248 Field Meetings. 



paradise, and never cease to implore and expect his return 

 for good." In Scottish Hterary history Leadhills occupies 

 a place of importance, as it was the birthplace of Allan 

 Ramsay, the poet, whose father was manager in the mines 

 and was descended from a Laird of Cockpen who was a 

 brother of Lord Dalhousie. The library which the village 

 contains is said to have been founded by Allan Ramsay ; 

 thoug-h a Mr Stirling, who was an overseer in the mines, and 

 a noted mathematician, has also been credited with its 

 foundation. In the village is a monument to the memory of 

 William Symington, one of the inventors of steam naviga- 

 tion, and who, as is well known, came from these parts to 

 lend his skill and his ingenuity to the production of the 

 steamboat, the first vessel of the kind, which Patrick Miller 

 launched on Dalswinton Loch. The churchyard at Lead- 

 hills contains a tombstone on which it is recorded that there 

 is buried beneath " John Taylor, who died in this place at 

 the remarkable age of 137 years." Taylor was a native of 

 Cumberland, and worked for many years in the mines at 

 Leadhills. The age ascribed to him on the tombstone seems 

 to be an exaggeration, though only a slight one, as it appears 

 to be undeniable that at the time of his death he was a 

 hundred and thirty-three. One story that is related of him 

 tells how when he was a hundred and sixteen years of age he 

 went over the hills to fish, but was unexpectedly caught in a 

 snowstorm and gave himself up for lost. " But he stuck 

 his fishing rod upright in the snow," says the narrator of the 

 incident, " and made another struggle for his life, to a place 

 where he was found. When he had recovered he went back, 

 plucked his rod out of the snow, and returned to begin his 

 new lease of seventeen years of life." 



At Leadhills the party was divided into two portions, 

 one of which proceeded on foot in the direction of the 

 Enterkin, the other going by motor to Elvanfoot, and from 

 there down the Dalveen Pass. The walking party followed 

 the moorland path which was taken by the genial and kindly 

 author of " Rab and his Friends " fifty years ago, and as 

 the atmosphere was beautifully clear, they had, as they 

 fidvanced towards the entrance to the Pass, a marvellouslv 



