l8 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. V. 



make 4, which seems unaccountable, as both were equally well known. 

 Thus, on a calendar on vellum, we have the date in this form isa2, 

 (1472), and on a seal the date is 1q8q (1484). These, and other 

 peculiarities which might be given in the use of these " new numbers," 

 show that our forefathers, in these early times, were very human, and 

 were somewhat careless and, possibly, somewhat blameworthy in mixing 

 things up in this way. 



I ma}^ here state, that what led me to think of writing this paper 

 was the fact that, in consulting a number of old documents I brought with 

 me from Scotland, I found dates given which were different from any I had 

 ever seen. These documents consist of charters, receipts, bonds, leases, in- 

 struments of sasine, etc. Some of them are in Latin, others are in Scotch 

 as then used, which presents many peculiarities to a modern reader in 

 spelling, contractions and form of letters now obsolete. What, however, 

 particularly struck me was the way in which the centuries were given. 

 The cabalistic letters used puzzled me. I consulted books on palaeo- 

 graphy, but these at first, so far as I could make out, afforded no help. 

 Fortunately, however, I found the key in some of the receipts which 

 contained the peculiar method referred to, as well as the modern 

 way of expressing dates. For example, the date in the body of one of 

 the receipts showed that rent was paid for the year Jajbi/A eighte 

 sex yeres, that is 1686, whereas," thes pts, (presents) were rend (rendered) 

 and subt, (subscribed) 1687. In another document, signed by the Earl 

 of Wigton, the date is given thus, Jajbi'^ threscoir yeirs, correspond- 

 ing to 1660. 



In a carta confirinationis, signed also by the Earl of Wigton, the date 

 in the body of the document, 1673, is given in the common Latin form, 

 thus : millessimo sexcentessimo septingentessinw tertio. Whereas, in 

 the endorsation, it is given in the modern form 1673. In an instrument 

 of sasine, the date 1640, is given Jajbi/^ fourte yeires. In a receipt, 

 both Jajbi nyntie and 1691 are found ; the former for what the 

 receipt was given, the latter when the money was paid. In a lease, or as 

 it was called in Scotland a " tack," the date is given Jajbij^;^ and fiftie 

 five, that is 1755. In another tack, 1774 is expressed by Mvij»i and 

 seventy four. In the two following dates 1709 and 1710, it will be 

 noticed that there is a deviation from the ordinary method ; the former 

 being Jajbii^'J nine ; the latter Jajbii'^qS ten. Here c as well as that 

 peculiar character ( -^ ) are both used. At this early period in Scot- 

 land, it does not appear that there was any well-established system of 

 writing dates. Sometimes, as has been shown, they are given in Arabic 

 numbers, at other times in Latin, again in Roman characters, and most 



