130 TRANSACTIONS. 
late Mr Gilchrist Clark. It was found at Auchentaggart, 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 Antiquarian 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 24 feet from the surface, and the gentleman from 
whom I received it procured it from the labourer who unearthed it. 
Dr Anderson, of Edinburgh, 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 Ibs. 
Another had at one time been lying about the Farm Offices, but 
after repeated searches I have been 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 driven 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 
