iiaport of Meetings for ISUO. By Dr J. Hardy. 51 



fleetly carrying the aide-de-camp to hurry up the reserves. In 

 the vicinity some curious boundary stones were noticed, rudely 

 sculptured with a cross. Descending the steep sides of the 

 heather-clad hill, Macartney's Cave is reached. This is modern, 

 and is the result of the labours of a local Catholic priest of that 

 name, to cut a small chamber in one of the many huge fantastic 

 rocks which abound on these hills. Crossing the ravine and 

 climbing the fir-clad sides of the next hill, Ave are at the top of 

 the famous Castle Hill, the site of the largest and strongest 

 camp, which has been partially cleared out by Major Browne. 

 A wall of ashler is plainly visible, also several cross walls. 

 What they formed part of, or what they were intended to be, is 

 all a matter of conjecture, but they fit in admirably with the old 

 legend, which says : — 



" Callaly Caatle stands on the lieigiit, 



Up by day and down by uight ; 



Set it down by the shepherd's hangli, 



There it shall stand and never fa'." * 



To resume my own narrative, the Crags, where a halt was 

 called, opened up the view of the much hedge-divided and tree- 

 dotted vales of VVhittingham (better praised for its looks than 

 the qualities of some of its soils warrant). Close at hand, and 

 beneath us, is the eastern aspect of Thrunton Crags, where the 

 trees spring thinly from amidst beds of green bilberry, and grey 

 rocks, that slope to a flattish hollow space beneath, which opens 

 up the prospect towards St. Ninian's Well, Tbruntou Farm, and 

 the Edlingham well-cultivated ridges. In this hollow is the 

 water-shed ; the burn on the north side running to Callaly, and 

 on the other to Thrunton Mill. Across this hollow, on the north 

 side, on the tail ridge of Humbleton Hill, a clump of gay-flower- 

 ing Rhododendrons glancing out, much enlivens this portion of 

 the woodland, and the sight is unexpected, like a gleam of sun- 

 shine on a grey landscape. Instead of descending to Macartney's 

 Cave, a small party preferred examining the stone-slabs or 

 march-stones with an incised Maltese cross near the summit ; 

 they have no sockets. The Purple Heather (Erica cinerea) prof- 

 fered a rich bouquet, and there were Orowberry, Cowberry, and 



* 1 have contributed a paper on the variations of this rliyme to the 

 Newcastle Monthly Chronicle, 1889, p. 378. Mr Tate, Ber. Nat. Club's 

 Proc, v., p. 225, has already described the Callaly Castle Hill, and given 

 versions of its Legends. 



