Transactions. 27 
Proceedings of Nova Scotian Institute of Science, 1893; Tran- 
sactions of Edinburgh Geological Society ; Transactions of Botani 
cal Society of Edinburgh. 
CoMMUNICATIONS. | 
1. Motes on the Antiquities of Dunscore. 
By the Rev. Ricuarp Simpson, B.D. | 
The position of Dunscore among the hills--placesit_far out of _ 
the stream of the busy world’s activities as it flows to-day, but in 
former times those secluded glens and bleak uplands were the 
scene of many an incident worthy of remembrance, and had an 
influence all their own on the course of events. Few country 
parishes are richer in associations with the history and the 
literature of our native land. Dunscore counts as its own 
names that are celebrated all the world over, and reverenced 
and loved wherever men read and think, and wherever there 
glows the flame of poetry or of patriotism. The strongest and 
sternest blood of the Covenant, as well as the most active and 
hated of the persecutors, came from within its bounds. It was 
in Dunscore that Burns made “a poet’s, not a farmer’s choice,” 
when he preferred Ellisland to Foregirth, and settled down to 
write the very best of his poetry and spend the happiest and 
most prosperous days of his troubled life. In Dunscore Scott 
found one of his feudal castles, and laid there the scene of the 
grim episode in ‘“‘ Redgauntlet.” And it was on the western 
border of the parish, with the far outlook from Craigenputtock 
over the wilds of Galloway always before him, that Carlyle 
hammered out the pure gold of “Sartor Resartus” on the anvil 
of his own soul. 
There is a singular vitality about words ; and a good deal may 
be learned about the history of any locality from its place names. 
Through this medium Dunscore is connected with the earliest 
period of our national life of which we have any knowledge. 
Leaving out of consideration a group of modern invention and 
barbarous taste, the majority of our names are of Celtic origin. 
One or two are English, and there are traces of Norse or Danish. 
The Celtic names seem to be survivals of the time when our 
uplands were included within the ancient kingdom of Galloway, 
and the others are marks left by the successive waves of invasion 
that beat against its frontiers. As is the case with most ancient 
