126 peesident's addeess. 



kept and flower-covered cottages, the Eectory and the Church, 

 with the surrounding basaltic mounds in the distance, all im- 

 bued with the warm rays of the setting sun, formed a continuous 

 picture as we drove along skirting the shores of Budle Bay and 

 Waren Mill, and enjoying the distant view of Holy Island, its 

 Abbey and Castle, and the long stretch of sand and sand-hills 

 near Ross, with the dark rugged sides of the Kyloe Hills form- 

 ing a back-ground to the view such as can be seen in no other 

 part of Northumberland, and associated with so much of legend- 

 ary and historic lore. 



The morning of the second day was very unpromising, and 

 shewed every indication of more rain, yet after breakfast a start 

 was made for Holy Island. By conveyances, all proceeded to 

 the Beacons along Eoss Links. Most of the party preferred to 

 walk and botanize among the Sand Dunes, and many interesting 

 plants were observed, among which were fine specimens of Ery- 

 thrcea littoralis and the Bog Pimpernel, AnagalUs tenella, in full 

 flower, and abundance of a dwarf "Willow which spread itself 

 widely over the grassy parts of the links. Eejoining the con- 

 veyances on the shore, the tide being out, a direct route was 

 taken to the Beacons. A boatman soon made his appearance, and 

 the whole party were quickly ferried safely over to the Island 

 and landed on the rocks under the Abbey cliffs. Large Mallows, 

 covered with a rich profusion of flowers, decorated the cliffs 

 above high-water mark, and Goatsbeard and other coast-loving 

 plants were abundant. The Abbey first attracted the attention 

 of the party, and a prolonged stay was made within the ruined 

 walls. The ruin, to many of the party, had a changed appear- 

 ance. On a former visit, the entire floor and all the walls and 

 wall-tops were beautifully ornamented with the fragrant wall- 

 flowers, now eradicated and replaced by coarse cement rather 

 plentifully plastered on, and the appearance of the ruin had been 

 completely changed. It now indeed "showed where the spoiler's 

 hand had been," but "the pillars carving quaint" and "the 

 rounded angles of each tower" had been well nigh plastered up, 

 and the wild beauty of the ruin had been tampered with, and, 

 for a time at least, destroyed. Then a short visit was made to 



