THE WELSH BORDERLAND 



THE WELSH BORDERLAND 



I ALWAYS think of the streams of the Welsh 

 Border, that is to say, of the English counties 

 bordering Mid and South Wales, as in a class by 

 themselves. This is in part, perhaps, but not I think 

 wholly, a mere personal caprice, come of frequent in- 

 tercourse with them. They all have much the same 

 characteristics, and as a group come midway, as it 

 were, between the frankly impetuous streams of Wales 

 and the slow-moving waters east of the Severn. The 

 Lugg, the Arrow, and the Teme, the Monnow and the 

 Honddu, the Corve, the Onny, the Rea, and the little 

 Camlad, the only river this last which runs from 

 England into Wales, may be accounted a fairly ex- 

 haustive list, and if you know them all you may 

 consider yourself to be on terms of tolerable intimacy 

 with what is often but not quite accurately designated 

 the Marches of Wales. A strong family likeness runs 

 through them all, but the breed is one of quality, not 

 of that common order which satisfies folks to the east 

 of the Severn and south of the Trent and artists who 

 cannot paint fast waters. The fish, too, speaking 

 broadly, like the scenery, come midway between those 

 of Wales and of the slow waters of low-pitched Eng- 



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