Transactions. 265 



upon a ring of large pieces of rock, chiefly quarried from, the 

 neighbourhood. Very few travelled boulders were found among 

 them, but inside this ring, which had evidently marked the outside 

 base of the cairn, were heaped up stones of all kinds and descrip- 

 tions, among which was found a flat stone with endent cup 

 markings and the peculiar dotted appearance caused by the rude 

 sculpturing in these olden times by sharp-pointed pieces of stone. 

 On api^roaching the centre, the floor, or under part of the trench, 

 which liad all along been the original surface of the field, sank, and 

 a rounded chamber about three feet in diameter Avas reached, 

 filled with very fine earth. This hole was set round Avitli largish 

 stones laid lengthwise, and with no stones inside at all. Rather 

 an amusing incident occurred here. All present, in a great state 

 of excitement, were watching every stroke of the men's pick-axes 

 and spadeful of earth that was thrown out, when one of the 

 members of the Association called out, " Stop, stop ; there is some- 

 thing carved on this stone," and he brought a stone about a foot 

 square, and, clearing away the soil adhering to it, laid bare a 

 beautiful specimen of the " broad arrow." There was a good 

 laugh at this discovery and some disappointment, for, if this were 

 all, it showed the mound was of recent construction, as the broad 

 arrow is the mark of the Government surveyoi's, who had used this 

 mound only some half century ago, and many were the quotations 

 from the " Antiquary " of Eilio Ochiltree's observations to the 

 Laird of Monkbarns when Aiken Drum's lang ladle was turned up 

 on a somewhat similar occasion. However, the conclusion come to 

 was that this stone had been sunk by the trigonometrical surveyors 

 to uphold their Hag or measuring pole while there, and the search 

 was continued with increased zeal. The fine earth in the centre 

 hole was carefully lifted out by hand, and in a short time an urn 

 (in pieces), more highly ornamented than the one found on the 

 10th, was discovered, and a quantity of bones around it. These 

 bones were in small pieces and considerable quantity, as if more 

 than one body had been buried there, and the remark was 

 hazarded that the urn may have contained the cremated remains 

 of the chief who lay there, while the bones were the remains of 

 slaves who were killed and buried along with him to be his com- 

 panions or servants in another world, so that he might arrive in it 

 with his customary attendants and in all due state becoming his 

 position in this world. The urn is about six inches in height and 

 six and a half in diameter with no cover, ornamented on the outside 



