Ceannabreachd in Glenkingie, the witness adding of her own accord, that she did not live in those days, but had heard that he lived there, and this from her father and others, now dead. That the suiming of Kinloch Morar now, and so far back as she remembers, is forty-eight cows and all their followers, and four mares with their followers. This witness, who could not speak English, was, however, able to specify the extent and values of the farms, in the form of merks, to the astonishment and confusion, as will be seen immediately, by her hasty silencing of Lochiel's cross-examining counsel of that day, no less than Duncan Macneill, afterwards the distinguished judge, Lord Colonsay. Witness went on to depone that Kinloch Morar is what is called a double merk land, and had two glens annexed to it. That Camusnabraan and Little Oban kept eighteen cows without followers, and similarly Romisaig, twenty-four cows, but witness could not positively say whether these three places were considered a single or double merk land. That the glen above the house of Kinloch Morar, is called Glen Lochan-an-eich, and that from a loch in this glen, there is a run of water which falls into Loch Morar. That this upon water there is a bad ford, called the ford of the cows, and she knows from hearsay that it got this name, because Ewen Gillies, her grandfather's brother's son, at the time, lost three cows at said ford, about thirty years ago, when the ford was shut up and discontinued, and the witness had seen the fence erected to prevent access. Upon crossexamination, Mrs. Gillies was sharply questioned, but my readers will be glad to see that by the clearness of her replies, she emerged speedily and triumphantly, resulting in the acute Lowland agent and the clever Highland counsel's speedy collapse. Answering Lochiel's counsel, she said she could not say when her ancestor, Finlay MacWilliam Mor, died, but she understood it was before her own father was born. AskedHow she knows that the lands she has mentioned as possessed by Finlay, belonged to Glengarry. AnsweredThat being long before her own time, she only knew it by hearsay. That the farms she has been referring to, lie not in Knoydart, but in North Morar. InterrogatedWhat she means by a merk land (in Gaelic, marg). Answers-That she can give no furthur definition of it, but that it is a certain extent of land, that keeps a certain number of cows, and pays a certain rent. InterrogatedSays the number of cattle a merk land will keep, depends upon its being considered a double or a single merk. A double merk land will keep forty-eight cows with their followers, and if a glen or hill is attached to it, it will keep a few horses in addition

to these cattle, while a single merk land will keep half that number of cows, without followers, and no horses; and finally, her cross-examination suddenly closing, deponed she could not write.

Three intended witnesses for Glengarry at Fort-William, on 3rd November, 1825, viz.Mary Gillies, Culnamuck of North Morar, aged eighty years and upwards, and bed-ridden; Ewen Macinnes, in Clachaig of Glenco, aged eighty-two years or thereby; and Allan Macdonald, at Inverco, aged eighty years and upwards, could not be examined from the state of the weather, at their homes. Archibald Macdonald, at Mandally of Glengarry, was examined, a married man, aged seventy-eight years, born 1747; stated he was born at Ardochy of Sliesgarve; his evidence on the question of marches was of little value, but 1 give his description of the Macdonells of Greenfield, and their kindly disposition, the predecessors of those eminent members of that historic family, so long and at present distinguished in Canada.

That these horses were troublesome in the way of trespassing on the farm of Greenfield, when it was possessed by Angus Macdonald, father of Angus Macdonald, late tenant there, and Mr. Macdonald poinded these horses, and when the deponent went to relieve them, Greenfield scolded the witness, who replying, that as he could not prevent them straying he must needs sell them. Greenfield replied that he would not allow witness to sell them, as he was a young man at the head of a fatherless family, and that he might send the horses to Glenkingie. That this occurred sixty-two years ago (1763).

Peter Maclaren, residing at Lundy of Glengarry, aged seventy-five, born 1750, said that his first

OF GARRY, NEAR GLENGARRY.

farms were Wester Garrygoulach, Badenjoig, and Ballachan, that he was then worth £1500, and there were removed from his farms to make room for him, Angus, the son of Donald Macmillan ; Ewen Macmillan, commonly called Badenjoig; Widow Kennedy, daughter of John Brogach Kennedy, who had married Duncan Ban Macmillan; Miles Macmillan, brother of said Ewen ; and Duncan Mackinnon, originally from Strathlochy. Witness had previously tenanted Poullarie, in Sliesmein of Glengarry. That the rent he paid for his three farms was £150, and he could have had more lands did his means enable him to stock them with sheep. Having stated that one half of Corrynagaul (formerly forest) belonged to Glengarry, he answered on cross-examination, that thirty years ago (1795) the march was pointed by Angus Rankin, tacksman of Dalness; the late Angus Macdonald, tacksman of Greenfield; Duncan Macdonald, son of the late Glengarry piper; and three other persons, whose names he does not now remember. That Glengarry was himself present at the time on his attaining majority, and making his first perambulation of the marches on his estate. Witness minutely described the different places, composing Sliesmein-Gearrich, and SliesgarveGearrich. That he knows the hill of Gearrich, and was often on the top of it, and that it is situated about the middle of Glenkingie. In answer to testing questions of his knowledge, he said in answer to the query-What are the Braes of Glengarry, and desired to describe them. Answers-That the Braes of Glengarry are wide, and send their waters into the river Garry. Asked To name these waters. Replies-Quoich, Corry buie, Kingie, and so on to the Braes of Knoydart.

