8 Anniversary Address. 



has given rise to much discussion, its date being fixed by dif- 

 ferent antiquaries in the Ancient British or pre-Roman 

 period — in the Roman and in the later Northumbrian. Dr, 

 Bruce of Newcastle, who was present at this meeting, and 

 than whom there is no greater authority on everything con- 

 nected with the Roman occupation of Britain, was of opinion 

 that if it were then in existence it might occasionally have 

 been used by the Romans as an outpost or outlook for Tri- 

 montium, but that it is not itself of Roman origin. From this 

 camp the party ascended to the top of the hill, examining in 

 their way the several terraces which surround it, some of the 

 members maintaining their artificial and others their natural 

 origin. In like manner the shallow spots or hollows on the 

 top of the hill were by one party maintained to be the bases 

 of Ancient British dwellings, while the other party could 

 discover nothing artificial in their appearance. It is only by 

 excavation that these knotty points will be determined. A 

 steep descent brought the club to Newstead, where, during 

 the railway works and since that time, many Roman remains 

 have been found, consisting of altars, coins, foundations, &c. 

 On the opposite side of the Tweed a green lane still marks 

 Watling Street, shewing where it had crossed the river. In 

 the old statistical account of Melrose it is stated, " At this 

 place there has been a famous bridge over the Tweed. The 

 entrance to it on the south side is very evident, and a great 

 deal of fine stones are dug out of the arches of the bridge 

 when the water is low. When the ground here is ploughed 

 or ditched, the foundations of several houses are discovered, 

 a great deal of lead got, and some curious seals." If these 

 were the remains of a Roman bridge, all trace of it has now 

 disappeared ; but the expression " arches of the bridge when 

 the water is low," would rather lead to the supposition, that 

 here was only a paved ford, somewhat in the shape of an in- 

 verted arch, the stones being clamped with iron embedded in 

 lead. Such paved fords of Roman construction are not un- 

 common. In connection with this subject Mr Currie of 

 Darnick exhibited, after dinner, a mass of oxidised lead found 



