Report of Meetings for 1880, by James Hardy. 221 



A shepherd's house on the height above, where one of these 

 deans collects the waters from the hills, is called Boonsley. It 

 belongs to Pinkerton, and represents the shielings of the men of 

 Pinkerton mentioned in one of the old Kelso charters, who had 

 common rights on the Earl of Dunbar's moor. This was in the 

 reign of Malcolm IV. The walk was now in the reverse direc- 

 tion down the water-side towards Thurston. Below the road 

 crossing to Brunt, where old Brunt Mill stood, the valley was 

 open, but was constantly intersected by the stream wandering 

 from side to side, and requiring repeatedly to be crossed. The 

 Brunt side, facing the south, was in a blaze of colour with the 

 blossoming furze. On the Thurston side were several sheltered 

 nooks, whence the pale primrose glanced from amidst the green 

 grass. Gaining at length the Thurston woods the footpaths 

 were labyrinthine, and full of walks leading to false issues, but 

 by keeping the burn within prospect, the party extricated itself. 

 Now hollows were crossed fiUed with primroses with particularly 

 large blossoms, and then heights were scaled from which fine 

 bits of scenery were visible on the opposite side, or some peak 

 was gained that commanded the view of the entire valley, with 

 its wimpling stream. Vinca minor is extensively planted in the 

 woodland shades, and thrives weU. There were many fine swell- 

 ing beeches of tall growth. A rookery was passed near the 

 farm, and there is another still more extensive on the grounds, 

 which has cast off a colony that populates a planting on a height 

 above Thurston Mains. At length the carriage drive to Dry- 

 burnford Lodge, which was the trysting place for meeting the 

 conveyances, was struck. At the lodge there was on view a 

 three-footed bronze pot. This was a very neat pot, ornamented 

 with three projecting lines round the thickest part, and the 

 mouth had a neatly bevelled lip. It was quite perfect, and had 

 been found when cutting a drain at Thurston Mains. The car- 

 riages had just halted, after driving up to Thurston House, when 

 the walking party arrived in view. Those who had visited 

 Innerwick Castle were greatly taken with its situation, and its 

 sylvan and craggy environments. It belonged to the Hamiltons 

 of Innerwick, who obtained it by marriage with a De Glay 

 heiress. Some old-fashioned flowers, among others Anchusa 

 sempervirens, still lingering there, were picked up. The wood 

 wren was heard. Cistopteris fragilis descends the burn from the 



