This and the silting action of the Kale and its
feeders slowly converted the lake-hollow into a broad alluvial flat
through which the river now winds its way.
Another extensive lake seems to have occupied the vale of the Teviot
between Jedfoot and Eckford, and similar old lake-beds occur in several
of the hill-valleys. One good example is seen in the valley of the
Oxnam Water, where the flat tract that extends from the old village of
Oxnam up to the foot of the Row Hill indicates the former presence of
a lake which has been drained by the stream cutting for itself a gorge
in Silurian greywackés and shales. In many other valleys it is easy to
see that the streams do not always occupy their pre-glacial courses,
and some of the old forsaken courses are still patent enough. Thus,
a glance at the hollow that extends from Mossburnford on the Jed to
Hardenpeel on the Oxnam is enough to convince one that in pre-glacial,
and probably in early post-glacial times also, a considerable stream
has flowed from what is now the vale of the Jed into the valley of the
Oxnam.
In all the valleys we meet with striking evidence to show that the
streams and rivers must formerly have been larger than they are
now. Certain banks and ridges of gravel fringe the valley-slopes at
considerable heights, and indicate the action of deeper and broader
currents than now make their way towards the sea. It is probable that
these high-level gravel terraces date their existence back to the close
of the Ice Age, when local glaciers still lingered in some of the
mountain-valleys, and when in summer-time great floods and torrents
descended from the hills.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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