low lands of Lord Moray's estate most accurately on its natural base. of Braemoray, and converted the The flood immediately assailed this, green slopes of the hills into naked and carried off the greater part of precipices. The damage done on it piecemeal. Part of it yet remains, Mr. Cumming Bruce's part of the however, with the trees growing on Dorback is of the same character it, in the upright position, after havand comparative extent. At the ing traveled through a horizontal Ess, or waterfall of the Dorback, distance of 60 or 70 yards, with a where the river runs through a ra- perpendicular descent of not less vine thirty feet wide, the flood was than 60 feet.” twenty feet high-a towering alti- The Dorback then destroyed the tude for a rivulet which, in ordinary beautiful meal-mill and carding-mill seasons, you may wade, -at a hun- of Dunphail. The whole family, dred fords — knee-deep. Lower consisting of the miller, a meritodown, the deluge of rain performed rious and ingenious, and what is far a curious achievement. It so soak- better, religious young man, Wiled and saturated about an acre of liam Sutherland—a boy, his brother wood on the face of a bank, 100 feet —the assistant miller-a lad, and a high, that the whole mass, with servant girl, found themselves surslopes and terraces covered with rounded by the flood.

As they birch and alder-trees, gave way at were engaged in family worship, once, threw itself headlong down, down came the river suddenly upon and bounded across the Dorback, them, pouring into the house both blocking up the waters in that tre- by the doors and windows. But mendous flood.

here we must quote the miller's own “William Macdonald, the farmer impressive account of the affair : of Easter Tillyglens, witnessed this “I ran,' said the miller, “to the phenomenon. He told me that it bed where my little brother lay ; fell 'wi' a sort o' a dumb sound,' and, snatching him up, I carried which, though somewhat of a con- him out to the meal-mill, the floor tradiction in terms, will yet convey of which was elevated and dry, and the true meaning better than any I kindled a fire on the bricks to more correct expression. Astonish- keep him and the lass warm. By ed and confounded, Macdonald re- this time the cattle were up to the mained gazing. The bottom of the bellies in water in the byre; and I valley is here some 200 yards or ran to throw straw bundles under more wide, and the flood nearly fill- them and the pigs, to raise them, to ed it.

The stoppage was not so prevent their being drowned. I had great, therefore, as altogether to ar- hardly returned to the house, when rest the progress of the stream. But the south gable, which had the curthis sudden obstacle created an ac- rent beating against it, fell inwards cumulation of water behind it, which on the other room, and I was inwent on increasing for nearly an stantly obliged to knock out that hour, till, becoming too powerful to window in the north gable, to let the be longer resisted, the enormous water escape, otherwise we must dam began to yield, and was swept have perished where we were. off at once, and hurled onwards like About five o'clock, I observed my a floating island. But this was not neighbors John Grant and his wife all ; for while Macdonald was stand- standing on the bank in front. The ing, lost in wonderment, to behold distance between us was not thirty his farm thus sailing off to the ocean yards ; yet I could not make them by acres at a time, better than half hear for the fearsome roar of the an acre more of it rent itself away water, which was now quite tremenfrom its native hill, and descended dous. Large trees were constantly at once, with a whole grove of trees coming down and striking against on it, to the river, where it rested the carding-mill. The look up the

water was awful. It seemed as if a had so fallen that I made my way in sea was coming down upon us, with to give provender to the beasts. I terrible waves, tossing themselves, then found that the whole Dorback into the air, much higher than the had come over from the west side houses. I saw Grant's wife go up of the valley, and cut a new course the bank, and she returned some close at the back of the mills. All time afterwards with four men. We the mill-leads were cut entirely watched them consulting together, away.' A deep ravine was dug out and our hopes rose high ; but when between the houses and the bankwe saw them leave the place with- their foundations were undermined out making any attempt to save us, in that direction—the machinery dewe thought that all hope for us in stroyed—the gables next the river this world was gone.

