Field Meetings. 181 



re-crossed the loch to the landing stage, and subsequently visited 

 the two old bells in the parish church. [For a detailed descrip- 

 tion of Bruce's Castle see Transactions, Session 1883-84.] 



In reference to these bells, Mr J. Bai'bour, Vice-President, 

 supplies the following note : — 



There are two bells in the tower of the church, only one of which is 

 inscribed. This one measures 21 inches in height, and r2 inches diameter 

 at the shoulder, and 19 inches at the mouth. Immediately under the 

 shoulder two raised lines, § inch apart, pass round the bell, forming the 

 upper margin of the inscription space, which is 1\ inch ui breadth; and 

 the lower margin is formed of two similar lines. The lip-moulding is 

 a semi-torus with a fillet over it, between which and tlie lower margin of 

 the inscription belt the body of the bell forms a hollow curve, increasing 

 in flatness as it rises. Tlie bell is not otherwise ornamented e.xcept by the 

 inscriptions ; it has a plain appearance, and cannot be said to be of elegant 

 form or fine workmanship. In these respects it is much inferior to the 

 Holywood bell and the Carlyle bell in the Observatory Museum. There 

 are two inscriptions. The upper one, with two crosses, which may be 

 taken one as the beginning and the other as the end, extends quite round 

 the bell in the space between the margin lines before mentioned ; anil the 

 lower one, which is immediately over the lip-moulding, is arranged — two 

 letters on the north side of the bell, two on the south, two on the east, 

 and two on the west sides. The letters are of a character usually called 

 Saxon ; they are raised, and every letter is upon a separate small scjuare 

 slightly projecting beyond the surface of the bell. The letters arc delicate 

 and ornamental, the crosses particularly so, and the inscriptions appear 

 more ai-tistic than the bell itself. The inscriptions run thus (only not, as 

 here, in Roman characters) : — -|- ticefe.m.m.\dasknnahoi -)- ; and, on one 

 side, Ai, another ka, the third mk, and the fourth VA. One peculiarity of 

 the upper inscription is that there is no separation of the several words of 

 which it is composed, and there is a second, which applies to both inscrip- 

 tions —they read backwards from right to left, and the letters themselves 

 are reversed. The upper inscription, reversed and separated into words, 

 reads — [-iohannes adam .me fecit -f ; and the lower, when reversed and 

 arranged, AVE m.^ria. I understand this bell is referred to in the Anti- 

 quarian Society of Scotland's publication. No doubt the bell is an ancient 

 one. The companion bell, which is uninscribed, has not received sufficient 

 notice. A careful comparison will, I think, show that the two bells are by 

 the same maker and of the same age. The uninscribed bell measures 18 

 inches in height, and 12 inches diameter at the shoulder, and "il.,- inches at 

 the mouth. Two lines run round the shoulder, of less breadth than on the 

 other bell. The fillet of the lip-moulding differs slightly from that of the 

 inscribed bell, and the hollow of the body is much greater in this case, 

 owing to the greater diameter at the mouth. From the shoulder 

 upwards the two bells are exactly alike, the form being an ogee termi- 

 nating in a flat top, from which the loops spring for securing the bell to 

 the axle. The provision for hanging consists of a centre pillar, oblong 

 on plan, with a semi-pyramid projecting on each side and resting on the 



