TRANSAcrroNS. 33 



Note to Mr Thomson's Paper. 



The following will throw light upon the expression " profane 

 persons brewing " (page 28) : " Bailie Johneson reports that in 

 going through the town last Sabbath he found in the house of 

 James Moorehead a large pot upon the fire boyling wort, and in 

 John Baxter's house Wright found the said James ]\Ioorehead's 

 wife with a choppin stoup in her hand, and the said James Moore- 

 head's wife sitting at a table and said she was seeking barm." 



The following extracts may be interesting from the form of 

 punishment:— " 1641. Bessie Black for her 3rd departure from 

 virtue to sit six Sabbaths and at the cross in the Jougs." " 1G42. 

 Eui^hane Thomson and Jane Johnson, servants, for scolding each 

 other, to be put in the Jougs presently." " 1644. A man and his 

 wife for slander are sentenced to stand at the kirk style with the 

 branks in their mouths." " 1695. It is statute and ordained that 

 who drink to excess shall pay the Nobleman twenty pounds ; the 

 Barron, twenty merks ; the Gentleman Heretor or Burgess, ten 

 merks ; the Yeoman, forty shillings ; the Servant, twenty shillings ; 

 and the Minister the fifth part of his stipend. 



III. The Druidical Circle in Tro(]ueer. By Mr JoHN Brown, 

 F.E.I.S., of Drumsleet. 

 The Druidical circle on the Hills farm lies about four miles 

 from Dumfries, a little over half a mile to the left of the farm 

 called East Hills, as one journeys towards Lochrutton. Or, taking 

 the footpath to Lochrutton Kirk, a quarter of a mile past Turnfeen, 

 the traveller would find it about 200 yards to his left just as he is 

 about to reach the top ot the ascent. It is, on a contour line of 

 the trigonometrical survey maps, shewn to be situated exactly 500 

 feet above the level of the sea, and lies in a somewhat depressed 

 place close to the last rising of the hills behind, which attain 625 

 feet. In the depression is a platform evidently to some extent 

 artificial and irregularly circular, 70 to 80 feet in diameter. The 

 top has been levelled, or rather made level, by using the materials 

 brought from the sides. On this little platform is the Druidical 

 circle. There are now ten stones in the circle, but, judging from 

 the distances from stone to stone, it is probable there were a few 

 more when the circle was complete. There is no central stone ; 

 all are round the sides. One was 13^- feet distant from the next • 

 other distances were, 17 ft., 19 ft. 8 in., 25 ft., 34 ft. 4 in., 37 ft! 

 7 in. ; the average is about 25 ft. 3 in. ; and the circumference 



