184 DR DOUGLAS ON THE CESSATION OF THE 



view of his creatures, in order that their curiosity might from time to 

 time be enkindled, their vigilance awakened, and their mind restless, 

 till they have improved its powers, and thoroughly investigated the great 

 and mighty whole. Only let us keep carefully in mind that the advance- 

 ment of science is not our sole object, but that we have a nobler result in 

 view the praise and glory of the Almighty Framer of the Universe ; 

 then we shall have the satisfaction of feeling that we are not forgetting 

 duty in the midst of pleasure, that even in our hours of relaxation from 

 the graver callings of life, we are walking piously with our God. 



Notice regarding the Cessation of the Flow of the River Teviot, 21th 

 November 1838. By DR DOUGLAS, Kelso. 



The temporary cessation of flow and drying up of the River Teviot 

 in November last, excited very considerable interest amongst the scien- 

 tific world generally, but more particularly in the South of Scotland, where 

 the phenomenon occurred. Unfortunately for my description, I was not 

 an eyewitness to the occurrence, but the following facts were gatheced 

 with the greatest care, and their correctness ascertained. 



The first intelligence which I had of the drying up of the river, was 

 a paragraph in a local newspaper announcing the fact, and likewise the 

 contemporaneous occurrence of the phenomenon in the Rivers Clyde and 

 Nith. My first impression was, that no common cause could account for 

 the phenomenon, and that, in all probability, it could be produced by 

 nothing short of an earthquake extending over a large surface of ground, 

 so as to comprehend all the springs which fed those rivers. In the sequel 

 we shall see what evidence exists in support of such a theory, and what 

 other conclusion the following facts would lead us to adopt. 



I shall first, then, state the facts which I have ascertained, and secondly, 

 endeavour to give the proper solution of them. 



1. The scantiness of the stream of water in the mill-lead above Max- 

 wellheugh Mill, situated about 50 yards above the confluence of the 

 Teviot with the Tweed, was first observed by the miller at 6 A. M., Nov. 

 27. 1 838. His attention was directed to it in consequence of the stop- 

 ping of the wheel from a deficiency in the volume of water which was re- 

 quired to keep it in motion. The supply nearly ceased altogether at 

 8 A. M. On examination, the whole of the water in the river was found 

 to be diverted into the mill-lead by means of a cauld or weir, stretching 

 across the body of the stream, but the whole of this quantity was insuffi- 

 cient to keep the mill-wheel in motion. Between the hours of 8 A. M. 

 and 12 mid-day the bed of the river was perfectly dry. Many indivi- 

 duals walked across without wetting even the soles of their shoes. The 



