158 BEPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1907 



hospitality, and view the assortment of rare articles and birds 

 which had been laid out for their entertainment. The exposure 

 for a few hours to the keen mountain air enabled them to 

 do full justice to the ample refreshment provided, while 

 occasion was taken by the President to express their sense of 

 indebtedness to Colonel and Mrs Brown for their very kind 

 reception, as well as for the care bestowed on the preparation 

 of the day's programme, which had contributed in no small 

 measure to their thorough enjoyment of the excursion. Among 

 articles which attracted attention were a suite of old ebony 

 furniture, which bore evidence of Portuguese workmanship ; a 

 kris with carved ivory hilt set with diamonds, the property 

 of the Sultan of Johore ; and a variety of Malay and Japanese 

 weapons. Among objects of local interest were a flint hammer- 

 head, discovered on a field upon the estate, and a collection 

 of eggs, as well as of stuffed specimens of various migrants 

 of rare occurrence. Much time might have been profitably 

 spent indoors, but as the hour of departure indicated on the 

 time-table was approaching, and the weather gave signs of 

 mending, a move was made at 2 o'clock to a convenient 

 point on the road leading Eastward to Ellemford, where the 

 carriages were re-occupied and the homeward journey was 

 begun. 



Ascending a steep hill to the East of Caldra, the members 

 were rewarded for their forenoon's endurance of discomfort 

 with a wonderfully sweet, if sunless, view of the valley and 

 the mansion, in which they had been so hospitably received. 

 From its summit there lay out before them a charming 

 moorland expanse, bounded on the South by Dirrington 

 Great Law, and on the West by the lands of Eedpath and 

 Byrecleugh, and stretching Northward by Cranshaws and St. 



Agnes along the valley of the Whitadder to 

 Drive to Spartleton in East Lothian. Before abruptly 



Duns. descending to the bed of the river, the road 



passes Whitchester, the residence of Mr Andrew 

 Smith, who has recently effected extensive improvements on 

 the property, especially in the engineering of a new carriage- 

 drive which joins the Duns road at a point considerably East 

 of Ellemford, thereby avoiding the break'Ueck declivity on 



tb© public road, b^' ^hioh the laembiw mobed the river, 



