Anniversary Address. 179 



The first field meeting of the year was held at Maxton, on 

 Thursday, 11th May. The members present were — Mr W. 

 B. Boyd, President; B-evs. M. H. Graham, G. S. Thomson, 

 John F. Bigge, P. G. McDouall, J. S. Green, — Graham, 

 W. L. J. Cooley, Jas. Marshall, H. M. Oswald, S. A. Fyler; 

 Drs. Dewar, Robertson, Brown, F. Douglas, C. Douglas, J. 

 M. Turnbull, Mackenzie, Robson Scott ; Messrs John Ord, 

 R. Bolam, John B. Boyd, F. J. Roy, C. Anderson, Charles 

 Rea, Archd. Jerdon, Purves, Stewart, Wood, Brown, Young, 

 Geo. Allan, Russell, Stevenson, Sholto Douglas, Capt. Mac- 

 pherson. Visitors — Rev. Thomas Johnston, St. BoswelPs 

 Manse ; Rev. T. Rogers, canon of Durham Cathedral ; Rev. 

 Mr Paul, Mr Chisholm, and Mr James Boyd. The Club 

 was most kindly and hospitably entertained to breakfast, by 

 the Rev. M. H. Graham and Mrs Graham, at Maxton 

 Manse. Mr Graham then favoured the company with a 

 pleasant paper on the geology and antiquities of the parish, 

 illustrated by fossils, carved stones, &c, laid out on a table 

 on the lawn in front of the Manse. The members then 

 divided into two parties. One party directed their way to 

 Littledean Tower, under the guidance of the Rev. M. H. 

 Graham, who kindly contributed the following notes: — 

 " After loading and firing our pipes at the Manse, some eight 

 or nine of us set off on our walk to rejoin the others at 

 Mertoun House. We skirted the Glebe lands on the heights 

 close by the river Tweed, and then dropped (literally) into 

 the Duke of Roxburgh's property ; concerning whose salmon- 

 fishing rights ex adverso of this field, there was that great 

 law-suit which in its issue is said to have ruled half of the 

 salmon-fishing possessions in Scotland. Midway across the 

 said field, you come suddenly and unexpectedly on one of the 

 richest views and finest stretches of our noble river. Some 

 thirty years ago or so the land gave way here, and in its fall, 

 carrying away trees and rocks and thousands of tons of soil, 

 made a tremendous slip ; but unlike slips in general, this one 

 was a great gain to society, for it opened up a bit of almost 

 matchless scenery. At last we reached Littledean Tower, 



