On Hawick and its Neighbourhood. 75 



be traced from Henwoodie to Robert's Linn, it is not a con- 

 tinuous structure. Wherever it strikes a burn or rivulet it 

 disappears, no matter how small the rivulet may be ; and 

 the extent of its absence almost equals that of its presence. 

 It is only present across the hill tops, and imagined to be 

 continued by the streamlets of the dales. It has been 

 supposed to be a barrier between warlike tribes, a road by 

 which the Romans passed to the north, and a march-dyke 

 between peaceable neighbouring tribes ; but there are pecu- 

 liarities about its size and extent which render each of these 

 explanations just as unlikely as the popular one, which is 

 worth mentioning. The Devil dwelt in a cave in that wild 

 moorland now occupied by Hellmuir Loch, and his mother 

 was his housekeeper. One morning he awoke early, as he 

 had a busy day before him ; having to brand and dispose of 

 a large number of apostates, whom he had caught the day 

 before. Finding his porritch not ready, and his mother 

 still sleeping, he flew into a passion, seized a huge stone and 

 smashed her brains out ; and in the ecstacy of his frenzy 

 dragged her body across the country, till, becoming tired, he 

 threw her into a deep pool in a burn on the farm of 

 Stonedge, which pool is called the Devil's Cauldron till this 

 day. She was heavy, and her body ploughed up the land 

 and made, the Catrail. It can be best seen to the west of 

 Penchrise Pen, across the Doecleuch Height, from the head 

 of Teindside-burn to Broadlee Loch, and over Girnwood farm 

 in the direction of Hoscoteshiel. The investigations which 

 Mr. Robert Michie is now making will, however, probably 

 shed some certain light upon it. 

 The Hawick Moat — 



" The moat-hills mound — 

 Where Druid shades still flitted round," — 

 when William of Deloraine made his memorable midnight 

 journey to Melrose, is within the confines of the burgh. It 

 is a conical hillock, with the following dimensions — Height, 

 SO feet; circumference at base, 312 feet ; at top, 117 feet ; 

 cubical contents, 4060 yards. Like the Catrail, it has been 

 the source of much speculation as to its nature. That it 

 may have been, in comparatively recent times, used as a 

 judgment seat, is not improbable; but that this was the 

 purpose for which it was originally constructed is very 

 unlikely. Indeed, there is every reason to believe that when 

 it was used as such, if ever it was, it was then so old that 



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