LINN OF CAMPSIE. 175 



We were standing at the foot of the sloping lawn 

 before my house; and as Charlie Purdie bent his regards 

 on the frightful violence of the flood, I thought he did 

 not half like to embark on it. In fact, he did not only 

 disapprove of the general conduct of the river, but also 

 of the peculiar rocky nature of the channel in which it 

 was its pleasure to gallop along to the ocean. Moreover, 

 he knew there was an obstruction in the river at a place 

 called the Linn of Campsie, about four miles below 

 the proposed starting-place, where at the arrival of his 

 little boat he did not anticipate much pleasure. In 

 fact, neither Charlie or his master conceived it would 

 be possible to pass the falls into the Linn, since no 

 boat could do so in the ordinary state of the water 

 without being upset, or dashed to shivers. They 

 would see how things looked, however, on their arrival 

 at the spot, and act accordingly. 



" Now then, loosen my boat, Charlie : I will go 

 first ; and take care you do not run foul of me." 



The boats being unmoored, we shot down the river 

 in a moment, and were soon at the end of the park 

 where the Isla comes into the Tay. This additional 

 volume of water increased our velocity ; we guided our 

 boats into the main currents, and away we went with 

 the swiftness of a steam-engine. Rocks and woods 

 opened to our view in an instant, and in an instant 

 vanished behind us. Thus we were driven along with 

 great fury till we came within the sound of the great 

 falls of the Linn of Campsie : soon we descried before 

 us the awful barrier of rocks which rose up right 

 athwart the stream, extending from bank to bank. 



