THE TWEED 13 



obtained only between 15th September and 30th November 

 each year. The average take for the eleven years is 70 fish, 

 the extreme of variation being from 31 to 103 fish. The return 

 is of interest since it refers to a fishery of the upper waters. 



Through the heart of Selkirkshire flow the tributaries of the 

 Ettrick and Yarrow, which unite at Philiphaugh two miles 

 above the county town. Below the junction, the river is called 

 Ettrick, since Ettrick is 27 miles long and Yarrow only 20. 

 But if the Meggat Water, which flows into St. Mary's Loch at 

 the head of Yarrow, is taken count of, the waterways would be 

 practically the same length. At the Meggat Water, which 

 passes the south side of Dollar Law, we are only across the 

 divide from the source of Manor Water already referred to. 



There are four caulds or weirs on Ettrick ; and the Selkirk 

 cauld, which is about eight feet high, and which in spite of a 

 fish-pass, so called, salmon can only ascend with difficulty or 

 when the river is in flood, has been the subject of much dis- 

 cussion, because a most unseemly amount of stroke-hauling 

 and snatching is commonly practised in the autumn when the 

 salmon appear. 



Away up at Ettrick Church lie the remains of Hogg and 

 of "Tibbie Shiels." From St. Mary's Loch, where Tibbie 

 many a time ministered to the " Ettrick Shepherd " and 

 " Christopher North," the Yarrow descends by its " dowie 

 dens " to 



" The shatter 'd front of Newark's Tower, 

 Renowned in Border story." 



At Bowhill hangs the full-length portrait of Scott by Raeburn. 

 The house was a favourite residence of the Earl of Dalkeith, to 

 whom Scott inscribed hie Lay of the Last Minstrel. 



The north-east boundary of the county of Selkirk is formed 

 by the Gala tributary, which rises in the Moorfoot Hills of 

 Midlothian. From those hills much of Edinburgh's water 

 supply is taken, and the Gala flows clear and limpid over its 

 gravel bed. Galashiels has over 14,000 inhabitants, covers an 

 area of 862 acres, and has a rateable value of 63,172. There 

 are many large woollen mills, a tannery, a gas-liquor work, 

 and a chemical manure work, besides the numerous sources 

 of pollution more or less inseparable from the requirements 

 of a town. 



