From Robert Chambers to William Kemp   30 November 1847

Dear Sir,

Since receiving your obliging letter of the 25th, I have both corresponded and had an interview with Mr Mitchell. It turns out that his assistant had added in 28 feet erroneously, and so far thrown every thing wrong. This makes the height of the hill only 1381 feet. On my expressing my surprise at this being still considerably above all former measurements, Mr Mitchell intimated that there is no doubt of the railway plans being in error, as they were found to be so to the extent of ten or fifteen feet on their working through Mr Bruce’s property at Langlee.

This has set me on taking Sir John Leslie’s measurement of the Eildons (1364) and seeing how the terraces then turn out. The result is such as to make me wish to persevere in ascertaining these terraces and their heights. I set them all down in a table which you will find enclosed. It is curious that the Quarryhill would thus come into parity with the terrace I observed in Fife. There are, however, some anomalies—how for instance, should your measurement of the top of Gattonside hill and second shelf on Eildons, which Mitchell now makes 780 (by Leslie’s height of top) be with you, 820? I wish you would look again into the measurements, and make up a complete list of all the terraces, specifying every place where they appear, and giving the measurement on the presumption of the top being 1364, until we ascertain better about the railway. It would be so much the more satisfactory if you put down the measurements on a sort of sketch or plan like that you lately sent and which I returned. I am going to use some endeavours to test the railway elevation. There is a Mr Glennie who can tell me, and I am also going to write to the engineer of the line which comes up to Kelso to meet the Hawick. Surely all this fashery should come to something.

Very faithfully yours, | R. Chambers.