ST. BOSWELLS AE^D THE TWEED. 



BY HENRY VANNAN, M.A. 



HE village of St. Boswells, in the northern end 

 of the county of Roxburghshire, is beautifully 

 ^ situated in a district where every stream, and 

 tower, and hill have been rendered classic by the pen of 

 the great Sir Walter. Its approach from the south is by 

 what is appropriately known as the Waverley route of 

 the North British Railway. The station at which the 

 traveller is set down is Newtown, St. Boswells, a thriving 

 little modern village, which has attained some degree of 

 importance since the introduction of the auction system 

 in the sale of cattle. Here there are two or three of the 

 largest auction marts in Scotland, and some large annual 

 fairs are held in the neighbourhood. St. Boswells proper, 

 however, or, as it was anciently called Lessudden, lies 

 about two miles from the railway station, and close to the 

 right bank of the Tweed. Previously to 1876 I made 

 two or three annual visits to this quarter, staying about 

 five or six weeks each time, — generally from about the 

 beginning of August to the middle of September. 

 Before this I had frequently fished the Tweed at Peebles 

 and Innerleithen, but I was ignorant of its character here, 

 until my attention was directed to it by a brother angler, 



