LITTLE YARROW THE MEGGAT. 119 



Chapelhope-burn, which also is full of small trout. It 

 is here that the scene of Hogg's fine tale, The Brownie 

 of Bodsbeck, is chiefly laid Bodsbeck being in Moffat- 

 dale, and, as well as the Grey Mare's Tail and Dobb's 

 Linn, a great haunt of the persecuted Covenanters. 

 Corsecleuch-burn enters at the foot of the loch from 

 the south, and is also well supplied with finny tenants 

 of moderate size. 



The principal contributor to St. Mary's Loch is the 

 Meggat which, indeed, although it enters the lower 

 loch, is entitled to be considered the true source of the 

 Yarrow, as its course is the longest, and its volume the 

 greatest, of any of the streams issuing from " the hills 

 whence classic Yarrow flows." It rises in Peebles- 

 shire, near the source of the Talla, ,and, aided by Win- 

 terhope and other burns, enters St. Mary's from the 

 north near Henderland. It is one of the most celebrated 

 trouting-streams in the south of Scotland, has been a 

 favourite haunt of eminent fishers, and probably as 

 great feats have been performed in it as in any other 

 water. It has been recorded we are unable to say 

 with what correctness that a late famous Peeblean 

 angler captured nearly 100 Ibs. in it with the worm in 

 one day; and many anglers have often, long before the 

 day was done, found their baskets all too small for the 

 captives of their rod and of their line in the Meggat.* 



* Amongst the amusing exaggerations of the Noctes Ambro- 

 siance, the Shepherd is on one occasion made to say " Anither 

 da}-, in the Meggat, I caucht a cart-fu'. As it gaed down the 

 road, the kintra-folk thocht it was a cart-fu' o' herrins for they 

 were a' preceesely o' ae size to an unce and though we left 

 twa dizzen at this house and four dizzen at that house and a 

 gross at Henderland on countin' them at hame in the kitchen, 



