128 Transactions. 
party of the people who seized them to H.R.H. along with them. 
They lie this night at Thornhill, and go on to-morrow. I have 
not yet heard of the army’s being come further than Carlisle. 
By the best accounts I can have about 500 men are left in that 
garrison. I have sent this by Dumfries, as I see no danger now 
of letters being intercepted while H.R.H.’s army is about Carlisle. 
The Highlanders paid for scarce anything in this country ; they 
eat up poor Howit and Bow House, and paid nothing.” 
We get an interesting confirmation of Mr Feregusson’s state- 
ment as to the conduct of the Highlanders in Dumfries in the 
“Lochrutton Journal ”—-a manuscript account of the Rising left 
by Rev. George Duncan, then minister of Lochrutton. Under 
date Sabbath, 22nd December, Mr Duncan’ writes :—“A 
melancholy day, the rebels in Dumfries... . . They were 
most rude in the town, pillaged some shops, pulled shoes off 
gentlemen’s feet in the streets. In most of the churches for some 
miles about Dumfries no sermon. God be blessed ! we had public 
worship. I lectured I. Sam.,iv.; Mr John Scott, minister of 
Dumfries, there being no sermon there, preached.” The fourth 
chapter of I. Samuel was a most appropriate subject of lecture, 
for it refers to the defeat of the Israelites by the Philistines 
at Ebenezer, when the ark was taken, and no doubt Mr Duncan 
drew some startling parallels. 
The £2000 levied by Prince Charlie upon the town was raised 
in the first instance by loans from various persons, and among 
the subscribers for the £1000 raised after the Prince left we find 
Mr Richard Lowthian and Miss Peggie Maxwell, sister of James 
Maxwell of Carnsalloch (which then also belonged to the Kirk- 
connell family), both of whom, no doubt, subscribed from reasons 
of policy. ‘The funds so borrowed were repaid by an assessment 
at the rate of three per cent. upon the capital value of ‘houses 
and buildings and goods, wares, merchandise, household furniture, 
and oyr perishable stuff in the burgh at the time of the aforesaid 
demand ;” and to show how strictly that assessment was levied, I 
may mention that the library books of the Presbytery of Dum- 
fries, which, “as being perishable goods, are liable to be stented 
in this view,” were valued at £300, and an assessment of £9 
paid thereon. 
In Dumfries the Prince stayed in the building which now 
forms the Commercial Hotel, but two storeys have been added to 
it since the time I am speaking of. It belonged to Mr Richard 
