T h e C a t r a i l .
1 am uncertain whether a cuftom that prevails a little nortli
Coldftream, does not extend alio to thefe parts. About Daw, thel
fpinfters give much of their leifure time to the fpinning of blanll
for their wedding portion. On the nuptial night, the whole (lij
of virgin-induftry is placed on the bed. A friend of mine 1
fuch an occafion, counted not fewer than ten, thick and heal
Was the Penelope, who owned them, forfaken by her Ulyjfes, ihentl
could complain, like the Grecian fpoufe,
Non ego deferto jacuiflem frigida le flo !
About a mile weft of Gala Shields are very evident veftiges of j
great ditch called the Catrail, which is twenty-five feet wide,bminl
on each fide by a great rampart. It has been traced 22 miles; pal
four miles weft of Hawick, up Docluch hill, by Fairnyfide M, I
Skelfi hill, acrofs Ellen water, afcends Carriage hill, and goes by I
Maiden Paps, reaches Pear fell on the Dead water, on the border!
Northumberland, and from thence may be traced beyond Lanfm
pointing towards Cannonfby, on the river EJk. On feveral parts aiiit
courfe are ftrong round forts, well fortified with ditches and®
parts, fome even exceeding in ftrength thofe of the Romans,
ther it ever reached farther north than Gala, has not been difcoverl
but the tradition is, that it extended from fea to fea. Mr. Gim
the only antiquary that has explored it, traces it no farther; but!
obferved the chain of forts towards eaft Lothian. It is pr0|H
that it was caft up by the inhabitants of the country n o r th -w e ft®
as a proteftion againft the inroads, of invaders; but who they
or what was the date of the work, are difficulties not to be d®
mined from hiftorical authority.
Conti
Continue my journey for a time along a fertile bottom, and,
iear the junction (the laft in this place) of the Gala and the T weed,
fine river, again enter the ffiire of
S e p t . 28.
R H.
All the country is open, and much of it full of corn. Here the
fermers injudicioufly cut up the fides of the hills, and fpoil their fine
|heep walks to get a little late and bad corn.
At a place called Bridgend ftood, till within thefe few years, a large B r i d c e n d .
pier*, the remaining one of four, which formed here a bridge over
Bit Tweed. In it was a gateway, large enough for a carriage to pais
■trough, and over that a room, 27 feet by 15, the refidence of the
lerfon who took the tolls. This bridge was not formed with
laches, but with great planks laid from pier to pier. It is faid
pat it was built by David I. in order to afford a pafiage to
■is abby of 'Melros, which he had newly tranflated from its
Indent fite; and alfo to facilitate the journies of the devout to the
pur great pilgrimages of Scotland, viz. Scone, Dundee, Paijley, and
Uklros.
I Crofs the new bridge; pafs by Darnwick, and Toon after by
ISfeser or Skirmijh hill, noted, in 1526, for a fray between the Earl of Sk i r m i s h h i l l .
!%w, and the family of the Scotts, under their laird, Scott of Buccleugh.
had pofieffion of the perfon of James V. then in his minority ;
gd ufed his power with fo little moderation, as to make the
young 'prince defirous of being releafed. The power of the Dcug-
I Communicated to me by a gentleman who remembers the pier, now demo.
P'td. Mr. Gordon has engraved what remained in his time, in his 64th plate.
M m lafes