454 M^ MILNE ON THE DRYING UP OF THE 



there prevailed over the whole district drained by the Teviot and its tributaries, 

 a keen and parching gale from the E.SE., accompanied by a frost, which reduced 

 the temperature of the air to 25° or 26° Fahr. 



7. That ice was formed during the night of the 26th November, in the higher 

 parts of the Teviot, and especially its tributaries, — that the small streamlets, and 

 even some of the springs at or neai- the sources of the river, were frozen, and 

 were consequently stopped, — that, in some of the larger tributaries, ice formed 

 both on the surface and at the bottom of the water, and that in one place the 

 Avhole body of the stream was congealed into a solid mass, — and that across the 

 lip or edge of one cauld on the Teviot, a barrier of ice formed from sixteen or 

 eighteen inches high, which there completely obstructed the flowing of the cur- 

 rent for several hours. 



8. That the rivers in which the phenomenon was most observed, have an 

 easterly direction, and are neither deep flowing rivers, nor sheltered by high 

 banks or woods. The Tweed and the Eden, in neither of which the phenomenon 

 occurred, are both deep and rapid, and, besides being sheltered by high and wooded 

 banks, have not so many tributaries as the Teviot, so that their waters are not 

 expanded over so large a surface. 



9. That there was no shock of an earthquake felt about this time in the 

 district, nor any appearance of cracks or fissures. 



10. That on two former occasions, mentioned in Dr Douglas's letter, viz. in 

 1804 and 1824, stoppages in the Teviot occurred, both of which were in the win- 

 ter season. 



In reference to this last point, I may add, that I have met Avith accounts 

 of several other stoppages, besides those noticed by Dr Douglas. On the 25th 

 .January 1748, the Teviot, for two miles of its course, remained dry during nine 

 hours. On the 11th March 1785 the river was dry for two hours, and the phe- 

 nomenon occmTed again eight days afterwards. On the 25th January 1787 there 

 was a stoppage for four hours. These four stoppages, it will be observed, were 

 also during the season, when frosts and east winds are laiown to prevail in this 

 country. 



(2.) The next river, the stoppage of which I shaU aUude to, is the Clyde. 

 On this subject I corresponded with Mr R. Logan, surgeon, at New Lanark, who 

 addressed to me two letters, dated 24th December 1838, and 21st January 1839. 



Mr Logan, in his first letter, states, that the watchmen of the New Lanark 

 mills had their attention first attracted " to the state of the river about 2 a. m. 

 on the 27th November, by the usual noise of the adjoining faU (Corra Linn) 

 having ceased." " The wind had been blowing from the east for several days, 

 and, about twelve at night, it rose to a stifi" gale." " There was not the sUghtest 

 indication of the stream having been absorbed by any fissure in the earth ; and 



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