Anniversarxj Address. 329 



of about two miles, returning by the post road as far as the 

 entrance to Castlegate, when they went down the banks to 

 the river side and returned to the town. The President and 

 Mr. Stevenson accompanied the party, and gave an interest- 

 ing exposition of the geology of the strata. 



The first Field meeting of the year 1862, was held at Jed- 

 burgh, on the 22nd of May. This being the first visit of the 

 club to this old and interesting Border town, the meeting was 

 well attended, notwithstanding railway arrangements ren- 

 dered it necessary for members, coming fiom a distance, to 

 arrive at Jedburgh on the day preceding the meeting. There 

 were present : — The President, Messrs. Embleton and Tate, 

 secretaries ; Drs. Douglas, Robson, Scott, Marshall, and 

 Mackenzie ; the Revds. J. Walker of Greenlaw, Wm. Lamb, 

 Wm. Darnell, G. H. Hamilton, and J. Irwin ; Messrs. Home, 

 Langlands, P. R. Wilson, J. Scott Dudgeon, Wm. Boyd, 

 Thos. Fryer, Robert Douglas and P. Clay ; and as visitors, 

 Mr. Geo. Hilson, Provost of Jedburgh, Messrs. Alex. Jeffrey, 

 Arch. Jerdon, John Hilson, Chas. Anderson, Wm, Elliot, 

 James Gumming, J. B. Kerr, Jas. Tait, Dr. Ballantyne, Mr. 

 Oliver, and Master Marshall. 



After breakfast at the Spread Eagle hotel, an able paper on 

 Jedburgh was read by Mr. A. Jeffrey, F.S.A., Scot., author of 

 the History of Roxburghshire. The party then proceeded to 

 an old house in Backgate, which, through the courtesy of Miss 

 Armstrong, they were permitted to examine. It is a quaint 

 relic of the fifteenth century, and is especially interesting as 

 having afforded an hospital to the unfortunate Queen Mary, 

 after her visit to Hermitage Castle. The little bed-room 

 occupied by her, during an illness of six weeks, was seen ; 

 but a well worn piece of tapestry, laid on the floor, is all that 

 remains of the furniture which was in the room, when she was 

 there. A visit was next paid to the old bridge at the foot of 

 the Canongate, which at one time was guarded by a gate- 

 way, and which tradition says w^as built before the Abbey. 

 Passing the house, in which the distinguished natural ])hilo- 

 sopher Sir David Brewster was born, the party entered the 



