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[Page] 64
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16th. March. 1919
The Rhind Lectures which have obsessed me for the
last three years have been delivered, and I am freed
from their incubus. My subject "The Prehistoric Monu:
:ments of Scotland" I divided into two main heads,
3 lectures devoted to each 1) Monuments of the Dead.
2) Monuments of the Living. In the first I included
Cairns (Neolithic or Bronze Age) Stone Circles, Standing Stones,
Cup & Ring markings, & Stone Alignments: In the second
Hut Circles, Earth-houses, "Wags", Forts and Brochs"
To my no small surprise on the opening day there
were more people than there were seats for in the
Royal Arch Hall, and on the last day there was
almost as large a crowd. There must have been
from 150 to 200 people each day and it was parti:
:cularly gratifying to see the same people there
day after day. My friends tell me the course
was a great success. I have always felt myself
that the infringement on my leisure, which the war
entailed in police duty etc. prevented my putting
a great deal more work into the lectures than I
actually did, but I suppose I started with as
much knowledge as my audience required, and
any more might have overloaded the subject.
Well! I thought I was risking any little reputation
I had, and it really seems as if I had enhanced it.
On Saturday a week ago Sandy in the slang

of the day "blew in" in the afternoon in a great state
of excitement under orders to report at once to the
C.O. [Commanding Officer] of a battalion of the young Army at Tillicoultry
with the view of leaving for Germany on the following
Monday. He left this at an early hour on Sunday
morning, and I accompanied him to the Caledonian
Station to say farewell. All week we have imagined
him crossing the seas and making his way to the
Rhine, whereas we learned by wire on Friday that
he had never got beyond Tillicoultry, and he turned
up in person last night & left again this morning.
He may depart any day & thinks his regiment
will probably go to Brussels for farther training before
going on to the Rhineland.
On Tuesday I go to Sheffield. Recently there died
near Worksop a Mr Cowan Smith, an exile Scot,
who left to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,
such of his old china and old silver as they
might select. and I am going to Bothamshall
Hall where he dwelt to make the selection. I am
doing it in the hope and belief that I shall be able
to get such articles as I select on permanent loan
for the Royal Scottish Museum. Such an arrange:
:ment will not be quite in accordance with the terms
of the will, but the Board of Trustees as residu:
:ary legatees are the only people with any
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