Salmon, grils, whiffing, many subspecies of trout, lampreys, eels, pike, minows, barbels, sticklebacks, are found in the rivers, but far from so numerous as formerly: and pike, perch, eels, and some excellent varieties of trout inhabit the lochs.
In ancient times, the sheriffdom of Selkirk was known by the general name of The Forest. or some times Ettrick Forest, although in the oldest deeds re lating to it, it appears to have been divided into Sel kirk Forest, Ettriek Forest, and the Forest of Tra quaire or Strathquaire, and is so designated by Ro bert I. when he made a grant of the lands to the fa mous Sir James Douglas. Upon the attainture of the family of Douglas in 1455, these forests were again an nexed to the crown, in the immediate possession of which and of its tenants they remained until alienated by royal charter after the restoration. We find that upon the 24th May 1503, James IV. granted the fo rest of Ettriek and the town of Newark as dower to his queen Margaret of England. In 1529, we find from Leslie that James V. had 10,000 sheep " going in the Ettrick Forest, in keeping by Andrew Bell. who made the king so good count of them as they bad gone in the bounds of Fife." In consequence of the whole county being ancient ly the property of the king, or of the Abbey of Mel rose, the proprietors hold their lands by charter from the crown. Two-thirds belong to the Duke of Buc cleugh, the rest is divided among twenty-seven other freeholders. The valued rent is £80,307, 15s. 6d. Scottish money; and in 1812, the real rent was .41,160, 10s. sterling. The land rent was then divid ed among forty-four estates, nine of which were above £2000 Scots, twenty between £2000 and £500, and fifteen below £500. About two-fifths of the coun ty is under entail.
The office of sheriff was hereditary in the ancient family of Murray of Philliphaugh. Sir Walter Scott was deputed to that office in 1801.
The principal towns in Selkirkshire are Selkirk, already described, and Galashiels, one half of which nearly is in Roxburghshire. Galashiels is situated on the south bank of the river Gala, with the excep tion of a part of it called Buckholm side, which stands on the north bank, and is in Roxburghshire. It is a
neat thriving town, and contains many good and sub stantial houses, most of which are covered with slate. A new street, containing many handsome houses, has been just finished (I828,) facing the Gala. The Ga la is here crossed by two bridges, one of' stone, and the other a private suspension one of iron wire, which was the first that was erected in Britain. The merit of the construction is due to Mr. Richard Lees, an extensive woollen manufacturer, whose works are si tuated on both sides of the Gala, and who conceived the idea of constructing a foot bridge to form a com munication between them. It was accordingly erect ed in November 1816. The length is 111 feet, and it cost Galashiels has been long celebrated for its woollen manufactures, which being at first very coarse, and of a grey colour, were known throughout Scotland by the name of " Galashiels Grey." Broad cloths, however, of every degree of fineness have been for some years manufactured in the town. A con siderable quantity of the wool produced in the coun try is manufactured at Galashiels. Water power is employed. The parish church of Galashiels is a neat modern building. There is also a Relief meeting house in the town.
There are very few objects of antiquity in this county. In the eastern part of it there are the re mains of seven British stations, erected upon heights, and having a slightly elliptical form; and in the midst of several of these there is a Roman camp in the pa rish of Roberton. One of the most remarkable re mains of the Britons is the battle fence or "Catrail," • which consists of a large fence with a rampart on both sides. It is about 28 miles long, and its construction can only be referred to the Romanised Britons, who, after the departure of the Romans, were obliged to defend the country from the invasion of the Saxons on the east during the fifth century. Some of the ruined castles and moss grown towers, erected some of them in the 12th century, are not or sufficient inte rest to merit description.
The population seems to have increased since Dr. Webste•'s return in 1755, as follows: