Durham, down to the time of the dissolution. They were granted by King Hen. VIII. with the other possessions to the Dean and Chapter of Durham, to whom they now belong; they have for ages been accustomed to be leased for 21 years, renewable every 7 years. The Venerable Charles Thorp is the present lessee thereof, by purchase from a former lessee. He has restored St. Cuthbert's Chapel, and Divine Service is now frequently performed there to the Inhabitants in the summer season. The congregation generally musters about 30.

The views of the Farne Islands, as you look down upon the scene from the walls of Bamburgh Castle, are beautifully developed when well lighted up by the rays of the sun, in a clear summer afternoon.

Cast your fix'd eye, north, south, and far to sea,
Then say, if ever, on a summer eve,

A fairer scene, more pure, or yet more calm,
Or one more lovely, can be looked upon.
The constant murmer of the rolling waves,
Chasing each other with their whiten'd curves,
Upon the bright, the smooth, and yellow sands,
Back'd up behind, with miles of darken'd blue,
Of the deep boundless ocean; rolling on,
For ever restless, but for ever free.
The hardy sailor even fears to trust
Himself and bark upon its wide domain.
At times, the gentle spray curls on the waves,
Murmurs along the smooth and sandy shore,
With never ending play and joyfulness;
While the soft breeze, a gentle curl doth raise,
Ending, at last, in a most fearful storm.
And now the breakers, white with yesty foam,
Dash their great curved billows on the strand,
With unresisting, and resistless force,
The very ground is trembling with dismay.
Not so with man, for by a strict decree,
The mighty ocean can not pass its bounds;
Thus far shalt thou come, but further not,
The smallest grains of sand shall thee restrain,

Hurl back thy waves, and merge them in the deep.
Again, at times smooth as the smoothest glass,
On its fair bosom clouds of freighted ships
In safety rest; while in an hour or less.
All, all are scattered by a sudden gust,

The shore is strewed with wreck, and happy those
Who can in time a place of refuge find

While the storm lasts; then all again is still.
And where along this dark and dreary coast,
Can such a place be found, so near at hand,
For the half-drown'd and houseless mariner,
As in the chambers of King Ida's towers,
Now Bamburgh Castle, beetling o'er the deep,
Where thousands have found shelter and a home.
Admire the darken'd Islands in the sea,
On whose rugged sides and igneous rocks,
The whiten'd breakers never cease to play.
The Crumstone sunk, then rais'd above the sea,
As the tide flows and re-flows, at each turn
A foaming mass, or like a mirror smooth,
Lurking with danger to the hardy crew,
So fatal is this sunken, rocky shore.
The other islands studded in the sea,

In the sun's rays shine out in bold relief;

The chapel of the Holy Anchorite,

Once more restored, and his rude dwelling place,

The whiten'd walls of the neat trimmed lighthouse,

And the dull red one farthest out at sea,

Form a sweet picture, and contrasting well
With the dry dulness of those Island Shores.
Then see the churn, which ever and anon,
Sends up its spray, full fifty feet or more,
And then falls back for parent strength to seek ;
Again it rushes, and again sends up

The huge tall column from the mighty main,
Well watched by gaping rustics from the shore.
Observe the vessels sailing to and fro',

The blacken'd steam boats with long trains of smoke,

The tall red lighthouse, where the dauntless maid
Her feats of daring in the sea perform'd.

Whilst all these scenes, the circling horizon,
Incloses in the whole, as in a frame,

Well gilded by the evening setting sun.

The first meeting under my Presidency was held at Belford Hall, on Wednesday the 29th of October. It was of an exceptional nature, being by special invitation from the Rev. J. D. Clark to each member to breakfast and dine with him. The Club broke through one of their rules, to accept of the hospitality of one, who had been their President in 1845, and always an active member of the Society. They certainly were entertained by him in a right splendid manner. The members present were, Robert Embleton, (the Secretary), P. J. Selby, Dr. Clarke, Rev. J. D. Clark, David Macbeath, John Boyd, William Dickson, (President for the year), Rev. George Rooke, H. Gregson, Major Elliott, Patrick Clay, George Tate, Rev. L. S. Orde, W. H. Logan, John Church, William Dickson, the younger, Dr. G. R. Tate, William Boyd, Dr. George Douglas, Rev. George Hans Hamilton, Charles Rea, R. G. Huggup, John Church, jun., Captain George Selby, R.N., Lieutenant Patrick Johnston, R.N., and Stephen Fryar Gillum, (as a visitor.)

