THE GALA THE LEADER. 137 



weeping on the banks of the Gala. The vale was for- 

 merly church property, and a chapel stood near Stow. 

 Torwoodlee, the seat of the Pringles, a border clan of 

 some note, is on the banks of the Gala, about two 

 miles above Galashiels ; and near it are the castles of 

 Buckholm and Blindlee, from which it is said that 

 two inveterate enemies of the owner of Torwoodlee 

 used to watch him in the time of Charles the Second 

 (Pringle being a Covenanter), in order to detect some 

 symptom of disaffection to the Government. Gala- 

 shiels is an energetic manufacturing town ; and its in- 

 habitants have much of the old border spirit amongst 

 them. Hence the poaching. 



The Leader rises amongst the western skirts of the 

 Lammermoors, from the recesses of which hills it draws 

 its supplies, although the greater part of its course is 

 through a low-lying and rich country. The upper 

 waters of the Leader can be best commanded from 

 Carfrae-Mill Inn, which is on the old coach-road from 

 Edinburgh to Kelso, but which is now rather difficult 

 of access. The two most convenient modes of getting 

 to the Leader are by walking or driving nearly six 

 miles over the hills from Stow in the vale of Gala, to 

 Lauder, or by taking the omnibus from Melrose to 

 Earlston, which runs twice a-day, a distance of about 

 four miles. We believe, however, that the head of the 

 Leader might be readily reached by an adventurous 

 pedestrian from Heriot Station, who might try to find 

 a road for himself across four miles of hilly country ; 

 but until that path has been discovered, we must be 

 content to recommend our readers to go to Lauder, 



