ST. BOSWELL'S JOHN YOUNGER. 81 



son Willie (who, like his father, is himself an eminent 

 angler), he continues to dress most killing Tweed flies. 

 Some very noted flies, indeed, are John's own inven- 

 tion, imitated from natural insects. Besides writing 

 on angling, he gained the second prize for an essay on 

 Sabbath observance several years ago, and in conse- 

 quence made his appearance on the platform at Exeter 

 Hall, and delivered a homely speech in his mother- 

 tongue. Pie has, we are informed, been long engaged 

 in compiling an Autobiography, containing some most 

 interesting sketches of contemporary border-life ; but 

 the " sad sentence of an ancient date," that man 

 should make his daily bread by toil, interferes un- 

 luckily with his literary labours. A man of original 

 cast of mind, of strong natural sagacity, and of honest 

 manly character, all anglers ought to hope that he 

 will be enabled to complete it, and leave behind him 

 the homely print of his border-foot amongst the sands 

 of time. 



After making a pleasant bend round Dryburgh and 

 back by Maxton, the Tweed passes Mertoun, the seat 

 of Lord Polwarth, who is the proprietor of these fish- 

 ings, and a very successful salmon-fisher. Mertoun- 

 water is succeeded by Kutherford- water, which belongs 

 to Sir Edward Antrobus, and is at present let to Mr. 

 D. W. Brown of Longformacus. " The Kutherford- 

 water," says Mr. Stoddart, " forms the commencement 

 of a series of the best rod-fishings in Great Britain. 

 It consists of a succession of casts or pools of various 

 characters one still and lake-like, another rugged and 

 shallow, a third combining tranquillity with swiftness, 

 and a fourth depth with considerable turbulence," 



G 



