom experienced in our 

 climate. The fine weather continued till well on in December, 

 and it was only in the last week of that month that we were 

 visited by a severe snowstorm, which caused much blocking of 

 roads and railways, and was accompanied by a very low tempera- 

 ture, which, however, did not last long, but speedily gave way 

 to a strong and rapid thaw. In the early part of the year there 

 was a good deal of cold and squally weather, with some snow 

 both in January and February. In the end of the latter month 



