12 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



Before the Tweed leaves Peeblesshire, the town of Innerleithen is 

 reached, and the obstruction of Walkerburn Dyke is passed. The 

 dyke is generally believed to be the worst barrier to salmon in the 

 river. The Leithen in ordinary weather conditions is entirely 

 absorbed by the local mills, and finds its way to Tweed through a 

 lade. In its upper reaches it is still a good trouting stream, but 

 salmon are entirely barred. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder 1 describes the 

 joys of wandering up the valley, " guided by the thread of the little 

 streams only, and dropping as you move onwards, a shortened line 

 over its banks, finding yourself ever and anon yalked to a fish that 

 compels you in prudence to give him somewhat of his own way and 

 a little indulgence in the music of the reel, before you begin to think 

 of drawing him gently near you, in order to lay your hands upon 

 him. How agreeably does the lid of your willow basket utter its 

 peculiar, gently creaking sound in welcome to the panting captive." 



A rather violent contrast to this echo of the gentle art is found 

 when we turn to the Report on the Pollution of the River Tweed, pre- 

 pared by Dr. Wheaton and Mr. Curphey. 2 " Occasionally, in time of 

 heavy rainfall severe floods occur on the Leithen ; when these occur 

 a large amount of water flows down the bed of the stream, which is 

 usually dry, and flushes it out, carrying all the rubbish and filth to 

 the Tweed. . . . The mills are supplied with water from the mill- 

 lade, and one of them obtains water from the Tweed when necessary. 

 The people of the town are entirely engaged in the woollen industry, 

 wool scouring, weaving, and dyeing are all carried on here. The 

 town is sewered. All the sewage is collected in an outfall sewer, 

 which discharges into the mill lade below the lowermost mill, and 

 about 300 yards from the Tweed ; there is no attempt at purification 

 of the sewage. The liquid refuse from the mills is discharged into 

 the lade. The water of the lade where it discharges to the Tweed 

 is very foul with sewage and dye water. . . . Below the point at 

 which the lade discharges to the Tweed the water of this river is. 

 greatly fouled, the bottom of the river is covered with sewage deposit 

 and the stones coated with sewage fungus. The river here contains 

 also a large amount of refuse of all kinds, such as pots and pans, old 

 linoleum, old ironwork, and such like. Although there is a daily 

 collection of rubbish in the town a great deal of large-sized rubbish 

 is thrown into the bed of the Leithen, and the tip to which all 

 refuse is taken, together with offal from the slaughter-houses, is 

 situate just where the Leithen falls into the Tweed. In times of 



1 Scottish Rivers, p. 84. 2 H.M. Stationery Office, 1906. 



