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



weeping clayey soil by the road-side, and in the ditches, there is much 

 Sedum villosum, along with Myosotis repens. Lady smocks, and Lychnis 

 Flos-cucidi ornament the bogs. At some of the old crossings of the ways 

 to peat-diggings, or the remains of old drove or smuggling roads, the 

 ground is remarkably cut up with deep hollows and intervening ridges, so as 

 to l-esemble earthen fortifications. The " Note-o'-the-Gate " Toll House was 

 becoming dilapidated. The shepherd alleged that the name arose from Prince 

 Charlie enumerating or taking note of his men here ; but Sir Walter Scott, 

 who knew nothing of this, furnishes another spelling, when he speaks of 

 " the auld drove road that gaes awa by the Knot o' the Gate ower to 

 Keeldar ward." Near the top of the ridge we obtain a commanding view 

 of the country between Hawick and Jedburgh, and the encircling ranges 

 of hills. The hills are lumpy rather than graceful. Those on the left are 

 Dog Knowe, 1480 feet, Wigg Knowe, Fauna Rig, 1477 feet, the peaty rims 

 of which are rather gashed and weather wasted. On our right was Rushy 

 Rigg, 1370 feet, still true to its name, and having a ragged fir planting on 

 it; Needslaw, 1457 feet, bearing a distinctive badge on one end of radiating 

 yellow cleughs, as if impressed with the Queen's "broad-arrow," the 

 winter spates having not only penetrated beneath the peaty shell to the 

 central boss of slate, but carved it to the quick. Beyond this is the Carlin 

 Tooth, 1801 feet ; the Scrathy holes, a fox-harbour, 1685 feet ; and as the 

 heights sweep round, Carter Fell, browned with heather, 1815 feet, can be 

 singled out, although not so distinctive in appearance, as one would expect. 

 The distant atmosphere was too dense to determine others. Far away the 

 group of heights round Coquet head was discernible, and still more remote, 

 Great Cheviot itself. Of more immediate interest was the minute view 

 afforded of the parish of Southdean, as yet unknown to the Club. Directly 

 beneath us rises the Hyndlee or Catlee Burn, a branch of the Rule ; and 

 Raven Burn, the head water of the Jed. The Brockilaw Hill, 1203 feet, 

 whereof Telfer tells a Fairy story, is on Hyndlee, Dandie Dinmont's farm. 

 We pause here, preparatory to returning, between Roughhope Rig and the 

 Wigg, and look across to the white scalp of Wolfelee Hill, 1286 feet, and to 

 the woods, at its base, of Wolfhopelee and Wauchope, and can trace the 

 Wauchope Burn, by its fringe of birches, towards the hilly region behind. 

 Wolfelee is out of sight ; but Weens stands out ; and Ruberslaw with its 

 sylvan adjuncts ; and beyond it the twin Minto Hill-tops. An envious 

 haze blurred many of the features of this glorious prospect. The conclusion 

 that I arrived at was that it is possible to overtake Hyndlee, Wolfelee, 

 Wauchope or Harewood in any year from Jedburgh or Hawick ; and that 

 we ought to unite our hill surveys by including Carter Fell within the 

 Club's area. 



