MEMORABLE FLOOD. 97 



To refer only to a few examples of devastation 

 during the last twelve or fifteen miles of its 

 course ; the district with which I am most 

 familiar. 



Near the mouth of the Fiddich one of its 

 principal tributaries the upper part of which 

 funs through the deer forest of Glenfiddich, the 

 farm of Dandaleith was converted into a perfect 

 desert, a great extent of rich land covered with 

 sand and gravel, "all the corn-stacks floated off 

 like a fleet of ships, and a thriving distillery was 

 overwhelmed." 



About five miles lower down, nearly opposite 

 Ben Aigen, the village of Rothes, though some- 

 what elevated above the plain, was nearly sub- 

 merged, and several substantially-built houses 

 either partially or totally ruined ; while at Ortou, 

 on the left bank of the river, below Boat o' Brig, 

 upwards of a hundred acres of crops were de- 

 stroyed, and fifty more carried away, or rendered 

 valueless for agricultural purposes. 



At the small town of Garmouth, near the 

 mouth of the Spey, many houses of two and 

 even three stories high were half thrown down, 

 the whole plain, as far as the eye could reach, was 

 covered with water, the shores of the harbour 

 studded with stranded vessels, and even the sea- 



