130 Transactions. 



late Mr Gilchrist Clark. It was found at Auchentag-gart, parish of 

 Sanquhar, by Mr John Wilson, a ploughman there, in 1872-3. After 

 making- certain of the genuineness of the metal, I purchased the 

 article at the price of £25 for the late Duke of Buccleuch, and you 

 may now see it in the Antii[uariau Museum in Edinburgh, where it 

 is deposited on loan. Visiting Mauchline on business, I saw in the 

 rockery at St. David's this magnificent Ring. During drainage 

 operations on Mossgiel Farm, near Mauchline, in 1883, it was got 

 at a depth of 2^ feet from the surface, and the gentleman from 

 whom I received it procured it from the labourer who unearthed it. 

 Dr Anderson, of Edinbui'gh, considers it a very fine Charm Ring, 

 and anxiously wished to procure it. He shewed me one as large, 

 but of ruder construction, from the north of Scotland. Those of 

 you acquainted with the history of the poet Burns will remember 

 that Mossgiel was for a number of years his residence. Strange, 

 indeed, that this Charm Ring should have been associated with the 

 land he tilled. It may have been embedded in the soil beneath the 

 " wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower ;" and the ploughshare of the 

 simple bard may have frequently disturbed its rest. When Mr 

 Lewis went to pick up the antiquities he had promised me, he had 

 to employ one of his ploughmen to search for them about the farm 

 buildings. On delivering them to his master he remarked, " I ken 

 whaur there's a far bigger stone axe than these." " Where then ?" 

 was the query. " On the wa'-head of Ulzieside Barn." I lost no 

 time in visiting Mr M'Call at Ulzieside, and had a fruitless search 

 in the barn. In the granary, however, I found the object I was 

 in search of supporting a slate against a broken window, the stone 

 axe I found measuring 11 inches in length and weighing 7 lbs. 

 Another had at one time been lying about the Farm Offices, but 

 after repeated searches I have lieen unable to pick it up. On close 

 inspection you will observe this handsome Axe is ornamented with 

 an incised line on the front, and with five such lines on the side. 

 Dr Anderson and other antiquarians who have inspected it consider 

 it one of the finest Stone Axes found in Scotland. The town of 

 Sanquhar was formerly a place of great activity in the weaving 

 trade, but the advent of steam, together with modern machinery, 

 has nearly diiven every loom from the place. One remnant of the 

 extensive trade done in weaving in Sanquhar is the prevalence of 

 loom- weights in and about the town. They are generally water- 

 worn stones of a round formation, about two stones in weight, 

 with a perforation in one side for insertion of the steeple or ring 



