IMPETUOUS FLOODS 155 



and becomes too low for the fly, except in the strong 

 streams. 



Before these complete drainages took place, the 

 Tweed kept full a much longer time than it does 

 at present ; for the rains which fell remained in 

 the mosses, which gave out the water gradually, 

 like a sponge. 



Now the hill sides are scored with innumerable 

 little drains, which empty themselves into the burns, 

 which burns soon become impetuous torrents ; 

 thus suddenly supplied, the Ettrick, the Yarrow, 

 the Leader-water, the Ale, the Tiviot, and the 

 many other streams that empty themselves into the 

 Tweed, come raving down from the mountains and 

 from the lakes, and, with their united volume, raise 

 that river to an alarming height in the space of a 

 few hours, which then spreads over the haughs, and 

 sometimes sweeps off corn and cattle, and levels the 

 bridges in its irresistible course. In these awful 

 spates, the water is too strong and turbid for fish 

 to travel : the soil is washed away partially from 

 the ploughed lands ; and, as the practice of liming 

 them is very prevalent, the waters are obnoxious to 

 the fish. I have often wondered how the trout could 

 possibly survive this state of things ; but they do 

 survive it, by keeping at the eddies and close to the 

 banks amongst the grass, where the pout nets haul 

 them out by dozens. 



Though I have given the foregoing instructions 

 with much pleasure, I would not advise any one 

 who wishes to stand well with society to utter a 

 word about his propensity for fishing. It is generally 



