Among the northern rivers, the Oikel is one of the most important, having its origin near the western sea, in the vicinity of Loch Broom, and terminating in the Firth of Tain, where it joins the Carron. The Shin, discharging the waters of Loch Shin, is the other of its principal feeders. To pass over the smaller rivers of Sutherland, the two eastern flowing ones alone worth notice are the Brora and the Helmsdale; both aiding to unwater the interior of this wild coun try. Of the northern flowing, the most important are the waters of the Hallodale, the Strathy, and the Na vel., having their rise in the same hills as the preced ing two, and serving to indicate the highest level of this country. In Caithness, the rivers of Thurso, of Forse, and of Wick, are almost the only ones deserv ing enumeration. The water of Farr, further west in Sutherland, may rank with the Hallodale and the Strathy ; and the Hope discharging Loch Hope, is even shorter than the Ness, since its whole course from the lake does not exceed half a mile.
It must already have appeared that the tendency of all our principal rivers is to the north, the east, and the south; scarcely any one worthy of notice meeting the western sea in the mountainous division of the Highlands. Thus the general elevation and declivity of the country are indicated; and thus it is easy to find the points of the average highest elevation. For all the rivers which have yet been enumerated, these will be found at the sources of the Dee and Tilt, run ning in contrary directions, of the Spey and Roy simi larly dividing, of the Don and the Devron, of the Strathy and the Helmsdalc, of the Oikel, and of the waters which feed Loch Hope, Loch Laighal, and Loch Naver.
Of the western flowing waters in the northern High lands, those of Loch Maree and Loch Carron are the first two that seem to deserve notice, and even these are but inferior streams. Nor is there any one which can be ranked high, in this direction, but the Lochy, discharging the waters of Loch Lochy, together with those of the Roy and the Spean, and thus forming a powerful river flowing into the head of Loch Eil. Further south, the rivers which meet Loch Etive, Loch Awe, and Loch Fyne, together with the exit of Loch Awe itself, are in this division ; but they are comparatively insignificant, as are all those which now occur to the very boundary of the High lands.
Though the Forth has its origin in the Highlands, it shortly becomes a lowland river, and must be con sidered next iu rank to the Tay.*
The Clyde must be allowed the next rank, and it is the great exception to the general courses of the Scot tish rivers. Its various sources are traced in the hills about Elvanfoot, whence, after a northern course, it turns to the northwest, and pursuing its tortuous and intricate journey, joins the salt water below Glasgow, without having received any river of importance throughout the whole space.t The course of the Tweed is even more intricate, while its springs are not far removed from those of the Clyde and the Annan, marking the great central elevation of the southern mountain land4 Passing Peebles, it is already a large river, and while fed by endless and nameless waters, it also receives the long celebrated rivers, the Ettrick, the Yarrow, the Gala, and the Tiviot, becoming a wide stream, as it reaches the sea at Berwick.§ The Annan is among the chief of the southern flow ing rivers, having rivals only in the Esk, the Dee, and the Nith. The springs of the Esk correspond nearly with those of the Ettrick; and thus again we trace the highest elevations. Thus also the sources of the Nith interfere with those of the Clyde and the Ayr, as at one point they also approach to the springs of the Tweed. In the same way the remote heads of the southern Dee must be sought with those of the Doon flowing to the northwest, while this river be comes naturally increased by its junction with the powerful Ken, forming a large river where it meets the sea at Kirkcudbright. The Fleet and the Cree are secondary rivers, and the others which belong to this part of Scotland require no enumeration.
Lakes of Scotland.
We shall enumerate these in the order of their im portance and connexion, rather than in a geographi cal one, which could not be accurately followed.
Loch Awe, an immense body of water, is marked by the singularity of its exit. The total length of this lake is about 22 miles ; and with a prevailing breadth of one mile, it becomes about two or more wide near its northern extremity, which forms its exit as well as its apparent entrance. Here some small islands diversify its surface, and here also it produces some very grand and striking scenery; but the lower part is generally tame and uninteresting, though con taining a group of islands near the middle. It is partly fed by Loch Avich, a mountain lake of no note.