182 REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1907 



Acting on his advice, which later experience proved to be 

 sound, the members proceeded along the 

 The streamlet which issues from the Bizzle, by 



Bizzle. a track leading right into the cleft of the 



hill, and eventually out upon the plateau on 

 the top. It was at this point that the labour of climbing 

 began, for while the direction was distinguishable, the track 

 itself proved trying and treacherous, as many of the stones 

 lying athwart it, owing to recent dislodgment from the cliffs 

 above, afforded insecure and awkward footing. At the head 

 of the burn the scree, which extended for some distance up 

 towards the ridge, presented the greatest difficulty, prevailing 

 showers having rendered it provokingly loose, and no projecting 

 ledges presenting a sure foothold on which to draw a breath. 

 Yet clambering laboriously, at times on hands and feet, the 

 whole party in due course gained the summit, where owing 

 to the bitter West wind they were glad to seek shelter behind 

 the rocks, one or two more venturesome of their number 

 traversing the rough and boggy plateau in search of the pole 

 (2676 ft. above the sea-level), which seemed to have transported 

 itself farther back than formerly, as it did not come into view ! 

 The moss-hags which seam the summit were so wet and 

 difficult to negotiate, that it was deemed advisable to rest 

 on the ridge of the Bizzle, whence through rifts in the 

 driving mist a fine view was obtained of the breakers on the 

 coast South of Berwick, as well as of many of the intervening 

 peaks of Cheviot. To the West the clouds lowered dark 

 and threatening, though the valley of the Colledge was at 

 times lit up with subdued sunshine. Looking down into 

 the Bizzle, in which a single specimen of the wild-goat, 

 alleged to have been bred for the destruction of adders, was 

 sighted, and a large flock of Ring Ousels had been flushed, 

 one could not but be impressed with its unique grandeur, 

 reminding the mountaineer of corries and precipices on the 

 Grampians, rather than of mountain-courses among the 

 pastoral highlands of the Borders. Had the time-table 

 permitted, the return journey ought to have been made across 

 the plateau to the Southern gorge, known as Hen Hole, whence 

 the Colledge takes its rise ; but in view of the fact that at least 

 leveo miles had to be traversed ere the Railway Statioii 



