The CHAIRMAN proposed the Queen, in excellent Gaelic. He spoke of the loyalty which always characterised Highlanders. (Cheers.) He then said that he would contiune to propose the other toasts in Gaelic if it were not that he had a delicacy on account of those whose education had been neglected. (Great laughter.) With due sympathy for these people-(laughter)—he wanted to give them a little variety. (Hear, hear) He then proposed the Prince and Princess of Wales, which was heartily honoured. The CHAIRMAN then proposed the Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces. We had lately, he said, very great honour in conferring the freedom of the burgh on one connected with the army, and of whom we ought all to be proud. (Applause.) He is a clansman, and connected with the north. Of the army I cannot give you a better idea than in his words. He stated that those who fought with him in Afghanistan, as also the soldiers of the present army generally, were equal to those who fought with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular war. (Applause.) I think that is about the highest compliment that could be paid to the army. (Applause.) The march to Candabar was one of the most brilliant military exploits. He next spoke of the navy and the reserve forces. As to the reserve forces, he said, I hope we won't have to send them to Ireland, but I know Major Macandrew on my left here, as also Captain Grant, are quite ready for service. (Laughter and applause). Burns speaks of people that had no other idea in his time than to "kill twa at a blow." (Laughter). It is to be trusted, however, that the services of the gentlemen named will never be taken into request in active fight, but that both may be allowed to remain among us as useful citizens and very ornamental. (Laughter). There is certainly no fear of any enemy coming up the Moray Firth as long as we have the volunteers. (Hear, hear, and laughter). The toast was coupled with the name of Major Macandrew, and was cordially received. Major MACANDREW, in reply, said-As the Chairman very gracefully remarked, the army needs no commendation from any one, and all that the volunteers can hope is that we may, if ever we are called on, imitate in some respect what the army have done. (Applause.) I remember reading recently some lines by an old gentleman, who remarked generally on the degeneracy of modern times, and went on to say that what he wished to be remembered for was his being one that stood on the heights of Quatre Bras with the gallant 42d. If we have not done mighty service, we have the authority of General Macpherson for this-that those who stood in the ranks of the 92d at Afghanistan were as good men as those who stood at Quatre Bras, and as we belong to the same race as those who stood at Quatre Bras, the volunteers of Inverness will do their duty if ever they are called upon. (Applause.) I should not like to see service of any kind, but I am sure you will not think I am failing in warlike sentiments when I say I hope the Highlanders of the north of Scotland are not going to be called upon to shoot the mis. guided Celts of Ireland. (Applause.) However far wrong these poor men may go, it is not their fault-(applause, and a voice, "Question ")—and we must remember that they are Celtic brethren. (Applause.) The SECRETARY then read the annual report, in Gaelic, as follows: Bha e mar chleachdadh agam aig an am so, cunntas gearr a thoirt air obar na bliadhna chaidh seachad; agus a reir a' chleachdaidh sin, is e mo dhleasnas facal no dha a thoirt dhuibh a nochd mu ghniomharan a' Chomuinn bho 'n am so an uiridh. Mar tha fios aig a' chuid mhor agaibh, choinnich sinn an uiridh fo riaghladh Ceann a' Chomuinn, Fear Sgiabost, agus chaith sinn oidhche cho aighearach 's a dh' iarradh cridhe mac Gaidheil. An deigh sin bha sinn mar bu ghnathach leinn a' coinneachadh bho sheachdain gu seachdain; ach mu mheadhon an Earaich chaidh a' Pharlamaid a sgaoileadh, agus chuir an sgaoileadh sin agus an taghadh a thainig na 'lorg, sgaoileadh ann an coinneamhan seachdaineach a' Chomuinn bho dheireadh an Fhaoillich gu meadhon a Ghiblin. An deigh sin bha iomadh coinneamh againn, agus aig te dhiubh thug "Meall-fuarmhonaidh" coir dhuinn eachdraidh air buidseachd agus air buidsichean an Strathghlais anns na linntean a chaidh thairis. Aig a' choinneimh mhoir a bh' againn aig am Feill-na-cloimhe, bha am fior Ghaidheal sin an t-Ollamh MacLachlainn anns a' chathair, agus bha gach soirbheachadh againu mar dh'iarramaid. An uair a thainig an Geamhradh, bha sinn a' coinneachadh bho am gu am, agus am measg cuid de na nithean a chaidh a thoirt fa chomhair a' Chomuinn ainmichidh mi cunntas air Oidhche Shamhna " leis na t-sar-Ghaidheal sin. Iain Macaoidh, an Lochna-h eala. Bidh sibh air son a chluinntinn am beil ionmhas mor aig a' Chomunn am bliadhna, agus ni mi mo dhichioll air innseadh dhuibh mu dheibhinn, Eadar airgiod bho 'n uiridh agus na thionail sinn fad na bliadhua, chaidh £115 10s 9d, troimh mo lamhan ga, Phaidh mi dluth air tri fichead punnd Sasunnach 's a coig, ach an deigh sin, tha mu'n cuairt do leth-chiad punnd Sasunnach agam a nochd. Tha beagan fhiachan agam fhathast ri phaigheadh as an t-suim sin, ach an deigh na h-uile car, bidh a' cheart uidhir. a dh-airgiod agam air son na bliadhna tha nis air dol