No. 7. VOL. VIII.]

MAJOR S. MACDOUGALL OF LUNGA, PRESIDENT, CLAN MACDOUGALL SOCIETY.

HE subject of our sketch this month, Major Macdougall of Lunga, is the second and only surviving son of the late John Macdougall of Lunga, and Richmond, daughter of Donald Stewart of Luskintyre, and succeeded to the estate in 1888, on the death of his elder brother, Lieutenant John, of the 21st Hussars. He was appointed to the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders in 1877, and after

sixteen years' continuous service with this regiment, retired in 1892 with the rank of Major. In 1882 Major Macdougall, then a lieutenant, volunteered for active service, and was attached to the Cameron Highlanders, with which famous regiment he served in the Egyptian campaign. He took part in the memorable night march and battle of Tel-el-Kebir, when he commanded one of the leading companies of the Camerons, and after storming the trenches, was dangerously wounded in the leg. It was decided to amputate the limb, as it was very much shattered, but this he refused to have done, and after a year in hospital he made a complete recovery. It is interesting to record that he was specially mentioned in despatches by General Sir Archibald Allison, commanding the High, land Brigade, for "great gallantry and coolness." From 1884 to 1889 he acted as Adjutant of the 4th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and rendered excellent service, the regiment being largely increased in numbers through his efforts. It may be added that the Major's military career is by no means ended. He has volunteered for active service with the Highland Brigade in South Africa, and expects at any moment to be ordered to the scene of hostilities, where we have no doubt he will again prove himself worthy of the martial reputation of his brave ancestors.

[Price Threepence.

As a proprietor in Argyllshire, the laird of Lunga enjoys the entire confidence and respect of his tenants, of which we have tangible evidence in the fact that he is chairman of various local and County Council committees, and takes a keen interest in public affairs. The newly formed Clan Macdougall Society, which has already made such satisfactory progress, owes much of its success to his enthusiasm and encouragement, and his clansmen have done wisely in electing him president. They could not have selected a better chairman. excellent portrait which we give with this issue will be welcomed by many of his clan, who were desirous that he should be honoured with a place in our gallery of notable Highlanders.

The

The Lunga family trace their descent from Hugh, youngest son of Allan Macdougall of Ragray by his marraige with a daughter of Maclaine of Lochbuie. The Ragray family were the earliest Cadets of Dunolly, and very potent in their day; but in 1649 John of Ragray was involved by his brother-in-law, the Earl of Argyll, who forced him to sell the greater part of his large estate to the Argyll family, by deed dated 1649.

Lunga House contains many trophies of the chase, secured mostly by the Major's father, who rented a part of the Blackmount and Knoydart forests for many years. It also contains several very interesting and valuable paintings, including one of "Lady Hamilton" by Romney, and a striking portrait (believed to be by Raeburn) Craigenterrive, which old Argyllshire family he of the laird's grand-mother, Miss Maclachlan of now represents. His great-grandmother was a Miss Campbell of Melfort, a family famous in the Highlands for the distinguished soldiers it produced.

In 1885, Major Macdougall married Miss Liddell of Sutton, and Keldy Castle, Yorkshire, and has a son, Iain.

It will be the earnest wish of his countrymen that the Laird of Lunga may gain fresh laurels with the Highland Brigade in South Africa, and that the call to arms may not again sound to summon him to the service of the nation.

Lochiel), and those of that proprietor's estates upon the north side of Loch Arkaig; and at those early periods the Highlands of Scotland had not the advantage of such communications by roads and otherwise, as the munificence of Government had contributed recently to afford them; wherefore the difficulty of communication between the districts of Lochiel and Loch Arkaig; especially the north side of Loch Arkaig, separated from the south side thereof by a large fresh-water lake of not less than twelve miles in length, is quite as great (at least it was so prior to the introduction of roads), as between any other two Highland districts inhabited by different clans; which, in fact, was the case with those, viz., the Mackintoshes and Camerons of old. To which objection it was remarked for Lochiel that it was unnecessary to answer it, and upon the geographical details, he would only notice that the distance from Kinlochiel to Kinlocharkaig, by the drove road over the hills, is about six Scotch miles only. That the property all the way from Kinlochiel to Loch Arkaig and Glenkingie, whether by the drove road or the Parliamentary road, belonged to Lochiel, and had always done so, so far back as written records extend. Replied, Glengarry admits (as he has no access to know the contrary), having never travelled the hill step referred to, that the distance from Lochielhead to the head of Loch Arkaig is probably correct, being similar to that which generally separates the neighbouring inhabited Highland glens, but Crieff (the last farm referred to), is at least seven or eight miles from the head of Loch Arkaig; and a similar distance to either of those (or an equally short period of time) would bring a Highlander from the low farms on the north side of Loch Arkaig to his inhabited farms on the banks of the Garry; he therefore, so far, is obliged to Lochiel's agent for causing him to illustrate his argument to the understanding of strangers; he is sorry (as being perfectly irrelevant to the proof now taking), however, at being called upon, in pursuance of what he had advanced, to maintain that that gentleman has gone too far in saying "That the property all the way from Kinlochiel to Loch Arkaig and Glenkingie, whether by the drove road or the Parliamentary road, belonged to Lochiel, and had always done so, as far back as written records extend," as Lochiel's occupation of, and written documents for, Glenloy and Loch Arkaig, are comparatively of very modern date to those of his principals in "LetterLochiel," his original property; and in less than an hour's walk from where we now sit that gentleman may gratify his curiosity with an inspection of the romantic ruins of Tor Castle, the ancient residence of Lachlan More Mackintosh in Strathlochy, inhabited by him up to the middle of the 17th century; at least that chief, after withdrawing therefrom, was alive at this period, as can be proved from the records of the Supreme Court, from the circumstance of his having been killed in single combat upon the streets of Inverness, which afterwards occasioned legal proceedings. Remarked for Lochiel, that it was unnecessary to duply, and his agent confesses his inferiority to Glengarry in that description of learning introduced into the reply, but that he could not admit that Lachlan More Mackintosh had resided at Tor Castle within the

Alexander Macphee, crofter, Corpach, aged seventy years and upwards, was born at Glackfern, of Glendessary, his father having been forester in Monaquoich, and Corrybuie, the sanctuary. That the public gave the general appellation of Monaquoich to all the lands and hills on both sides of upper Loch Quoich. That the forest was maintained for three years after Butter's appointment as factor. That at Mam Clach Ard, Lochiel, Knoydart, and North Morar join, and he very minutely described the march betwixt Lochiel and Glengarry from Mam Clach Ard to Bunkingie. The witness proceeded to mention that at a certain point the head waters of Glendessary and of Knoydart run for a time back to back. Referring to the route taken by droves from Skye, and the West Mainland, before the King's road was formed through Glengarry and Glen Quoich to Kinloch Hourn, witness condescends, and says "That he knows a place on Glengarry's side of Loch Quoich, called Bunchoali, and he knows the head of Loch Quoich, which is called Kinloch Quoich. Interrogated whether or not the witness knows that there was a drove road from Bunchoali on Glengarry's property across the Gearauin to Kinloch Quoich, and then along Lochiel's side of the Loch and through the Mainger, at the time when Mr. Butter was tenant of Monaquoich, as already deponed to, and that droves of cattle passed that way. Depones-That before the King's road, as he calls it, from Loch Ournhead down to the side of the Garry, was made, people were in the practice of taking the drove road mentioned in the interrogatory with their cattle. Depones-That he cannot condescend on the number of years since the King's road was made, but it is not a very long time. Depones-That he is sure it was not finished before he came to reside at Corpach, but he thinks it was began before that time. Depones-That a good many of the droves that took the foresaid drove road came from the Island of Skye across Kylerea, the ferry from Skye to the mainland, and other islands in the Hebrides. Interrogated-Whether or not it consists with the knowledge of the witness that the whole lands already enumerated by him as belonging to Lochiel, and within the line of march which the witness has delineated, from Mam Clach Ard to Bunkingie, have been occupied and possessed as parts of Lochiel's Estate, and ever since the witness recollects and without any trouble or molestation either at the time that the estate was under the management of His Majesty's Commissioners or since. Depones, affirmative. Depones-That he knows it was the practice on the Estate of Lochiel, both when Mr. Butter was factor thereon as well as when Fassfern was factor, for these gentlemen to convene all the tenants of the estate on a given day or days in summer yearly, to adjust disputes about marches, cutting of wood, or any other disputes or differences that might arise on the estate, and this was called the summer court or souming court; and they were convened again in the same manner soon after Martinmas to pay the rent.

(To be continued.)

ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF THE CLANS.

ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF MACKINTOSH OF MACKINTOSH.

RMORIAL bearings are emblems or marks of distinction, which have either been adopted by an individual, a family, or a community, or have been granted by a sovereign for some signal service. They were called arms because they were so often painted upon shields and other pieces of armour. Sometimes they were painted upon banners and pennons, whence they got the name of armorial ensigns, and being drawn upon the surcoats of military persons, they were called coats-of-arms. The officers by whom the rules and regulations pertaining to the adoption and wearing of arms were carried into execution, were called heralds, and hence the science of armorial bearings is known as heraldry.

