Field Meetings. 141 



of his sadness. The young man, saith the story, only answered, 

 " Perhaps ere long you may also be sorrowful," and expired 

 suddenly that very night. 



The party were again taken in hand by Dr Ramsay, who led 

 them to the churchyard, the principal object of interest there 

 being the ruins of the old church. The only part of the sacred 

 edifice now standing is the belfry gable, with a yard or two of 

 wall on each side pierced with windows. A church of some kind 

 existed in the twelfth century, but how much earlier is not 

 known. The stones forming the present remaining gable suggest 

 three diflFerent epochs. Forming part of the inside of the wall 

 are weather worn stones which were evidently part of some 

 previous building — perhaps an earlier church ; and the portion 

 which was added to the height in order to admit the erection of 

 galleries in 1741 is still traceable. With the aid of a ladder, Mr 

 Barbour, architect, clambered to the belfry to inspect the bell. 

 A lengthy inscription encircles it, which he was unable to read, 

 owing to the difficulty in getting round the belfry, but he was 

 able to decipher the date 1606 quite distinctly. 



New Members. — Mr T. M. Brown, Mrs Jackson, Rev. D. O. 

 Ramsay, D.D., Miss Ramsay, and Mr John Stevens, M.A. 



Saturday, 5th September. 



The fourth field meeting of the session was held in the Motfat 

 district. The party drove from Beattock Station to Auchencass, 

 a ruined castle iu Kirkpatrick-Juxta parish, and made a careful 

 examination of the ruins which stand on a piece of ground 

 between the Evan and the Garpol waters. The castle is supposed 

 to have been built by Randolph, Earl of Murray, and Regent of 

 Scotland. All that now remains of it are pieces of the walls, 

 from 10 to 15 feet thick, and one of the turrets in a good state 

 of preservation. The interior of the quadrangle is 120 feet. 

 Hogg makes it the residence of the famous Annandale warlock, 

 William Wilkin— 



To Auchin Castle Wilkin hied 

 On Evan banks sae green ; 



And lived and died like other men, 

 For aught that could be seen. 



After paying a visit to Garpol Linn, the party proceeded to 