The founder of our Club, the late Dr. Johnston, contemplated publishing the Natural History of the Eastern Borders, comprising the district in which our Society has laboured, viz., "Berwickshire, Liberties of Berwick, North Durham, and the immediately adjacent parts of Northumberland and Roxburghshire." He lived to complete one interesting volume, "The Botany of the Eastern Borders"; to which is added his Lecture read to the Mechanics' Institute of Berwick, in 1851, entitled "Our Wild Flowers in relation to our Pastoral Life." The same volume contains the valuable paper entitled "The Fossal Flora of the Mountain Limestone Formation of the Eastern Borders, in connection with the Natural History of Coal," by Mr. George Tate, one of our most enthusiastic Members.

Dr. Johnston having left materials towards a second volume for finishing the subject, Mrs. Johnston very kindly stated that the whole of the manuscript was at the disposal of the Club. It was then arranged after some discussion that Mr. Embleton, our Secretary, should examine it, and make a communication upon the matter; in the mean time, a vote of thanks upon the motion of the President was unanimously given to Mrs. Johnston "for the offer of the manuscript, and to assure her the Club would endeavour to finish what her late lamented husband had so well begun."

Her son, Lieutenant Patrick Johnston, R.N. was proposed as an Honorary Member, and was unanimously elected, as a compliment to the memory of his late father. Besides him, there were elected at the meeting, Mr. John Church, jun., Bell's Hill, Mr. Charles Watson, Dunse, Captain George Selby, R.N., Belle Vue, Alnwick, the Rev. Thomas Leishman, Linton, George Hughes, jun., Middleton Hall. It was also arranged that the third volume of the transactions be completed, to include all papers read at, and previous to the last meeting at Alnwick.

The meetings for the year were fixed as follows:-

Chatton, last Thursday in May (28th).

Yetholm, last Thursday in June (25th).

Coldburnspath, last Thursday in July (30th).
Alnmouth, last Thursday in September (24th).

After breakfast, and after making their arrangements, the parties separated; some went to Outchester, but the most of them pursued their way to the Belford Crags, over the top of the Crags, through the Camp, scrambling down the sides of the woody brakes, and wandering about the rugged deans.

An interesting addition was made to the local flora of Belford, in the beautiful Fern, the Allosorus Crispus or Parsley Fern, which was found in great abundance, in a crag opposite to what is known by the name of the Chapel Crag. For its discovery the Club is indebted to Miss Clark, the daughter of our worthy host-whose attention I hope will be directed to the study of nature and botanical lore, among the crags, the woods, and the fields, of this delightful and

B

interesting district.-(Dr. Johnson's Natural History of the Eastern Borders, page 252.)

The camp is on the highest part of the crags, and is oval shaped and extensive, with formed edges, the centre being clothed with sweet and fine grass.

Belford crags are formed of the Basaltic Rocks, thrown into mis-shapen masses, and having been planted with forest trees, with winding footpaths formed through them, and filled also with natural wood, the hazel, birch, and broom, is thus rendered very attractive to the botanist, and lover of nature.

From the camp the view is very extensive, the west is most limited, still you have Ross Castle, in Chillingham Park; to the East and North you look down upon Holy Island, the Waren and Ross Sands and bay, Beal, Goswick, Scremerston, and all the adjoining shores to Berwick, and much farther to the North. To the South East lie Bamburgh Castle and the Farne Islands, and immediately below you to the North West is Middleton Hall, embedded in woods and pleasure grounds.

Look to the right-thou seest the castled steep

Of regal Bamburgh beetle o'er the deep;
Seest far beneath, the sparkling waters play,

As wins the tide on Waren's beauteous bay;

And on the left, the tower of Holy Isle

Rise, like a rock of snow, in morning's smile.

-(Story's Guthrum the Dane.)

The whole of the party, with some additions, assembled at dinner, and sat down to a splendid entertainment at Belford Hall: a breach of the rules certainly, which seemed to sit lightly on the consciences of the Members.

After dinner the late President, Mr. Embleton, read his address, or record of the proceedings up to, and partly inclusive of, the last meeting at Alnwick.

He also read a paper of Mr. J. Hardy's on some coins found at Blackburn, in the parish of Coldburnspath. Two of them of Alexander the 3rd of Scotland, and several of Edward the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. This paper is now printed at page 259 of our 3rd volume.