170 NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 



the lubeck of conspiracy strikes to blot it out. 

 Thus much, therefore, as relates to the progeny 

 of salmon, I being an eye witness, do boldly 

 testify ; and as boldly divulge ; if seeing be a 

 good basis for any man's belief. And this I be- 

 lieve, and confidently assert, and therefore re- 

 port it to the world for a truth. 



Theoph. O, how rare and admirable are the se- 

 crets of nature ; who useth no engine nor arti- 

 ficial prescriptions ! Your former relations seem 

 prodigies in nature ; but this, as if beyond her, 

 surpasseth admiration. 



Am. Nature made naked is nothing but won- 

 der, and Scotland is a kingdom and country of 

 prodigies. Look forward and behold that tot- 

 t'ring bridg, we must pass over it to the town 

 of Eliot, a small country-village, one would 

 think it dropt out of the skirts of the High- 

 lands. And this is the town where famous Le- 

 ven (Scotland's great general) was surpriz'd in 

 his quarters by the English cavalry. Not far 

 from this bridg of Reven, the streams being trans- 

 lucid, you may see under water irregular rocks, 

 and knotty broken stumps of trees, that stand 

 in the streams of famous Hay. Where the swift- 

 ness of the current undermines the sand, and 

 delves great pits that secure the salmon from 

 the sentence of death, except such as are desti- 

 nated to die by the decrees of age, or their own 