Willingly carried away--and all, even the would I have given all I had, or very ground, so ruined, that it is might expect to possess, to have quite impossible ever to have mills planted but the soles of my feet, and here again. those of my companions, on yon bit On the evening of the 3d, the Digreen sod, then still untouched by vie rose so as to carry away two the waters. Every moment we ex- handsome wooden bridges, and, an pected the crazed walls of the house embankmert at the upper end of a to yield, and to bury us in their ru- broad, green, and partially wooded ins, or that we and it together should island of some acres in extent, havbe swept away. We began to pre- ing given way, a mighty torrent pare ourselves for the fate that poured towards the house of Mr. seemed to await us. I thank Al- Cumming Bruce, of Dunphail, who mighty God that supported me in prevailed on his wife and daughter that hour of trial. I felt calm and to repair to the house of a friend. collected, and my assistant was no Before doing so, about six in the less so. My little brother, too, said evening, their anxiety had been exhe was na feared ; but the woman tremely excited for the fate of a faand the lad were frantic, and did vorite old pony, then at pasture in nothing but shriek and wring their the island. Though the house of hands.

Dunphail itself was about to be in “While we were in this situa- jeopardy, their feeling hearts felt for tion, we suddenly saw about sixty old Dobbin. people coming down the bank, and “ As the spot had never been our hopes revived. The four men flooded in the memory of man, no had gone to raise the country, and one thought of removing him until it they now appeared with ropes. All was too late. When the embankour attention was fixed on their mo- ment gave way, and the patches of tions. They drove a post into the green gradually diminished, Dobground, and threw the end of a thick bin, now in his twenty-seventh year, rope across to me. This we fixed and in shape something like a 74 to a strong beam, and jammed it gun-ship cut down to a frigate, was within the front window, whilst they seen galloping about in great alarm, on the bank made fast the other end as the wreck of roots and trees floatof it to the post. A smaller rope ed past him ; and as the last spot of was thrown over. This I fastened grass disappeared, he was given up round the boy's waist, and he was for lost. At this moment he made dragged through the water to the a desperate effort to cross the stream bank, supporting himself all the way under the house,—was turned head on the larger rope, that was stretch- over heels by its force-rose again, ed between the window and the post. with his head up the river-made The lass lost her hold, and was taken boldly up against it, but was again out half drowned ; but, thank Pro- borne down and turned over. Every vidence ! we were all saved. By six one believed him gone, when, rising o'clock in the evening, the water once more, and setting down the

a

the wor

and part

waste of water, he crossed the tor- who felt and feels thus, the “ beauty rent, and landed safely on the op

of our valley” be indeed gone, yet posite bank.”

it shall endure forever before her At two o'clock on Tuesday morn- imagination, thus kindled always by ing Mr. Cumming Bruce ordered a light from heaven. every one to quit the building, and

But we now accompany he and his people took their station thy Baronet to his own Relugas." at some distance, to witness the fate On the evening of Monday the 3d, of the beautiful structure. But at being roused while at dinner by four o'clock the river began to sub- alarming accounts of the rivers, the side, and the house was saved. family took their way through the

“ The ruin and devastation of the garden to their favorite Mill Island. place was dreadful. The shrub- Sir Thomas, anxious for the safety bery all along the river side, with of a little rustic Doric temple, partits little hill and moss-house, had ly constructed of masonry, vanished ; two stone and three ly of unpeeled spruce trees, that wooden bridges were carried off ; occupied an isolated rock above a the beautiful fringe of wood on both broken cascade crossed by pictusides of the river, with the ground it resque bridges, said to the gardengrew on, were washed to the ocean, er, John, I fear our temple may together with all those sweet and be in some danger if this goes on. pastoral projections of the fields, -"Ou, sir, it's awa else,” already), which gave so peaceful and fertile a was John's reply—and looking upcharacter to the valley ; whilst the says Sir Thomas, “ The Divie aponce green island, robbed of its palled us!” groups of trees, and furrowed by a “ It resembled the outlet to some dozen channels, was covered with great inland sea, that had suddenly large stones, gravel, and torn up broken from its bounds.

It was roots. The rock in the old channel already 8 or 10 feet higher than any had been rendered unavailing by one had ever seen it, and setting dithe great quantity of gravel brought rectly down against the sloping terdown, which raised the water over race under the offices, where we it, so that it acted against the super- were standing, it washed up over incumbent mass of mortary gravel the shrubs and strawberry-beds, that was incapable of resisting it ; with a strange and alarming Aux and thus the house was left in the and reflux, dashing out over the midst of ruin-like a precious gem, ground 10 or 15 yards at a time,the lustre and effect of which have covering the knees of some of the been destroyed by its setting being party, standing, as they thought, far injured, and the stone itself left in beyond its reach,—and, retreating jeopardy. 'Dreadful, indeed,' says with a suction, which it required Mrs. Cumming Bruce, feelingly, in great exertion to resist. The whirla billet written in reply to our inqui- pool produced by the turn of the riries, “is the devastation that a few ver, was in some places elevated 10

6 hours have wrought. But we must or 12 feet above other parts of it. be thankful that all around us are The flood filled the whole space safe. God's will be done. I dare- from the rocks of the right bank on say we were all too proud of the the east, to the base of the wooded beauty of our valley-a beauty slope, forming the western boundary which we had not given, and could of the Mill Island, thus covering not take away, but which has va- the whole of that beautiful spot, exnished in an instant before His cept where two rocky wooded knolls, sweeping arm.'

and the Otter's Rock beyond them, This is the spirit in which all appeared from its eastern side. losses in this life should be met; The temple was indeed gone, as and though from the eyes of her well as its bridges, and four other

rustic bridges in the Island. Al- such devastation there, had all to ready its tall ornamental trees had pass through that narrow chasm. begun to yield, one by one, to the All the servants who lived in the pressure and undermining of the offices had sat up the whole night water, and to the shocks they re- in dread of the building being carceived from the beams of the Dun- ried away. Morning then camephail wooden bridges. The noise and Sir Thoủas thus describes the was a distinct combination of two scene : kinds of sound ; one, an uniformly

“I hurried out. But, prepared continued roar, the other like rapid- as my mind had been for a scene of ly repeated discharges of many can- devastation, how much did the realinons at once. The first of these ty exceed my worst anticipations ! proceeded from the violence of the The Divie had apparently subsided, water ; the other, which was heard it is true, but it was more because through it, and, as it were, muffled it had widened and disencumbered by it, came from the enormous its course, than from any actual distones which the stream was hurling minution of its waters. The whole over its even bed of rock. Above Mill Island was cleared completely all this was heard the fiendlike of shrubs, trees, and soil, except shriek of the wind, yelling, as if the the hard summit towards the Otter's demon of desolation had been riding Rock ; and, instead of the space upon its blast. The leaves of the being filled with that wilderness of trees were stript off and whirled into sweets into which the eye found the air, and their thick boughs and difficulty in penetrating, one vast stems were bending and cracking and powerful red-colored river, dibeneath the tempest, and groaning viding itself into two branches like terrified creatures, impatient to against the other rocks, flowed in escape from the coils of the watery large streams around it, without one serpent.”

single obstacle to its action ; with How fared the beautiful and be- less turmoil than before, indeed, but loved Mill Island ? All its magni- with the terrible majesty of a mighty ficent trees were falling like grass conqueror sweeping sternly over beneath the mower's scythe. Nu- the carnage of his recent victory. merous as they were, says the Baro- And well might the enemy triumph! net, feelingly, they were all indivi- - For, besides the loss of the Mill dually well-known friends. Each Island, which I had looked for, the as it fell gave one enormous plash beautiful hanging barat, covered on the surface-then a plunge- with majestic forest and ornamental then the root appeared above water trees, of all kinds, and of growth so for a moment-then again all was fresh and vigorous, had vanished submerged-then uprose the stem, like the scenery of a dream, and, in disbranched and peeled--and finally its place, was the garden hedge, they either hurled round in the caul- running for between 200 and 300 dron, or darted like arrows down yards, along the brink of a red alluthe river.