seachad. Mar tha fhios agaibh cha 'n 'eil an leabhar bliadhnail aig a' Chomunn a mach fhathast; ach is e is coireach ri sin gu 'n do simuainich luchd-riaghlaidh a' Chomuinn gu 'm biodh e, na b' fhearr gu'n tugadh an leabhar iomradh air gniomharan a' Chomuinn gu deireadh na bliadhna, oir smuainich iad gur e sin a b' fhearr na stad aig meadhon an t-Samhraidh mar a b' abhaist duinn. Tha mi an dochas gu 'm faigh gach fear agaibh a leabhar eadar so agus ceana shea seachdainean. An am dhomh co dhunadh, ghuidhinn air gach fear agaibh aig a bheil math a' Chomuinn na chridhe, toirt air a chairdean aonachadh ris a' Chomunn agus mar sin a dheanamh airidh air a chliu a bhuineas do chlann nau Gaidheal. The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the evening, the Gaelic Society of Inverness. (Cheers.) I have, he said, to express the very great regret I feel at the absence of our chief, the Rev. Dr Maclauchlan, but the weather being so very severe, it could scarcely be expected that at his time of life he could come. (Applause.) Hence I am here, and I feel very much the compliment of being asked to preside at the annual re-union of this Society-a meeting where so much patriotism and kind hearty feelings towards the land of our birth are always brought out. (Applause.) But the waut of our Chief on such an occasion is a great loss, particularly so when that Chief is a man who has studied the origin of the Gaelic language and written so much on the subject. (Hear, bear.) His paper recorded in the Transactions is highly valuable, and should make us glad to meet each other, were it only to have a talk in two languages, which give those blessed with that privilege a great advantage over many others of our countrymen. (Laughter and applause.) Then you have that indefatigable champion of Gaelic, Professor B'ackie, of whom any country ought to be proud. (Cheers.) His exertions to benefit us are above all praise, and I wish we had now got the Celtic Chair filled, for which he has collected the funds. Allow me next to mention Sir Kenneth Mackenzie(cheers) whose thoroughly practical remarks on the crofter system are highly valuable. We have also Cluny and many others, whose names I need not mention; but they assist much in adding to the information we have of our forefathers, information which this Society so carefully records. There is no object which this Society should pursue more strenuously than the collection of what it can find of the literature and customs of the people of the Highlands; and I have no hesitation in saying that in this it has a valuable assistant in the editor of the Celtic Magazine, a periodical, I believe, destined to do much good by its researches, under the management of its energetic and persevering publisher. I should also mention the Highlander, as conducted by Mr Murdoch, than whom there is not a more enthusiastic Highlander among us. The report just read by the Secretary is highly satisfactory, and shows the interest taken in the work by the officials. This is a labour of love, and evinces a great amount of patriotic feeling with which parties not members of the Society cordially sympathise. The other societies of a similar kind in the country assist very much. In alluding to the objects of the Society, and the work it desires to forward, I have often thought that there is nothing more interesting than observing the applicability of the names of places in Gaelic. I know a shepherd's croft called "Laggan-a-bhainne," than which no name could be more appro priate, seeing that this particular place would at once strike one as "a place flowing with milk and honey." I could give many other examples of this kind, but I must defer to the Rev. Mr Macgregor and the Rev. Mr Mackenzie, Kilmorack, who scarcely ever hear an odd name but they can trace it to Gaelic origin. (Laughter and applause.) It may be a strong thing for an Inverness residenter to have any opinions as to the crofting system, but my experience is not favourable to the idea of letting crofters have their own way. They should be asked to pay fair rents, and they should be guided as to manage. ment. (Hear, hear.) They do not go much from home, and, if they are not told what to do, I rarely find progress among them. Allowing them to continue as they are, means vegetating. I would give them rules and prices as much as possible for fulfilment of engagements, taking care always that I carry their understanding and their good will with me. (Hear, bear.) I have no hope of a crofter doing good unless he has enough of land to keep him in work. A cow is necessary to existence, and when he can take such a place as could keep a horse, so much the better. The west coast crofters are peculiarly placed. They are half fishermen, half farmers. They occasionally get a great haul at the fishing, and the money realised is in hand at once. This spoils them for their work at the croft, and they do not persevere in the fishing. As seamen, they are excellent when properly trained, and they know all the creeks on their own coast where shelter is to be had, and if a wind springs up they know where to go. What Sir Kenneth Mackenzie said is quite my experience-that an east coast fisherman takes three times as many fish as a west coast man, even in his own loch. I, therefore, think