2^6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES 
appearance from those of tlie west, being of a less wild and rapid 
character, and also less rocky, except in their middle reaches. 
The Shin, however, is an exception to the rule, being rocky 
throughout nearly the whole of its course. All the early spring 
salmon rivers lie in the eastern and northern districts ; the Naver, 
which issues from Loch Naver, drains the greater part of the parish 
of Farr, and falls into the sea on the north side of the county ; the 
Helmsdale, which issues from the large lochs in the centre of the 
county, drains the parish of Kildonan, and falls into the sea on 
the east coast ; as does also the Brora, which drains the greater 
part of the parishes of Clyne and Eogart ; and the Shin, before 
mentioned, issuing from Loch Shin, which drains the parish of 
Lairg and falls into the Kyle of Sutherland. These four all contain 
early spring salmon. The next of importance is the Halladale, 
which drains the parish of Eeay, and runs into the Pentland 
Firth. 
The parishes of Dornoch and Creich possess no rivers worthy 
of the name, the Evelix being the most important, and after that 
the Carnack, which runs into the Fleet, near its mouth. 
There are two small rivers, — one indeed no more than a large 
burn, — which deserve a little notice. The hrst, the Lothbeg Burn, 
has a course of only some six miles, but it drains the wildest 
district in the whole of the east of Sutherland. Eising in the 
Meallanlia hills, it runs through the ancient forest of Sletal, hills 
rising on each side almost perpendicularly. The celebrated Sletal 
cairn is situated in this glen, the scene of the death of the last 
Sutherland wolf, and possibly the last stronghold of the wild-cat in 
this part of the county, if such an animal exists here at all. The 
river enters the sea through an artificial cutting over which the 
railway now passes, but at one time it flowed into a marsh, which 
is now one of the best cultivated farms in the county. This drainage 
was effected by one of the present Duke's ancestors, who thus 
reclaimed a large extent of valuable land. 
The other river is the Fleet, very sluggish in its lower reaches, 
and a great resort of sea-trout. At the mouth of the river, and going 
through the marsh that lies to the south side of it, runs the high- 
