204 Anniversary Address. 



dwelling on the " beneficial influence of external nature over 

 the constitution and mind of man,, which this Club fosters 

 and encourages " goes on to say, " it seems to me a matter of 

 little importance whether we ever add a single item to the 

 account of science." One of the main objects of our Club 

 appears to be obtained by the impulse it gives to the study 

 of the various subjects to which our attention is devoted. 

 During the past year we have considerably extended our 

 usual bounds — from Gullane to Chollerford — and not with- 

 out both profit and pleasure. In this exceptionally cold and 

 wet summer, so detrimental to the agricultural interests of 

 this neighbourhood, and so destructive to our gardens, the 

 sun has invariably shone upon our meetings ; let us accept 

 the omen, and say with our first member, " May the Club 

 live for ever !" 



In submitting the following report of our last year's meet- 

 ings, I have to express to our Secretaries, and more particu- 

 larly to Mr Hardy / my best thanks for valuable notes, as 

 also to a portion of our local press. 



Our last meeting in 1876 was held at Dunse, on the 27th 

 September. By the kind invitation of Mr Campbell Swin- 

 ton, of Kimmerghame, our President, we met at breakfast at 

 his beautiful mansion on the banks of the Blackadder, some 

 three miles distant from Dunse, where about forty members 

 were most hospitably and sumptuously entertained, the 

 table being graced by the presence of the ladies of the house. 

 During the day the following members were present — Mr 

 A. C. Swinton, of Kimmerghame, President ; Dr F. Douglas 

 and Mr J. Hardy, Secretaries ; Mr R. Middlemas, Treasurer ; 

 Major the Hon. R. Baillie Hamilton, M.P. ; Sir George H. S. 

 Douglas. Bart., M.P. ; Sir Walter Elliot, K.S.I. ; Mr Milne 

 Home, of Milne Graden ; Lieut.-Col. Grossman, R.E. ; .Capt. 

 E'orbes, R.N. ; Capt. Eliott Lockhart ; Revs. George Selby 

 Thomson, John F. Bigge, J. E. Elliot, E. Rutter, P. Macker- 

 ron, D. Paul, J. B. Fletcher, J. M. Robertson ; Drs Charles 

 Douglas, Charles Stuart, J. B. Houston ; Messrs W. B. Boyd, 

 John Clay, George Muirhead,. Francis Brisbane Douglas, W. 