that crofts ought to be large enough to give full employment, and the possessors should be obliged to adopt a certain system of working them. In travelling over some land not far from Inverness, I recollect having remarked to the owner that it had a fine face, and a good exposure. "Well," he said, "I will tell you about that. Some years ago I took all the people here from the hills-12 or 15 families-I saw they were making no progress. They were existing, but not improving; and I resolved to transfer them all down to the low country, and give each family 20 acres to improve and cultivate. Ac cordingly, I sent for an Inverness surveyor to plan out the ground, but on going over it with him: be dissuaded me very much from the proposal, and insisted that the ground was not fit for culture, and suitable only for an outrun for sheep, being then all in heather. After a good deal of talk, I found I could only get my plan carried out by my saying to my Inverness friend that I sent for him to lot out the land, and not to give me advice-(laughter)—and if he was not prepared to carry out my wishes I would get some one else to do so. (Laughter and applause.) Accordingly the plan was prepared, and the people settled in the place; and there is the land now, than which there is no better in the district, and no more contented tenants or better farmers in the north. And all they asked me to do for them since was merely to assist in leading drains, in regard to which they should be instructed and assisted, as, otherwise, each only does what belongs to his own croft." (Hear, hear.) Guidance is, therefore, beneficial, and after that ordinary competition and rivalry comes in. Progress is effected, and the people and the country benefitted. (Applause.) Planting is a thing that should be extensively carried on in the Highlands. It is a landlord's improvement, and there is plenty land for it, without interfering with that fit for cultivation. In all these things the Society should take a leading part, and in this way it is eminently fitted for doing good. As a race, there is not anywhere a finer or more intelligent, when instructed, than the Scottish Highlanders-(cheers)-but as to this, and in a company of Highlanders in the capital of the Highlands, I am not expected, I presume, to say much. They are known everywhere, and, as to their valour, I may be allowed to quote a passage from a speech of Lord Chatham's, who, though not a Scotchman, was above all prejudice. (Cheers.) Chatham, speaking of the natives of the Highlands, said— I care not whether a man is rocked in a cradle on this or the other side of the Tweed. I sought for merit, and I found it in the mountains of the North. I there found a hardy race of men, able to do their country service. I called them forth to her aid, and sent them to fight our battles. They did not disappoint my expectations, for their fidelity could only be equalled by the valour which signalised their own and their country's renown all over the world. (Loud Cheers.) I need say no more. The Gaelic Society of Inverness has for its object the improvement of this race, as well as the preservation of the Gaelic language and Celtic literature, and I propose that we devote a hearty bumper to its success. Gentlemen, let us pledge with cordiality, "The Gaelic Society of Inverness." (Loud cheers.) Mr ALLAN MACDONALD, Commissioner for the Mackintosh, next gave the Members of Parliament for Highland Counties and Burghs-gentlemen who discharged very onerous duties with marked ability. (Hear, hear.) Their duties in the past had been very onerous, and there was no indication that they would be less so in the session upon which they had entered. The present and many previous generations in this country had been in the habit of priding themselves as being in the land of the brave and the free-a land that was held up to the admiration of all the nations in the civilised world, as the land Where freedom broadens slowly down (Cheers.) But in one part of our empire a large section believed that they were suffering grievous wrongs, and, whether this was well or ill founded it was improper to seek redress by turning freedom into licence, and order into lawless anarchy. (Applause.) Our representatives in Parliament, he felt sure, would ever be actuated by true patriotism, and would strive to maintain the integrity of the United Kingdom. (Cheers.) Mr WM. MACKAY, Solicitor, proposed "The Language and Literature of the Gael." In this subject, he said, great interest had been taken during the last ten years. This interest and good feeling must not be looked upon as something altogether ew; it is a revival of a state of things which, to some extent at least, existed hundreds of years ago. The glimpses which we are able to get of the distant past are unfortunately few and slight, but they are sufficient to show that Gaelic-or Irish, as it was then calledwas held in considerable esteem, even in the Lowlands, for centuries after it had ceased to be the language of the Scottish Court. On this occasion it is impossible fully to enter into this subject, but I may be allowed to mention one or two things which show that what I have now said is true. In the fifteenth century we find the Ayrshire poet, Danbar, singing the praise of Gaelic in the following