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chapter-house has a fine groined roof supported by a fluted central 
pillav, with floral bosses on the arches, the fine acoustic properties 
of which were well brought out by the Members, led by Mr 
James Kay, singing the Hundredth Psalm. The calefactory has 
also a fine vaulted roof supported by two pillars, and has been 
used as a place of worship for the district since 1821. At the dis- 
ruption in 1843, it was presented to the Free Church, most of the 
members having joined that body, who still occupy it. The curious 
old pulpit is said to have been presented to old St Giles’ Church, 
Elgin, in 1684, by the Lords in Council, who, it is said, at the 
same time presented a gallows to the town! The pulpit originally . 
cost £244, but it was sold in 1826 to the Earl of Fife for £5, who 
placed it where it now stands. This interesting relic of the olden 
time, with its curious iron support for the baptismal font, and a 
stand for an hour-glass, were objects of much interest. 
The rain having now cleared off a little, the Members gathered 
in a group on the lawn in front of the Priory, and were photo- 
graphed, the ivy-covered ruins forming an admirable background. 
They then proceeded to inspect the precincts of the Priory, and 
the ancient gardens in which the monks cultivated the fruits and 
flowers of their day. In the grounds were seen a number of fine 
old trees, which have probably come down from monastic times ; 
and in walking through the old garden, now well stocked as a tree 
and shrub nursery for the Fife estates, a venerable relic of a pear 
tree was seen, from which, in its prime, tradition says the monks 
gathered the luscious fruit. About a century ago the Priory 
garden was famed in the north for the excellence of the fruit it 
produced ; but, except a few decaying fragments, the trees are 
now all gone. In the high old wall on the north side of the 
garden were seen the curious recesses in which the monks kept 
their bees. Some fine holly and boxwood hedges adorned the 
gardens, and many other objects of interest were seen about this 
beautifal and most interesting place, the inspection of which, in 
spite of the depressing influence of heavy rain, formed an enjoy- 
able episode in the day’s work, and will long be remembered by 
those who were present. 
The day being now far advanced, the visit to Westerton House, 
a seat of the Duke of Fife, about 3 miles farther up the vale, and 
noted for the splendid larches growing near it, had to be omitted 
from the programme, but Mr Gilchrist courteously supplied the 
following measurements of a few of the finest of them. 
