Report of Meetings for 1889. By Dr. J. Hardy. 465 



cairn, is simply dotted over with heaps of stones which appear to 

 have formed covers over the burial places of slain warriors. It has 

 been but little disturbed by cultivation of any sort, and we there- 

 fore find it mainly as it has been affected by the ravages of time." 



Leaving the main body to discuss the pros and cons of the 

 Battle of Dawston Big, a detachment descended the steep bank 

 to a tempting looking crag beside the deeply cut Caldron Bum, 

 which has here excavated the sandstone and limestone ledges 

 into deep pots or water- worn pools, called the " Caldron Pots," 

 into which the water leaps successively, and by its restless 

 circling prevents the bottom from being visible. Butterwort 

 grew in the marshes on the west side. On crossing, the Beech 

 Fern and the Brittle Fern appeared ; the latter grew on both 

 sides on the moist rocks ; the former was very luxuriant. 

 Lastrcea dilatata, L. oreopteris, and L. Filix-mas grew here also. 

 Rubus saxatilis threw out its tendrils from the rock-chinks ; 

 Geranium sylvaticum was in bloom ; and Vaccinium Vitis-Idcea 

 hung out its waxen bells. Half-way up the sandstone rock face 

 grew a band of Neckera crispa, a moss indicative of dryness, and 

 unrecorded I believe for Eoxburghshire. Here appeared also 

 the Early Purple Orchis (out of bloom) ; the Woodruff ; Salix 

 phyllivifolia and S. nigricans. This crag appeared to be the proper 

 place for the Ping Ouzel or Rock Starling to nest in, but no nest 

 was visible, although the bird itself is frequent all over the 

 uplands here. After scrambling across again, Carex (Ederi was 

 . prevalent in the moist sykes along with other water-weeds. The 

 Whin-chat and Stone-chat were both seen on the grassy slopes. 

 Wheat-ears were getting scarcer ; some migratory parties were 

 seen at Saughtree during my short stay there. 



The more numerous party were intercepted descending from the 

 hill-top, and all assembled within one of the British camps 

 looking down upon the Liddel, where Mr Hardy read to the 

 company the extract from Bede's Ecclesiastical History (Steven- 

 son's Translation), which with the passage in the Saxon 

 Chronicle, in all likelihood adapted from Bede, forms our only 

 record of the battle of Daegsastan. It is as follows : — 



" Chap. xxiv. [A.D. 603] .^dilfrid, king of the Northumbrians, having 

 vanquished the nation of the Scots, expels them from the territories of the 

 Angles. §80. At this time, JEdilfrid, a most valiant king, and ambitious 

 of glory, governed the kingdom of the Northumbrians, and ravaged 

 the Britons more than all the great men of the Angles, inasmuch that he 

 might be compared to Saul, once king of the Israelites, excepting only 