The next chapter will deal with the patronage of the parish of Kilmonivaig, disputed between Glengarry and the Duke of Gordon.

(To be continued.)

"THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS."*

SIR, I am not a botanist or an herbalist, yet I cannot refrain from writing to express the genuine pleasure which I received from a perusal of this most interesting volume. A hasty glance at the book would lead one to suppose that it could only interest or instruct such as made botany a special study, or were interested in the medicinal qualities of herbs and flowers. A more careful perusal, however, will show that to any one who has spent his boyhood in the Highlands--roaming barefooted and bareheaded o'er hill and dale-the work will awaken some of the most pleasurable recollections and reminiscences of youthful days "amang the bloomin' heather," and enable him, in a measure, to live them over again. I read the book through and never met with a dull page, for ever and anon I came across the Gaelic name of a plant which I had all but forgotten. I almost felt the cooling draught of that favourite well or fuaran, which in the hottest day in summer was so refreshing, when I read of the biolair or watercress, and the seileisdeir or water flag-which grew so plentiful there. I also recollected that the root of the Iris or seileisdeir

dyes black, and poor Johnnie Macdonald, whose mother was a widow, used to bring this dark fluid to school as a substitute for ink. This set me a thinking of "native dyes," and I tried to recollect a few. I used to be sent to gather fearna bark (alder-wood) when a dark dye was wanted, and crotal when a redish brown was required. When I came across the sealbhag (sorel) I almost smelt the odour of the poit ghuirmein which occupied the fir end during the winter. Sorel was required to fix the blue dye, and I used to gather it for that purpose. Then there was the luachair or common rush, the pith of which was commonly used to make rush-lights-or wicks for the cruisgein, to whose flickering light Highland boys used to learn their lessons long before the days of paraffin. How eagerly I turned to the index to see if Mr. Cameron knew all the delights of digging the braonan and brisgein, the sweet joys of chewing a bunag or puineag, or the supreme happiness of eating a whole mouthful of dearcan monaidh or blaeberries. Yes, he knew it all, and my mouth watered as I read the familiar Gaelic name of these tit-bits. I thought the author might not be familiar with the old-fashioned cures of our remote Highland glen, but there they were-Racadal (horse radish), a cure for toothache, tri-bhileach (bogbean), an excellent tonic, while the very look of the Gaelic name for dandelion made me feel the terrible taste of that decoction of the Beàrnan-Bride, which we had to be coaxed or bribed to swallow.

To one who like myself was half-tutored by the Atlantic," the section devoted to sea plants such as duileasg, feumainn and slata mara, is as refreshing as a breeze from Sgeir-nan-crùban. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed Mr. Cameron's book, and I consider it but right to inform your readers that the work is not one to interest and instruct the botanist only, but that it yields delight to all who have spent their youthful days in our Scottish Highlands. I am, etc.,

THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE CONCERT, in aid of the widows and fatherless bairns of the Highland Brigade killed in South Africa, will be held in the Queen's Hall, Langham Place, London, on 4th July. A most attractive programme has been arranged, and a large attendance is expected.

STEWARTS OF APPIN.-In our sketch of Mr. Robert Bruce Stewart, Chief of Appin, in last issue, two facts were perhaps not made sufficiently clear in our desire to condense as much as possible. The paragraph relating to the Lordship of Lorn would read more correctly as follows-"By this marriage it was claimed that the Lordship of Lorn passed to the Argyll family. Dugald having taken steps to recover the Lordship, by an enforced compromise," etc.

HAVE been making many enquiries and researches regarding the family of McClure, and now proceed to give the readers of the Celtic Monthly the result of my labours.

The Rev. J. Campbell McClure, minister of Marykirk, Kincardineshire, has very kindly supplied the tradition of his family, handed down through a long line of long-lived successors. In early times, a sept of the Macleods left the Isle of Skye for Ulster, where the northern Irish pronounced the "d" as "r," and so the name passed from Maclude to Maclure. Later on, many of these passed on to Galloway, and thence to Wigtown and Ayr, from the north-east of Ireland. Mr. McClure always understood the name McClure to be the same as Macleod.

The tradition of the Skye McClures is that they were teachers, as the MacCrimmons were pipers, to the Macleods, hence the derivation "Mac Giolla Labhair," son of the servant of the book. This tradition the Skye McClures retain to the present day.

Many Gaelic authorities derive the Galloway McClures from "Mac Giolla Uidhir," son of the pale youth or servant; and in ancient charters, the McClures are mentioned as owners of property in conjunction with the Kennedys, Earls of Cassilis, and the Montgomeries, afterwards Earls Eglinton, in Ayrshire, 1485 and 1488; and from the similarity of christian names, it is assumed that these McClures were relatives of the Kennedys and Montgomeries.

of

As regards the Irish McClures, the first immigration was comprised, the late Mr. Waugh McClure, J.P., of Lurgan, told me once, of three brothers who came over at the Plantation of Ulster, 1608. The first settled at Saintfield, County Down, and was Mr. McClure's ancestor as well as mine. The second, on the shores of Loch Neagh, at Crumlin, from whom the late Sir Thomas McClure descended, and the third, in Derry, from whom the Derry McClures descended.

