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In pointing out the northern rivers and 

 streams, we shall not include the Tweed, which 

 properly belongs to a description of Scotland. 



The first stream on the southern side of 

 the Tweed is the Till. This takes its rise 

 from the north side of the Cheviot mountains, 

 flows down a fertile vale, and enters the 

 Tweed near to Norham Castle. The Till 

 is, in many places, much better adapted for 

 minnow-fishing than the fly. There abound 

 in it strong gurgling streams, and deep holes, 

 overhung with bushes and brambles. Here 

 large trout are to be met with ; which, when 

 hooked, require considerable tact in their 

 management, for the banks of the river are by 

 no means favourable for killing and landing 

 trout and salmon of any great weight. I do 

 not know how to account satisfactorily for the 

 fact ; but fewer salmon mount the Till from the 

 Tweed, in spawning time, than run up any of 

 its other numerous tributaries. The only thing 

 I can divine as a probable reason is, that the 

 bed of the river does not suit the salmon. It 

 is, in large sections of it, clayey and spongy ; 

 and does not afford that proportion of fine 

 gravelly soil which is so necessary for the 

 fecundity of this noble fish. Certain it is, 

 however, that not a tithe of the salmon are to 



