capable of receiving Men of War, and Ships of the greatest Burden. Other Lochs or Lakes we shall take Notice of in their respective Places. The following are the principal RIVERS in North Britain. The FORTH is one of the most noble and commodious Rivers in Scotland, and, as a very ingenious Writer obferves, would indeed merit that Appellation in any Country. It takes its Rife near the Bottom of Leimon-Hills, and running from West to East, receives in its Paffage many confiderable Streams, deriving their Waters from the Eminences in the midland Counties of North Britain. The River CLYDE rifes out of Tinto Hill, near a Place called Arrick ftone, on the Confines of the two Shires of Peebles and Lanerk. It runs at firft Northweftward, till being joined by another Stream, it paffes by Craufurd, and runs almoft directly North, through the famous Moor of the fame Name, antiently renowned for producing no defpicable Quantities of Gold Duft and Lapis Lazuli, as it ftill is for the rich Mines of Lead, belonging to the Earl of Hopton. After traverfing this Moor, the River declines Eastward, and fetching a confiderable Compass, turns again to the North-weft; when receiving a large Supply of Water from the River DOUGLAS, it comes to Lanerk, a Royal Burgh; and here there is a Bridge over it, of fuch Convenience to the adjacent Counties, that Tolls were granted for its Support upwards of 50 Years ago,. which, by repeated Acts of Parliament, are ftill fubfifting. The Clyde then leaving Hamilton at a fmall Diftance, about which there is as good Oak Timber as any in the Island, proceeds to Glasgow, which it reaches after traverfing about 50 Miles from its Source. Here, being become both broad and deep, it continues its Progrefs, dividing the Shires of Renfrew and Dunbarton; and having paffed the Town of Renfrew, and B 4 foon foon after received the two Rivers of the Name of Cart, it moves majestically on, till it abforbs alfo the River Levin, iffuing from Loch-Lomond; and thus fwelled with fubfidiary Streams, having paffed New Port Glasgow, and Greenoch, and wafhed a Part of Argylefhire, its joins its Waters to thofe of the Sea, after a Course of 70 Miles. FORTH and CLYDE, if joined by a Canal, near the Place where the Romans formerly built their Wall of about 30 Miles long, to defend their Province from the Scots and Picts, would open a Communication betwixt the Eaft and Weft Seas, to the great Advancement of the Commerce of the whole Ifland. There was much Talk of it about the Time of the Union. As to the Practicability of making fuch a Canal, there can be very little, if any, Doubt about it. The Space of Ground intervening is not above 20 Miles; and a moft commodious Communication by Water might be made for as many thousand Pounds; for much lefs, as some have computed: it is therefore a Matter that well deferves to be kept in Memory. What Means of Improvement of our own Country, as well in Europe as America, have we fquandered away in the laft 40 or 50 Years, to aggrandize a Power, that has forgot all the Benefits fhe has received from us, and is unnaturally, as well as ungratefully, joined with our implacable Enemies the French, against her Supporters, who have been for many Campaigns fo expenfive in her Favour, that the Coft of any one of those bestowed upon ourselves in improving our natural Advantages, as well in South as North Britain, Ireland, and our Colonies, as would have made this Kingdom the nobleft Empire on Earth, without needing Allies or foreign Support. The TAY is indifputably the largeft River in Scotland. It rifes in Braidalbin on the Frontiers of Lorn, and, augmented by feveral Waters in its Paffage, is navigable to Perth. The Firth of Tay is not indeed fo large large or fo commodious as that of Forth; but from Buttonnefs to Perth it is not less than 40 Miles ; and the Whole may be, without any great Impropriety, filed a Harbour; which has Fife on one Side, and the Shires of Perth and Angus on the other, very fertile and pleasant Countries both, furnishing various Commodities and Manufactures; Corn, Coal, and Lead, may be reckoned among the former; Shalloons and other Woolen Stuffs, Thread, Linen, and Salt, among the latter, to which we may add Fish, which is a very profitable Article. The River of SOUTH-ESK rifes amongst the Mountains in the North of Angus; and running directly South many Miles, it makes an Angle near the Seat of the Earl of Airly, and directs its Courfe Eaftward, falling at length into the German Ocean, a little below Montrofe. The River DEE, rifes out of Loch-Dee, which lies at the Foot of the Hills that divide the Shire of Aire from