vial perpendicular precipice 50 feet How stood the bridge over the high, with the broad remorseless Divie to the north of the house ? flood, rolling at its base, eating into Here, the river, bounding out from its foundation, and, every successive the rocky glen behind the Doune, minute, bringing down masses of was fearful. The arch is 24 feet many cubic yards. And then, from high, and its span from rock to rock, time to time, some tall and graceful 60 feet. The flood filled more than tree, on the brink of the fractured two thirds of its height-yet all portions of the bank at either end, night the bridge stood fast-though would slowly and magnificently bend the wide body of water which cover- its head, and launch into the foamed the Mill Island, and wrought ing waves below. The whole scene

had an air of unreality about it that rocks, and bridges-but now the bewildered the senses. It was like Findhorn threatened and endangersome of those wild melodramatic ed human life, and his progress is exhibitions, where nature's opera- contemplated with a far deepertions are out-heroded by the mecha- with a tragic interest. Terrific was nist of a theatre, and where moun- the discharge of water, wreck, and tains are thrown down by artificial stones that burst from the pass at storms."

the Craig of Coulternose, over the “ The rocks and recesses of the extensive plain of Forres, spreadwooded banks, and the little grassy ing devastation abroad on that rich slopes, had been covered in a wild and beautifully hedgerowed country. way with many thousand shrubs, of On Monday, the 3d of August, Dr. all kinds, especially with laurels, Brands of Forres, a gentleman, as rhododendrons, azaleas, lilacs, and a it appears, of rare intrepidity, was profusion of roses, which were thriv- professionally called to the western ing vigorously, and beginning to side of the river, which he forded on bear blossoms, whilst the rocks were horseback, Before he had crossed covered with the different saxifrages, the second branch of the stream, he hung with all sorts of creepers, and saw the flood come thundering enameled with a variety of garden down-his horse was caught by it-flowers, all growing artlessly, as if he was compelled to swim, and he sown by the hand of Nature. The had not long touched dry land, ere path was therefore considered to be the river had risen six feet. After not unworthy of the exquisite sce- dinner at Moy, he accompanied nery through which it led. But the Mr. Suter, the worthy dweller there, flood of the 3d and 4th of August to several cottages, advising the inleft not one fragment of it remain- mates to leave them without delay, ing, from one end to the other. and come to Moy-a kind advice, Not a tree, or shrub, or flower, or which was taken by all except the piece of soil, nay, or of moss or li- family of one Kerr, who, trusting to chen, is to be seen beneath that their great distance from the river, boldly and sublimely sketched line somewhat obstinately refused to of food, that appears on either side, move. The house of Moy, by ten and from end to end of these rocks, at night, was filled with men, wolike the awful hand-writing of God men, and children, flying from the on the wall."

flood. (« There's twa families yon“ The damage done at Relugas der wholly surrounded,” cried a by the flood, is perhaps not more, in voice, “and as for poor Sandy actual value, than L. 1200 ; yet, Smith ! Poor Funns! Naebody when the rocky defences all along can ever houp till see him or his fathis very small property are consi- mily again.” This Sandy Smith dered, even this sum is great. But was an active boatman, commonly the beauties of nature cannot be es- called Whins, or, in the provincial timated in money; and although pronunciation, Funns, from his resiRelugas has yet enough left to cap- dence on a piece of furzy pasture, tivate strangers, and to make them at no great distance from the river. wonder how there could have been A far distant gleam of light came anything to regret ; yet ten thou- from his window. “I have often sand points of locality are lost, on heard of a ray of hope,” said Mr. which hung many long-cherished Suter, “but this is the first time I associations with the memory of ever experienced it in a literal those who can never return to sanc- sense.” What too was to become tify the new scenes resulting from of the Kerrs at Stripeside! Here the late catastrophe.”

we must record in our pages an Hitherto we have seen the flood incident most honorable to the huraging chiefly against plains, woods, manity and courage of Mr. Suter.