170 A7itiiveysary Addi'ess. 



and efficient character. Nothing but the necessity of reaching 

 Newcastle that nighty would have prevented me from accom- 

 panying Mr. Langlands to examine this, the great attraction 

 within our beat. 



Ford Meeting, July 26th, 1860. 



We now come to the memoranda of a charming day's oc- 

 cupation, in a country of great natural fertility, and of a con- 

 formation so simple yet so grand and imposing, that well it 

 merits overhead a warm summer's sky such as we then enjoyed, 

 diversified by bold masses of cloud, throwing their occasional 

 shadows over portions of the noble valley, or giving new 

 character every half-hour to the long wave-like sweeps of old 

 Cheviot and his kindred heights of porphyry. These hills 

 have their own' peculiar charm as much as any under the 

 sun, and to those whose infancy has been passed within sight 

 of them, their simple but severe and decided outline, is never 

 regarded without mingled love and veneration, from however 

 great a distance. As I am about to draw no less largely 

 upon the Secretary than heretofore, in regard to our peregri- 

 nations after leaving the hospitable breakfast table, and as I 

 have received from Mr. Frederick Wilson a valuable account 

 of Ford Castle, of the Church of Ford, and of the mortuary 

 Church at Etal, as also an instructive paper embracing the 

 same and other objects from Mr. Dickson, I feel that some- 

 thing by way of original contribution ought to be offered by 

 myself. Whilst we are contemplating Cheviot from so advan- 

 tageous a position as this presented by Ford, I will venture 

 to lay before the club some inquiries into the probable ety- 

 mology of a name so familiar to us. If we proceed in such 

 an inquiry cautiously and inductively, after the examples of 

 Camden and George Chalmers, when engaged in similar re- 

 searches, we shall perhaps not go very far astray. 



It is a disadvantage that no similar word occurs on either 

 side of the border in connection with our moorland summits ; 

 for there is no greater aid in etymology than the light which 

 words of similar character often throw upon each other. 



To make the best, then, of a difficult and apparently isola- 

 ted question, let us ajiproach old Cheviot with all diffidence. 



