Anniversary Address. 375 



Rev. George Albert Ormsby, Eglingliam; Rev. P. Mac- 

 Morland, Minto. 



The following places were fixed on for meetings, during 

 the ensuing year: — 



Eyemouth and the Valley of the Ale, June 4. 



Alwinton, . . . . June 25. 



Melrose, . . . . . . July 30. 



Alnwick, . . . . . . August 27. 



Chirnside,. . . . . . September 24. 



The first meeting of the year 1868 was held at Ay ton and 

 Eyemouth, on June 4th. There were present, Mr. James 

 Hardy, President; Mr. George Tate, Secretary; Sir Walter 

 Elliot, Dr. Francis Douglas, Revs. H. M. Carr and John F. 

 Bigge, Messrs. J. C. Langlands, A. Jerdon, Charles Rea, 

 Edward Allen, W. B. Boyd, John Paxton, Thomas Allan, T. 

 Y. Greet, John B. Boyd, J. E. Friar, and as visitors, Revs. 

 Stephen Bell, J. E. EUiot, Messrs, Dawson, George Paulin, 

 Wilson, Ronton, Shaw, and Druett. 



For inspection after breakfast, Mr. Greet had brought from 

 Norham castle an iron arrow head, and a large straight buck- 

 horn handle, perforated throughout, of some knife-like imple- 

 ment. Both receive explanation from the following account, 

 by Sir Walter Scott, of the equipments of a warlike deer- 

 hunter. "A belt round his waist served at once to sustain 

 the broad-sword, and to hold five or six arrows and bird bolts, 

 which were stuck into it on the right side, along with a large 

 knife hilted with buck-horn, or, as it was then called a 

 dudgeon-dagger." The old church bell of Ayton, with an 

 inscription in ancient letters, was brought before us, but 

 our time Avas too limited to make the attempt to decipher it. 

 The stately new church at Ayton was then looked at, and the 

 party walked hastily down the Ayton woods to the junction 

 of the Eye and Ale at Mill-bank. Dryness prevailed wherever 

 we penetrated, but we skirted some fine banks of oak, ash, 

 and beech, (lovely when autumn assumes its dappled robe); 

 and watched with pleasure in the calm pools of the Eye, 

 happy shoals of minnows gliding gently to and fro, as they 



