250 Report of Meetings. By James Hardy. 



field at Mersington in the parish. Both are in the collection of 

 the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 



The route was now taken to Crosshall pillar, which stands off 

 the main road, but on a road parallel to it, in a field called Dead- 

 rigs, which was also the original name of Crosshall farm. After 

 passing the Eccles farm cottages, we turned up by a lane 

 environed with bushy hedges unpruned. Scrog apples are 

 mixed with the thorns ; and an overgrowth of wild roses, with 

 a sprinkling of sweet briar, grew on the unoccupied spaces next 

 the hedges. After a couple of fields' breadth a cross road is 

 struck which conducts to the pillar. A large patch of garden straw- 

 berry flourishes on the ditch back, perhaps indicative of the site 

 of the garden of old Deadrigs. The sandstone obelisk with the 

 Soulis insignia on the shield, and the adjuncts on its four sides 

 of two crosses and a sword ; and the effigy of a naked man, with 

 his feet and knees turned inwards, and his hands applied to his 

 breast, attended by a deer-hound with pricked up ears and 

 long sweeping tail, is fixed in a quadrate block of sandstone, in 

 front of the cottage houses, and although unprotected is in won- 

 derful preservation. A considerable correspondence that passed 

 between some Berwickshire gentlemen, desirous of protecting 

 the historical antiquities of the county, and a previous owner, 

 was read, and it was the general opinion that it would be con- 

 ducive to the security of the obelisk if it were enclosed by a railing, 

 which needs not be so very expensive, as was estimated to them. 

 A separate notice will embody the contents of the papers then 

 produced. From near the pillar, Stainrig was in view, and the 

 top part of Duns Castle in the remote distance ; opposite to it is 

 Hardacres and Stonefold ; Lambden House, with its conspicuous 

 flowering gean-trees, when in season ; Eowchester house among 

 trees in line with the last ; Springwells, Pittlesheugh, Eccles 

 Tofts, and Purves Hall ; other note-worthy places hereabouts 

 were not within view. There is a good outlook to Northumber- 

 land. The alternation of ridge and hollow crossing the face of 

 the country is again very obvious. As we turned up to join the 

 main-road, the October gale has prostrated some fine Scotch fii's, 

 not far from the Orange lane farm-steading The old map of 

 1771 places another plantation on the west side of the road here, 

 named Ann's Grove, the name possibly taken from Ann Hume 

 Campbell, who was the eldest daughter and co-heir of Hugh, 

 third earl of Maichmont, and wife of Sir John Paterson, 



