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there was a mote-hill, or circular mound, where, it 

 is said, Earl Gowrie held his regality courts. 

 There are also some cairns, in one of which, when 

 opened, a small stone coffin was found at the bottom ; 

 and many tumuli run through the parish. Not far 

 from the village, commanding a fine view of Strath- 

 m^re, is Newton-house, built somewhat in the style 

 of a castle, on the foundation of the old house, in a 

 vault of which many gentlemen were saved while it 

 was burned down. Two modes of catching salmon 

 are practised on the Erich t, at this place. One is 

 by poke-nets. Towards twilight, the fishermen 

 throw into the stream, near the Keith Palls, where 

 it runs through deep narrow channels among the 

 rocks, large quantities of black mould, until the 

 water becomes muddy. Nets, in the shape of pokes 

 or bags, are then put in the narrowest parts of the 

 stream, and in them the salmon are caught. The 

 other method is by pikes, or poles, and iron hooks 

 at the ends of them, with which the fishermen, on 

 a dark night, strike the fish the moment they are 

 attracted to the surface by the glare of torches held 

 from the rocks above the dark part of the stream. 



The Keith falls are surprising objects in them- 

 selves. They have hollowed out deep channels in 

 the sandstone beds, of a circular form, and of consi- 

 derable dimensions. Some of these holes are thirty 

 feet in depth, and are called by the country people, 

 " giant's kettles," from an absurd notion that they 

 are the results of magic. In dry weather, the sal- 

 mon may be seen piled upon one another to an 



