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Report of the Meetings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' 

 Club for the year 1896. 



1. — St. Boswells, Dryburgh, Redpath, and Earlston — 

 By the President. 



The first meeting of the season was held on Wednesday, 3rd 

 June, at Newtown St. Boswells, for Dryburgh Abbey, Eedpath, 

 Oowdenknowes, and Earlston. At first the weather was un- 

 promising, a heavy mist, accompanied by a chill north-easterly 

 breeze, giving rise to fears that a wet day might follow. 

 Fortunately, however, for the excursion, the rain kept off, 

 and although the sun did not break through till well on in the 

 afternoon, the weather was highly favourable. After breakfast 

 at the Royal Hotel (Mrs Brydon's) the company was joined by 

 Dr Hardy, and universal satisfaction was expressed that he 

 was able to be present. 



To the number of nearly sixty, including a few friends, the 

 members were soon comfortably seated in brakes, and started 

 about eleven o'clock for Dryburgh Abbey. Mr and Mrs Wood, 

 Galashiels, provided each of those present with a concise 

 printed Itinerary of the route, which enabled them to catch up 

 as they passed along many places associated with Border 

 history or poetry, or otherwise interesting. Tweed reached, 

 the company crossed by the foot-bridge, while the carriages 

 forded the river. After a hasty glimpse at the Earl of Buchan's 

 "Temple of the Muses," "Stirling Tower," etc., the company 

 proceeded to their first destination, and soon stood before the 

 venerable ruins of 



DRYBURGH ABBEY. 



When all had gathered in the area of the cloisters, the 

 President addressed the company as follows: — "We stand 

 to-day within the cloister-garth of the venerable and far-famed 

 Abbey of St. Mary of Dryburgh. Long centuries have come 

 and gone since first these gray walls rose to shelter the little 

 company of Premonstratensian monks from Alnwick Abbey, who 

 came one bleak December day, nearly 750 years ago, to take 

 possession of the inheritance, by fair Tweedside, provided for 

 them by the pious munificence of the saintly David and his 

 powerful vassal Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale, the tra- 

 ditional site of whose tomb we are presently to see. No doubt, 