Galloway, and after running many Miles in a Serpentine Courfe, and receiving the Waters of the great River KEN, declining more to the South-eaft, falls at length into the German Sea, with a very copious Stream; on the Eaft-fide of which stands the Town of Kircud bright. It is a clear, fharp Stream, gradually aug mented by many Brooks and Rivulets, and celebrated from all Antiquity for breeding great Quantities of excellent Salmon. The River DON rifes fome Miles further to the North, and declining to the North-east, falls, as well as the Dee, into the German Ocean, as I have faid. Both thefe Rivers have Bridges over them, at no great Diftance from the Fall; that over the Dee confifts of feven Arches, and is esteemed a magnificent Work; that over the Don is only of a fingle Arch, fuftained on each Side by a Rock, and is a most noble and furprizing Piece of Workmanship. B 5 The The River DEVON, or DOVERN, rifes not many Miles North from the Don, and running through Strath bogie in a winding Courfe, declining however conftantly to the North-eaft till it reaches the Town of Strath bogie, and then runs for a few Miles directly North, turns afterwards due Eaft, at length turns again to the North; and paffing many Miles on one Side of a beautiful Country, which from thence derives the Name of Strath-devon, bending a little to the Weft, falls at length into that Part of the German Ocean which is ftiled Murray-Firth. The SPEY is a River of as long a Course as moft in North Britain. It rifes in the Mountains of Badenoch, in the Heart of the Shire of Inverness. Its Waters quickly fpread themselves to fuch an Extent, as to become a small Lake, called Loch-Spey; from which, refuming the Form of a River, it proceeds feveral Miles South-eaft; then, fetching a Compass, its turns Northeaft, and in that Direction runs many Miles till it reaches Ruthven; from whence digreffing more to the Eaft, and receiving many Rivulets by the way, it rolls on with a rapid Stream to Rothes; and from thence directing its Courfe Northwards, falls into the Firth of Murray, at a Place called Garmach, or Garmouth, which is a Creek of no great Importance, frequented only by fmall Veffels. There are very fine Woods on the Banks of this River, throughout the greatest Parts of its Course, the Value of which would be much increased, if the Navigation of the Spey could be rendered more practicable than it is. The Lossy rifes not many Miles above the Royal Burgh of Elgin, in the pleasant and plentiful Country of Murray, and falls into Murray- Firth a few Miles below it, at a Place called Loffy-mouth, or New-PortElgin. The River of FINDORN rifes in the Hills of Monchrolky, where its Waters quickly spread into a Lake; paffing paffing out of which, and running South-weft, they foon form a larger, which is called Loch-Moy, wherein is a confiderable Ifland, upon which ftands MayHall, the Seat of Mackintosh. Iffuing from thence it takes a wide Compafs, and paffing by Conbrugh, thro' which runs the great Military Road to Inverness, turns gradually to the North-eaft, becoming the Boundary of the two Shires into which Murray is divided; viz. Elgin and Nairn. After receiving many smaller Streams, croffing the Wood of Tornaway, belonging to the Earl of Murray, and running at a fmall Distance from the antient Town of Forres, declining a little to the North-weft, it falls into a Bafon, which receives likewise a leffer River that runs thro' Forres, and two other little Streams, which make all together a better Harbour than any of the former, though dry when the Tide is out, and with a Bar at the Mouth of the River, which, however, is lefs apt to fhift, and of Confequencethe Harbour is fafer than most of the reft. Not far from this Bay food antiently the rich and famous Abbey of Kinlofs. The River NAIRN alfo falls into Murray- Firth. This Firth, according to Ptolemy, was the ftuarium Vararis. At the Bottom of it, and on the SouthBank of the River Neffe, ftands the Town of Invernefs, fometimes, as antient Writers affirm, the Refidence of the Kings of Scotland. The River NESSE is about four Miles long, with a fair Stone-bridge over it at Inverness of feven Arches. On the North east Coast of Scotland we meet with feveral Rivers of no inconfiderable Course, which, however, are not of any great Service in Point of Navigation. The River BEAULIEU abforbs the Water of five Lakes, runs many Miles, and then falls into the Loch of the fame Name. Both River and Loch derive their Appellation from a ftately Abbey of Ciftertian Monks, founded by John Lord Biffet, plentifully endowed, and which was fo called from the remarka B 6 ble |