The Rhinns of Galloway. 255 



shire, and Mr Harper in his ' Rambles in Galloway ' falls into 

 the same mistake." 



Of a minister of Kirkmaiden Church he recounted the follow- 

 ing legend " of the period when wrecking or reaping a benefit off 

 the misfortunes of others was not thought to be anything repre- 

 hensible. The rule was that whoever saw a wreck first and was 

 first on the scene claimed anything that could be salved. On one 

 very stormy Sunday the minister was in the pulpit, and from his 

 elevated position saw a vessel dangerously near the shore. He 

 spun out his sermon as long as possible and seeing the vessel was 

 hopelessly embayed, he said, 'And this I say, my brethren,' 

 repeating the phrase two or three times, and to the surprise of 

 the congregation left the pulpit, came down the stair and walked 

 out of the church. When at the door he turned and said, 'This 

 I say, my brethren, the first one that is at her gets her.' The 

 congregation, of course, followed immediately, but were only in 

 time to see the minister's gown tail disappearing over the cliff in 

 the direction of Portankill."] 



17th February , 19 J 1. 



Chairman — Mr M. H. M'Kerrow, Hon. Treasure! 



Weather of 1910 in Relation to Health. By Dr J. 

 Maxwell Ross, Hon. V.P. 



For some years prior to the death of the Rev. Mr Andson, 

 "whose loss to the study of meteorology in the district is still much 

 felt among us, I was in the habit of supplementing his annual 

 paper to the Society by a few remarks on the influence of the 

 weather and seasons on the health of the county in so far as this 

 was indicated by the mortality and infectious disease returns. 

 Our Honorary Secretary has asked me to resume the practice, 

 and las I am one of those men who find it difficult to say " No " 

 even when that might be the best answer to give to some 

 requests, I have compiled a few notes which I hope may be of 

 interest. 



There are now four meteorological stations within the 

 county which send reports either to the Meteorological Office or 



