PEEBLES-SHIRE. This county, also known by the name of Tweeddale, is inclosed among the counties of Mid-Lothian, Selkirk, Dumfries, and Lanark ; its greatest length from north to south being about thirty miles, and its greatest breadth, in the opposite direction, twenty-two. It is computed to contain about 184,000 Scotch acres ; and the arable lands have been estimated at one tenth of the whole. The number of parishes is sixteen.
This may be considered as a purely hilly country ; con sisting of a group of mountains, or rather a continuous heap of mountain land, and with no other level ground than that which accompanies the courses of the rivers. Among these, notwithstanding different names, there is scarcely one mountain distinguished above its neighbours ; but Broad Law, Dollar Law, and Scrape, are among the highest elevations, reaching from 1500 to nearly 2000 feet. The characters of these are every where tame and round ed, presenting no where a rugged outline, and rarely dis playing naked rocks.
The principal low land is that which forms the valley of the Tweed. In this, the situation of Peebles is pleas ing, but cannot be considered picturesque.
The Tweed holds its course for several miles through this county, within which it has also its origin. The spring is called Tweedswell, and is estimated at 1500 feet above the level of the sea. It first runs in a north-east direction till it receives the waters of the Lyne. It then turns east, in which course it continues till it leaves the county ; en tering Selkirkshire at Gatchaupburn. It nearly divides the county of Peebles into two equal parts ; the length of its course in it being estimated at thirty-six miles.
Biggar water, uniting together those of Kilbucho and Holms, rises in Lanarkshire, and is the first principal stream that joins the Tweed. After that it receives the Lyne, together with the Tarth, the water of Peebles or Eddlestone, and the Lethian, all on its left bank. On the right, it is joined by the Manor and the Quair. The Cor, Fruid, and Tala, also join it in the higher parts of its course.
Besides these minor rivers flowing into the Tweed, some other small streams arise either in the county or in its boundaries. The Maidwan, among these, joins the Clyde.
The North and the South Esks form a junction in Mid Lothian ; and, passing through the picturesque scenery of Roslin, join the sea at Musselburgh. Lastly, the Meget falls into St. Mary's loch in Selkirkshire, and thus contri butes to form the waters of the Yarrow.
There are only three small lochs in this county, although St. Mary's loch lies on its very margin. These are Games hope loch to the in the parish of Tweedsmuir; Slipperfield loch in Linton parish, and Water loch in that of Eddlestone. These present no interesting features of any kind.
As the far greater part of this county lies on an argilla ceous schist, properly called whinstone here, as trap is at Edinburgh, the general nature of the hill soils, at least, may be conjectured. As this schist, however, contains particles of sand and gravel in its composition, the soil is not so stiff a clay as in those districts where the finer kinds of this rock prevail. It must rather be considered as of a loamy nature, being a mixture of clay and sand, together with gravel, and, when least decomposed, containing frag ments also of the hard rock of various kinds. The coarser aspect is found higher up in the hills. Farther down, as is generally the case, the decomposition of the rock is more perfect, and the consequence is a finer clayey or loamy soil. As the declivity becomes still more gentle, and as the hill faces begin to unite to the proper alluvial land below, or the haughs, the soil still improves in quality as well as in depth ; but in partaking of the finer alluvial clay, washed along the surface by the waters, it also be comes intermixed with gravel and fragments.
The haughs or flats by the sides of the rivers present the usual character of alluvial lands in mountainous coun tries. In some places they are a strong clay ; but more generally sandy; while in many parts a great depth of al luvial gravel is found beneath the upper soil, insuring a constant natural drainage from its absorbent nature. This is very generally the case along the broader part of the course of the Tweed.