Transactions. 153 



small rounded boulders now much reduced in size, the diameter of 

 it being twenty-three feet, and its height about five feet. Within 

 this heap of stones stands a roughly-circular ring of whinstone 

 slabs set on edge, eight in number, and varying in size from four- 

 teen inches to three feet and over ; and at about sixteen inches 

 distance within them, the Kist-Vaen proper, an oblong cavity 

 formed by four tliin stones set on edge, and measuring three feet 

 N. and S., one foot eight inches E. and W., and twenty -two 

 inches deep. The slab covering the grave was broken in two, and 

 on these two stones were noticed tool-marks, such as Mr Coles is 

 led to believe may be genuine cup-marks. 



At a distance of five feet from the south end of the grave 

 stands the head-stone of roughish sand stone, abundantly weather- 

 marked, the dimensions of which are : — Height al)ove ground, three 

 feet five inches ; width, 1 foot nine ; thickness, nine and a half 

 inches. That there might be no doubt as to the genuine character 

 of this burial-place, and especially of the position of the head- 

 stone, Mr Coles produced evidence in a letter from (the late) Mrs 

 Gordon, whose husband was proprietor of Conchieton, in which 

 these points were certified, and the additional information gained 

 that after a careful search Mr Gordon could find nothing in either 

 bronze or stone, but a handful of brown decayed bones, this ex- 

 ploration of his having been conducted in 1844, and soon after the 

 spot was built round, by Mr Gordon's orders, with a strong dyke 

 planted with trees and ivy and ever since properly preserved. 



Footnote. — It is noteworthy that on one of the slabs unearthed 

 from the Cairn on Woodfield, High Banks, Kirkcudbright, durino- 

 March this year, cup-marks of the same form and size were found 

 as those mentioned above. 



III. Notes 071 the Difference between the Dumfries of Dr Burnsides 

 MS. History and the Dumfries oj To-Day. By the Eev. 

 Robert W. Weir, M.A. 



In 1790 Sir John Sinclair addressed a letter to the ministers 

 of all the parishes in Scotland asking their assistance in the pro- 

 duction of a statistical account of the country. He enclosed in 

 each letter a list of 166 questions, under the four heads of 

 "geography, and natural history," "population," "production," 

 and " miscellaneous questions." The answer to the letter addressed 

 to the minister of Dumfries was given by the Eev. William 



