Report of Meetings for 1889. By Dr. J. Hardy. 475 



fir plantation, and at Peel Farm there are several well-grown Ash trees. 

 There are also several other planted trees on Wheelrig-end, and a solitary 

 pine, from a dropped seedling perhaps, far up a cleugh on Peel Burn. 

 Most of the hill-tops rise to the region of peat-flows ; the middle and lower 

 portion being grassy ; and symptomatic of dryness and a clayey soil, there 

 are beds of brackens, as at Wheelrig Head, and lower down at the Rig'g 

 end. Near the source of the Peel-burn, the pasture is liable to cause 

 pining in the sheep, if kept too long on it. A_lono- the middle part of the 

 hills, the sheep-stells for sheltering the flocks during storms are situated. 

 Violent thunder-storms in summer break out among these hills, accompanied 

 with tremendous noise, and heavy downpours of raiu and hail ; while a 

 solemn darkness adhering to the black hill summits, doubles the grandeur 

 of these mighty displays of elemental power. The rapid rise of the moun- 

 tain torrents after these outbursts, is also a wonderful scene. The whole 

 upper face of Peel Fell is strewed with vast blocks of grey sandstone, or 

 scaured with black fissures, effects either of the fury of these sudden 

 spates, or from slips occasioned by the sudden melting of the winter 

 snows. The most remarkable of these boulders, if it is a boulder, is the 

 vast Kiel or Kielder Stone, so well known from Leyden's Ballad " The 

 Cont of Kielder," which lies in solitary massiveness at the east end of 

 Peel Fell. According to Mr Wilson's memoranda, it is 46 feet in length. 

 " That portion of the rock above the surface of the ground, contains some 

 30,000 feet, and is calculated to weigh 1500 tons." The Peel Farm, at the 

 base, he says, " is evidently the place referred to by Thomas Thomson of 

 Edinburgh in his note to the Ragman Rolls, 1834, where he describes it as 

 coTisisting of the ' remains of a peel or small castellated house.' Not a 

 vestige of the tower now exists." 



Remains of Oak and Birch timber have been dug out of drains ; but no 

 Pine wood, such as a tributary of the Kielder, and the " Fir-tree Moss" 

 at Yarrow, near Falstone, have yielded. 



Conversing about the hill-berries, Mr Glendinning mentioned the follow- 

 ing as known in this district. "Knots" or Knoops (the Cloudberry) are 

 abundant on Peel Fell; parts of the hill-top are even red with them ; also 

 on Hartshorn Pike and at Deadwater head. The berries are gathered and 

 jam made of them. The berry of Vaceinium Vitis-Idcea is found on Peel 

 Fell, and lower down ; Cranberries are obtained on Boghall, below 

 Dinlabyre, and in Hartsgarth Flow, adjoining one of the branches of 

 Hermitage Water. 



He gave the term of "Jack startles a stovy," or " stoopy " to the 

 undnlatory exhalations in hot weather, when the hill-tops appear to be 

 running off, like a band of " startled " cattle. When " Jack startles his 

 stovie," it is the signal for the children on the hills to go bare-footed. In 

 Kidland, this appearance is called " Jock stertle a stocka." In Yarrow, 

 (New Stat. Account, p. 33) it is termed " Startling Jack." In Jamieson's 

 " Scottish Dictionary," " Startle-o-stovie," " Jock-an'-startle o' stovie " is 

 given from Ettrick Forest. Stove, and stoue for a vapour is used by Gawin 

 Douglas; .sfe?ea, vapour, (Barbour); styfa, vapour, (Islandic). This 

 points to a community of race among the Border shepherds. 



