CHAPTER XXIII THE FINDHORN 



gether to render it pre-eminent. The river has a wider and 

 more open current as you leave the woods, and is little con- 

 fined by cliff androck. Many adestructiveinroadhasitmade 

 into the fertile plain below, carrying off sheep and cattle, 

 corn and timber, to be deposited on the sand-banks near 

 Findhorn harbour. Calm and peaceful as it looks when at 

 its ordinary height, the angler, on a bright summer's even- 

 ing, is sometimes startled by a sound like the rushing of a 

 coming wind, yet wind there is none, and he continues his 

 sport. Presently he is surprised to see the water near which 

 he has been standing suddenly sweep against his feet; he 

 looks up the stream and sees the river coming downin aper- 

 pendicular wall of water, or like a wave of the sea, with a 

 roaring noise,and carryingwith it trees with their branches 

 and roots entire, large lumps of unbroken bank, and every 

 kind of mountain debris. Some mountain storm of rain has 

 suddenly filled its bed. Sometimes on the occasion of these 

 rapid speats I have had to gather up my tackle and run for 

 my life, which was in no small risk till I gained some bank 

 or rock above theheight of theflood.When thisrush of water 

 comesdownbetween the rocks where the riverhasnot room 

 to spread, the danger is doubly great, owing to the irresist- 

 ible force acquired by the pent-up water. The flood, when 

 occasioned by a summer storm, soon subsides, and the next 

 day no trace is left of it excepting the dark coffee-coloured 

 hueof the water. Passing the lime-quarries of Copthall the 

 river flows through a fertile country and under a beautiful 

 suspension bridge, which was built after the great floods of 

 1 829, when it was found that abridge on no otherconstruct- 

 ion would be large enough to admit of the floating masses 

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