442 REPORT OX THE IMPROVEMENT OF MEADOW PASTURAGE. 



execute the work for the sum of L.281, exclusive of woodwork 

 of bridges. He agreed to execute the portion between the loch 

 and flooding ground that season, which was done, and the cut 

 carried up, 50 feet wide, four chains through the flooding leens. 



The reporter had observed, during the interval from 1860, that 

 the flooding invariably commenced at the upper end, and that 

 frequently in the summer season the leens flooded when the loch 

 did not rise. He ascertained by levelling that with full floods 

 the flood-level of the leens was always higher than that of the 

 loch, the difference of level being least when the wind blew up 

 the loch, heaping the water to the upper end, and greatest when 

 it blew down ; varying from 13 inches to 33 inches. He saw that 

 with all floods there was a rapid current through the neck of 

 higher ground between the leens and the loch. The channel 

 from the leens to the loch was formerly tortuous, and only 20 

 feet wide ; whilst the channel of the river, above the leens, 

 averaged over 22 feet. It was therefore evident that, by straight- 

 ening and widening this throat below the leens, the flood-level of 

 the leens would be reduced nearer to that of the loch. On 20th 

 October 1864, the most tremendous flood of sleet and rain ever 

 remembered fell over all Britain, by which much damage was 

 done in England. The flood-water in the leens poured into the 

 new cutting from all sides, carried down to it a bridge and 

 temporary embankment for taking the shepherd across, and broke 

 in from the old channel. When the reporter saw the effect 

 thereof, he was satisfied that his object would be accomplished, 

 and that the leens belonging to the Crown could be secured 

 thoroughly. Formerly the flood-water was perfectly still, merely 

 rising as a bank for the current, confined to the sinuous old 

 channel, through which it circled and eddied from the surface to 

 the bottom, and bubbled and boiled from the bottom to the 

 surface again, flowing much more rapidly than above or below 

 the leens. This it did, by flooding the leens to such a height, 

 that the weight of water gave the velocity required to discharge 

 the same quantity of outflow as of inflow water through the 

 tortuous channel, nearly double the length of a straight line. 

 The old channel through the leens was narrowest in the lowest 

 ground, being only 14 feet wide in some places, and where 

 narrowest the pools were deepest ; evidently showing that the 

 lateral weight of still water bore the current downward, wearing- 

 out the bottom and saving the sides. Though the flood-water in 

 the leens looked level, the levels showed one inch of fall on every 

 two chains, from upper to lower end. 



The reporter being determined on securing the leens of Torran 

 thoroughly and permanently, on consideration of the levels and 

 observations stated above, concluded that, -with anv flood that 

 might fall, the river water could be conveyed into the loch with- 