After this, it is evident that many McClures came over during the sad persecutions of the Covenanters, 1660 to 1688; and also it is said by Boswell, in his "Tour through the Hebrides," that he met there (October, 1777) at Ulva, a Captain McClure from Londonderry, who was properly a Macleod, being descended of some refugee Macleods who fled to Ireland after the disastrous battle of Worcester, and, to conceal their identity, changed their name to McClure, and were thus intermingled with other McClures already there at the time. Some of the Down McClures are maternally of French descent through intermarriage with the family of De la Cherois, refugees of noble ancestry, who came to Ireland temp William III., with many followers.

I shall be very glad to hear from any McClures, who may have any further family traditions, if they write to me direct. It is a subject I am much interested in, and am not alone in my interest, as there are many others also very anxious to trace particulars. JOHN WILFRED MCCLure.

Munster and Leinster Bank, Tralee, Ireland.

on

MACLEAN CRESTS AND BADGES.

68 MITCHELL STREET, GLASGOW, 2nd June, 1900.

DEAR SIR,-I shall feel obliged if you will grant me space to make the following corrections in regard to the badges and crests of the Macleans, as given in Dr. Dingwall's able and instructive lecture "Armorial Bearings of the Clans," and reported in this month's Celtic. Dr. Dingwall states that holly is the badge of all the Macleans except Lochbuie. Now this is not the case, the badges being as follows:-Duart, Brolas, Drimnin, and Pennycross, crowberry; Ardgour, Coll, Dochgarroch, and North Macleans, holly; Lochbuie, blaeberry.

He is also incorrect as to the crests. Lochbuie, Dochgarroch, Ardgour, Pennycross, Coll, Drimnin, etc., have for crests, a battle-axe encircled with laurel and cypress (in no case is holly used). Lochbuie and Dochgarroch have for motto, "Vincere Vel Mori"; all the others have "Altera Merces." Duart has for crest, a castle; motto, "Virtue mine Honour," same as in the coat-of-arms of Duart. Brolas use both crests adjoined, and over the battle-axe the motto, "Altera Merces." The chief of the clan, Colonel Sir Fitzroy D. Maclean, Bart., C.B., represents in his person the families of Duart and Brolas.

The war-cries or slogans are- "Bas na beatha" (Death or Life), and "Fear eile air son Eachuinn" (Another for Hector), used alternately. The latter dates from the battle of Inverkeithing.

I am, etc., JOHN MACLEAN.

[NOTE. -I am indebted to my friend Mr. John Maclean, and Mr. Hector A. C. Maclean, for their corrections. My statement regarding the Clan Maclean badges was made on the authority of Mr. J. P. Maclean, the Clan Historian.-A. D.]

N a Highland cottage," said Fiona Macleod on a recent occasion, "I heard, some time ago, a man singing a lament for 'Tearlach Og Aluinn,' Bonnie Prince Charles; and when he ceased, tears were on the face of each that was there, and in his own throat, a sob. I asked him later was his heart really so full of the 'Prionnsa Bàn,' but he told me that it was not him he was thinking of, but of all the dead men and women of Scotland who had died for his sake and of Scotland itself, and of the old days that could not come again. I did not ask what old days, for I knew that in his heart he lamented his own dead hopes and dreams, and that the Prince was but the image of his lost youth, and that the world was old and gray, because of his own weariness and his own grief."

The tragedy of Prince Charles Stuart is sadder than any in Shakespeare, because it is true. It is

one which will always bring tears to the eyes, because it is typical of so many lives. The story of the Prince's life is the story of failure. There is a "high failure" that "overtops the bounds of low successes." The chivalrous career of Montrose ended in failure and the scaffold. But the name of Montrose shines in the page of history. The brilliant beginning of Prince Charles ended in drunkenness and broken-down debauchery. The story of his life, with its bright beginning and its dark ending, is repeated in many lives. The moral that it teaches, is the importance of the virtues of self-control and strength of will, to prince and peasant alike.

After the Highlands of Scotland, there is no place so closely associated with Prince Charles as the Eternal City. In Rome Charles was born. He lived there for many years, and there

he died. To those who have studied the details of his life, Rome is full of memories of the Prince. His father, "James the Third," lived in the Palazzo di Sant' Apostoli. The Palace is now known as the Palazzo Muti-Papazurri, and stands near the Corso, the principal street of Rome. It is a house of the ordinary Roman type, built round a court-yard, and over the large doors the passer-by may see the orange trees with their yellow fruit growing within. Near it is the Church of the Holy Apostles, where James and his sons habitually worshipped. There James' wife, Clementine Sobieski, was buried for a time, until her remains were removed and interred in St. Peter's. Charles was reared amidst the refined and highbred society of Rome. Among the cardinals

Prince