The science of heraldry is not an ancient one, although the customs out of which it has grown, date back to pre-historic times. Primitive tribes all the world over, and in every age, were wont to wear some mark or emblem which distinguished them from neighbouring tribes. Among some of the ancients those emblems were considered sacred, and all the men wearing the same mark were united by the bond of brotherhood. The remote elements of modern heraldry are to be sought in the war-paint of the savage, who painted in fantastic device on the naked body, and sometimes in rude colours on his shield and weapons. The Celts, too,

were fond of painting their shields, and this adornment being for the purpose of distinction, is the earliest form of armorial bearing among the Highlanders.

Probably the earliest record we have of herald's emblem anywhere is in the Book of Genesis, where we read of the aged patriarch blessing his son. The flickering torch of life seems to have been fanned anew into flame for this dying effort, and the old man's intellect and prophetic instinct were never so keen as when he uttered the words (Gen. 49) "Judah is a lion's whelp. He couched as a lion-as an old lion-who shall raise him up? Dan shall be a serpent by the way-an adder in the path, that biteth the horse's heels." The word herald signifies the champion of an army, and it is still the province of a herald to declare war. The bards were the heralds of the clans, and they carried the shields of the chiefs as the heralds of succeeding ages bore the arms of their county or patron. Each clansman, too, wore the symbol of his clan on his shield

"On that targe of tough bull hide,

Which death so often dashed aside." The marks impressed on these leather-covered targes resembled the intertwining of twigs, a favourite ornament among the Celts, being imitated in the hilts of the dirks and introduced in their brooches and other ornaments. This intricate tracery, which formed for so many ages their common pattern, is still to be seen in the rude sculpture of monumental stones.

Many believe that the Highlanders of the middle ages were a semi-barbarous race of halfclothed savages, devoid of literature and art, and destitute of the tastes of civilised society. It is certainly true that the hands of the Highlander have been more used to the sword than the pen their hearts more attuned to the freedom of the forest than the restraints of study-but when the winter nights were long, and the deer had shed their horns, then around the peat-fire did they keep alive the memories of the past.

Hundreds of years ago the Highlands and Islands possessed churches adorned with monumental effigies, religious houses replenished with illuminated libraries, and baronial castles decorated with the portraits of many generations, and with the arms with which they had fought on a hundred fields of battle. Each cell had its friar or its clerk, who collected from the storm-stayed birling or night-lodged guest some news of the adventurous world which moved around them, and each Tigh mor had its seannachaidh and leabhar dearg-a living historian who taught to the present the history of the past.

But the ravages of anarchy and civil warthe unfortunate pillages during the Reformation,

The

and the rapine of the armies of Cromwell and the armies of occupation in 1715 and 1745 have deprived our literature of priceless treasures. Other countries, too, have had their revolutions. In England the religious faith of the country underwent a change; in France their religion has been practically abolished. Yet, in spite of it all, the spires of the churches of the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries still rear their heads above the trees planted by their French and Norman founders. Turn to the Highlands of Scotland, and in the ruined chapels and amidst the long grass which covers the graves in the halfdeserted cities of the dead, you will come across a triangular stone or a grey slab, sculptured with some weapon of the fight or chase. records, the stores of tradition which could have enriched our literature and archæology, are mouldering in the dust with the tongues that could have told them, or were scattered and doomed to perish in other lands. Still, we have sufficient evidence left to show that the Celt possessed a high proficiency in the fabrication of arms, and this necessarily includes a knowledge of painting and carving The military ensigns themselves bear testimony to other arts besides the manufacture of their material, for they were richly emblazoned like the baronial colours of all feudal nations. Probably the earliest reference to anything of the kind in Celtic literature is the description of the royal banner, given by Ossian:

:

"Thog sinn Deo Ghreine ri crann

A bhratach mhòr aig righ nan lann,

Bha gorm shlios ballach le h-òr
Mar shlige ghlais mhoir na h-oidhche,
'Nuair sheallas na reil o'n speur."

An older version of the same poem says:

"Mac Griogair nam Bratach
Da'm bu tartarach pioba,
Ga'm bu shuaitheantas giubhas
Ri bruthach ga dhireadh.
Crann caol air dheagh locradh,
'S ite dhosach an fhir-eoin,
Crann caol air dheagh snaidheadh
Cuid do dh' aighear mhic Righ e.
Ann an laimh dheagh Mhic Mhuirich
'Ga chumail reidh, direach."

The works of the ancient bards are full of those references to the emblazoned banners of the clans, and now I offer no apology for entering a little into detail of coat armour in general -for there is abundant evidence that the science

of heraldry is not a popular study.

(To be continued.)