MK. smblkton's address. 169 



As tUere was ''neither entertainment for man nor horse" 

 to be hatl at the village of Stitchell, which had been selected 

 for the June Meeting, the Members, impressed with the 

 necessity of attending to the wants of the body as well as 

 the mind, proceeded to the village of Ednam, where, under 

 the care of Mr. Gray, the wants of the Club were amply pro- 

 vided for, in a neat and comfortable manner. The day was, 

 in reality, a day in June — sunny, hot, and dry ; and the chief 

 point to ascertain was in what direction the most cool and 

 shady walks were to be found. The beautiful woods around 

 Newton Don were first visited ; thence to Stitchell Linn, 

 which, from the long-continued dryness of the weather, pre- 

 sented a very insignificant appearance. The walk then lay 

 through the inhospitable village of Stitchell, to Stitchell Brae, 

 whose covering is chiefly composed of Trifolium striatum, 

 affording sufficient evidence of the character of the place- 

 It has, however, associations connected with it which almost 

 mark it as a sacred spot ; for in the times of the first Seces- 

 sion in the Church of Scotland, multitudes were in the habit 

 of assembling there, with nothing but the heaven for their 

 canopy, to hear the Word preached. The woods that skirt 

 the course of the Eden were visited, and the party returned 

 to Ednam by the main-road. In the course of the ramble, 

 the two varieties of Rumex sa^iguineuSj Scrophularia aquatica^ 

 Geranium lucidum, and Cystea fragilis^ were observed. Few 

 insects were captured. There are many interesting associa- 

 tions, however, connected with the locality. Ednam claims 

 Thomson as her son ; and the father of the circumnavigator 

 Cook is said to have been a stone-mason here, his famous son 

 having been born after he had gone farther south. The fa- 

 mous Lieut-General Sir Alex. Dickson was born at Syden- 

 ham, near to the village ; and Stitchell has the honour of 

 being the birth-place of Sir John Pringle, many years Presi- 

 dent of the Royal Society. After dinner, an hour was plea- 

 santly passed in visiting the famous brewery, and other ob- 

 jects worth notice. 



The Meeting in July was held at Cockburnspath, but the 

 weather proved very unfavourable, rain falling the greater 

 part of the day. The party proceeded down the Tower-dene, to 



