REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1907 181 



Alnwick ; Mr Eobert Johnston, Bonky] ; Mr D. W. G. Maddan, 

 London ; Mr. Jas. A. Somervail, Hoselaw ; Mr. Eobert Thorp, 

 Charlton ; Mr H. G. Wilkin, Alnwick ; and Mr Thomas 

 Wilson, Roberton. Under the leadership of 

 Colledge the Editing Secretary, they took the road 



Water. by West Newton on the left bank of the 



river, as it rounds the shoulder of the Bell — 

 richly clad on its Western side with a forest of Oak, believed 

 to have been planted by Lord Collingwood in his anxiety to 

 maintain a sufficiency of home-grown timber to supply the 

 needs of the British Navy — and passes close by the ancient 

 Pele of Hethpool, accounted one of the very oldest of this 

 class of building in Northumberland. No opportunity was 

 given to inspect it, or view the beautiful Linn of the same 

 name a little lower down, as a very general feeling prevailed 

 that the time at the disposal of the party would be barely 

 sufficient to accomplish the end in view, an impression which 

 after-events fully corroborated. On reaching the channel of 

 the river and entering on the track along its bank, walking 

 became more difficult and the atmosphere less bracing, as from 

 this point onwards the valley contracts, being bounded on the 

 West by Great Hetha, and on the East by the flank of the 

 Newton Tors, at whose base stretches for some distance the 

 Harrow Bog, a natural thicket of scrub Oak and Alder. 

 After passing Whitehall, near which a pool in a mountain 

 rill overhung by an old Holly formed an attractive picture, 

 the first glimpse was obtained of the cleft in the mountain 

 side which formed the objective of the expedition. As yet 

 there was little indication of settled weather, and a shower 

 at this juncture only tended to incommode the travellers, 

 and render doubtful the possibility of progress. Pressing 

 on, however, without meanwhile diverging in pursuit of plants, 

 they crossed the river at Southernknowe by means of an 

 improvised plank, and proceeding up Lambden Burn, which 

 flows Westward from Goldscleugh, they were fortunate enough 

 to meet the shepherd of Duusdale, a man of eagle eye and 

 erect carriage, whose life had been spent under the shadow of 

 Cheviot, and whose education, owing to the remoteness of the 

 parish school, had been received in the stable adjoining his 

 father's house from an itinerant pedagogue during summer, 

 y 



