Transactions. 161 



He could tell of an improvement in the roads of the parish within the 

 twenty years preceding the date of his book so great that one horse 

 could now do the work formerly done by two. He could also say 

 that " within these twenty years the poor people are both better fed 

 and clothed. At that period they had no butcher meat, and few 

 or no hogs at all." At the period of writing, he says that there was 

 scarcely a day labourer but kept a hog, and laid in some quantity of 

 meal at Martinmas. He remembered when there was seldom any 

 good fresh meat to be had from about Christmas till the new grass 

 came in the spring, but in his day it was to be had throughout the 

 whole year in great plenty and of good quality. Very probably 

 the generation a hundred j-ears hence will look back on us, as we 

 now look back on the generation in which Dr Burnside lived and 

 as he looked on those further back still, and wonder how we fared 

 with fewer comforts and fewer means of communication with other 

 places. It may be well to remember that while we cannot wish 

 back the good old times, we may yet believe that then as now there 

 were men and women with good heads and good hearts, and that 

 wisdom neither begins nor ends with the people of our own times. 

 It is pleasant also to know that it is not true that the poor are 

 poorer. ^Yhat were rare luxuries to the poor are now easily 

 obtained by the many. 



Field Meeting. Wth of May. 



A visit was paid to Comlongan Castle and Ruthwell Church. 

 The famous Runic Cross and the old tombs were inspected. 

 Explanations were made by the Rev. J. M'Farlan and ]\Ir Camp- 

 bell Douglas, the architect of the part of the Church in which the 

 cross stands. Mr Robert Barbour, Solicitor, Maxwelltown ; Mr 

 Davidson, Teacher, Ruthwell ; and the Rev. Mr Milroy, Penpont, 

 were elected members. 



U//; of May. 



At a meeting of the Council the honorary secretary, Mr Robert 

 Barbour, resigned his office, and received the thanks of the Society, 

 on the motion of Mr John Neilson. On the motion of Mr Robert 

 Barbour, seconded by Mr Neilson, Dr Edward James Chiuuock 

 was elected honorary secretary. 



