Anniversari/ Address. 131 



clear blue sky above, and a bright sun illuminating rock and sea, 

 there was even much beauty in the scene. Columns and broken 

 masses of rock rise on the north side of the platform whereon the 

 buildings stood ; but through the opening between them, we look 

 down a deep chasm, bounded on the north by lofty cliffs, adorned 

 by lichens and mosses, here and there relieved with patches of the 

 bright sea pink, and of the sea campion with its white flowers and 

 glaucous green leaves. Isolated pillars and masses of rock stand in 

 the midst of the sea, and, resembling a group of buildings, they 

 have been named the Barn Yard. According to Scott, Melrose 

 should be visited by moonlight, and I am told that when these 

 rocks are viewed by moonlight, the illusion is complete — the farm 

 house with its chimney is seen, and beside it may be recognised 

 the various buildings usually clustered around a farm house. Few 

 spots would therefore be more fitted for recluses than this. Shut 

 out from the world and placed amid impressive natural objects, 

 they had around them abundant materials suggestive of thought 

 and calculated to excite the feelings ; and if, in the calm and sun- 

 shine, there is much to minister to fancy and gratify taste, how 

 powerfully would such a scene impress the mind, when the wild 

 wind blew, and the ocean was lashed into a storm." 



Mr. Heriot conducted us to the summit of a precipitous sea cliff 

 north-west of St. Abb's Head, called Earnsheugh, on which there 

 is a curious three walled camp placed on the very edge of the 

 precipice, three sides of which supplied it with a natural bulwark, 

 elevated 430 feet above the sea. This camp has a striking re- 

 semblance to the large camp at Old Bewick in Northumberland. 

 Many of the knolls also, between Earnsheugh and Coldingham 

 Loch, are marked by trenches. The loch is a fine sheet of water, 

 about thirty acres in extent ; and about 250 feet above the sea. 

 The view from the summit of St. Abb's Head is very fine. To the 

 south are the distant Cheviots, Bamburgh Castle, the Earne 

 Islands, and the Holy Isle ; turning round, to the north, are East 

 Castle, the Bass Eock, TantaUon Castle, and the Isle of May, 

 with the Eife coast in the extreme distance. Several rare birds 

 were noticed during the ramble, especially two pairs of Peregrine 

 Ealcons, and two pairs of Eavens. The buckbean {Menyanthes 

 trifoliata), and the yellow water-lily {NupTiar lutea), were found 

 near the loch ; and the rose-root [Rliodiola rosea), in great luxu- 

 riance on the cliffs about St. Abb's Head. Some of the party 

 extended their walk to East Castle, the Wolf's Crag of the Bride 

 of Lammermuir. 



