EEPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1896 31 



Tennyson : — 



' Lie still, dry dust, secure of change.' " 



In another part of the ruins were seen the burying- places of 

 the Erskines of Shielfield (from whom came the well-known 

 Rev. Henry Erskine of Chirnside, and his still more famous 

 sons, Ebenezer and Ralph Erskine, the founders of the Secession 

 Church), and of the Haigs of Bemersyde. These and other 

 ancient sepulchres were duly inspected, but as time was 

 passing all too rapidly, the order was given to " mount and 

 ride." 



Not far from the Abbey, there was pointed out on the 

 wayside the socket of an ancient cross, supposed to have 

 marked the boundary of its consecrated limits. Soon afterwards 

 came in view the seat of the Haigs of Bemersyde, of which 

 family Thomas the Rhymer prophesied — 



'• Tide, tide, whate'er betide, 

 There'll ay be Haigs in Bemerside." 



In the little village of Bemersyde, the house of James 

 Barrie, of some local renown as a poet and character, was 

 seen. He first saw the light of day at Bothwell, in the 

 Lammermoors, and was long keeper of the Wallace Statue near 

 by. In the front wall of Barrie's house is a figured stone of 

 some antiquity, said to have been taken from the ruins of a 

 chapel in the vicinity. Driving round the shoulder of 

 Bemersyde Hill, a pause was made to view the superb scene, 

 so often gazed upon with delight by Sir \y alter Scott, and 

 where, it is said, as his funeral cortege passed the spot, his 

 favourite horses halted through force of custom. The point 

 " commands a prospect of the vale of Melrose, and of a long 

 stripe of the basin of the Tweed, a near view of the Eildon 

 Hills, and a distant one of the blue Cheviots — unitedly a 

 landscape of exquisite loveliness and many a romantic feature." 

 Looked upon as it lay outspread in its first flush of summer 

 beauty, it constituted a scene which must long pleasantly 

 linger in the memory of all who beheld it. Here, a paper was 

 read by Mr Richardson of Gattonside, on the geology of the 

 surrounding district. (Appendix I.) The paper, which was 

 lucid and interesting, was listened to with close attention. 

 Resuming the journey, Halidean Hill with a small loch on 

 its crest, was passed, and then Halidean Mill, with its legend of 



