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 different 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 Moffat 
district. The party drove from Beattock Station to Auchencass, 
a ruined castle in 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 anght that could be seen. 
After paying a visit to Garpol Linn, the party proceeded to 
