180 Anniversary Address. 



the chief object of our walk, and one of the subjects of my 

 ' Notes ' read in the morning. My party were greatly shocked 

 — as I foresaw — with the state of matters here, and I seized 

 the occasion to request those present to request me, in the 

 name of the Club, to bring it to the notice of the proprietor 

 of the tower. What we desire is that something shall be 

 done immediately, not only to remove recent accumulated 

 masses of earth which conceal some fine portions of the 

 structure ; but also to prevent the further destruction by ruth- 

 less visitors, of the fast-crumbling ruins of this once splendid 

 and most formidable Border Pele. Saddened but deeply 

 interested by what we saw, and recalling to each other's 

 remembrance the historical associations which still fondly 

 cling to these ancient fortified homes, we entered the boat 

 kindly provided by Lord Polwarth, and glided across the 

 Tweed, which here speeds swiftly along the base of the richly 

 wooded knoll, on which stands the grand old tower. We 

 then made our way by the river side to the parish church- 

 yard close by— as sequestered and eerie a ' God's-acre,' as 

 human we could desire. Here, within a handsome mauso- 

 leum, repose in richly-carved coffins arranged in orderly tiers, 

 the remains of the Scotts of Harden, once a rather disorderly 

 old Border family, but now represented by the present Lord 

 Polwarth. Pushing on, we joined the other party on the 

 brink of that frowning precipice, which the tear and wear of 

 ages is rapidly rendering dangerous ; but from the top of 

 which, as we will not readily forget, the lover of Nature 

 obtains one of those magnificent views of Tweed's silver 

 stream, and the gorgeous scenery around, which lingering 

 long in his delighted recollection repays him amply for his 

 pilgrimage here." 



The other party, of which I formed one, proceeded from 

 the Manse by the base of the cliffs towards Mertoun, where 

 we were trysted to meet the division gone to Littledean 

 Tower. We were principally on the outlook for spring 

 flowers, but failed in finding anything new in this part of our 

 walk. There were, however, noticed in the woods, Adoxa 