strain : It could be all trew Scottis mennis leid, Scota, as you will remember, was that daughter of Pharoah from whom, according to ancient chroniclers, the Scottish nation sprung. (Laughter.) In the sixteenth century the scholars of Aberdeen, who were prohibited from speaking English or Scotch, were expressly permitted to converse in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, or Gaelic. (Cheers.) In the seventeenth century Gaelic formed part of the educational routine of some of the highest in the land. Thus in 1633 Archibald, Lord Lorne (afterwards Marquis of Argyle, and Montrose's great opponent), a man who was not supposed by the Highlanders of his time to be specially Celtic in his sentiments, sent his eldest son (afterwards the Earl of Argyle who was executed in 1685) to Sir Duncan Campbell of Gien Urqubay, ancestor of the Earls of Breadalbane, to be educated; and part of the arrangement was that the pupil's tutor was to be "ane sufficient man quba has bothe isch and Euglisch." In 1637 the pupil's mother, although a Lowland lady-being daughter of the Earl of Morton-wrote from Roseneath to Sir Duncan in the following terms : I hear my son begins to weary of the Irish language. I intreat you to cause hold him to the speaking of it; for since he has bestowed so long time and pains in the getting of it, I should be sorry he lost it now with laziness in not speaking it. (Cheers.) The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland early took an interest in our language. In 1643 young students "having the Irish language" were ordained to be trained in the Universities. In 1648 bursaries were instituted for such students; and while each Presbytery in the provinces of Moray, Ross, and Caithness were ordained to maintain a Gaelic-speaking student at college, each congregation over the rest of Scotland had to pay forty shillings Scots yearly towards the maintenance of Highland bursaries. In connection with these enactments I find that on 23d October 1649 the Presbytery of Dingwall granted a bursary to an "Irish" boy from Alness. (Laughter.) Other Presbyteries also maintained their bursaries. You all know of the more modero Gaelic bursaries and associations. In our day the most important event in connection with my subject, is the endowment of a Celtic chair in the University of Edinburgh. (Applause.) That chair is as good as established. In April last the committee recommended that it should not be established before May 1881, and that lectures could not begin before November 1881. The intention now is to finally place the chair on its legs in May 1882, and to commence the lectures in the following November. The reasons of the delay are purely financial, and notwithstanding the impatience of some good Highlanders, for my part the delay has my hearty approval. To us the future is uncertain, and it would be unwise to depend too much upon a large income of class fees; and to ensure that the Celtic professorship will command the highest talent we must allow the amount which our good friend Professor Blackie collected to increase by the accumulation of interest until we have a principal sum sufficient of itself to yield a fair income. (Applause.) From the Celtic professorship I anticipate important results. In this place it is unnecessary to refer to its importance from a linguistic or philosophical point of view. On a former occasion I pointed out the necessity of a knowledge of ancient Gaelic to him who would profitably study the early history of our country. Similarly, although perhaps in a less degree, Gaelic would be of use to the student of our family charter chests, the contents of which throw so much light on the domestic life of our forefathers. Let me illustrate this. In the charter chest of the Breadalbane family there is an inventory of the year 1603 in which are mentioned four "glaslawis chanyeit with four shaikhillis." Mr Cosmo Innes, who deciphered this document, and printed it in the Black Book of Taymouth, was at a loss what to make of the four "glaslawis;" but he surmised that they were "instruments of torture." Now, if the learned antiquarian had the advantage of a session or twe at the feet of the Celtic professor, he would, without doubt, have been able to see that "glaslawis" was a very fair attempt to write phonetically the word "glas-lamh," which you all know is the Gaelic of handcuff. Thus the mysterious sentence becomes "four handcuffs chained with four shackles,' (Applause and laughter.) I could multiply instances of this kind, but I must close. I ask you to drink to the Language and Literature of the Gael; and let me couple the toast with the name of our venerable father in Celtic matters, the Rev. Alexander Macgregor. Rev. A. MACGREGOR, in replying to the toast, said-The Gaelic is a language for which I entertain a very great love. (Applause.) It is the first language which I lisped-(hear, hear)-the first language in which, I may say, I spoke for nine or ten years without knowing very much at all of the English language, and it is a language that is well worthy of all the best and all the most scrutinising processes of those who have any regard whatever for philology. (Applause.) It is a primitive language. I believe it is the root of all the languages over the length and breadth of Europe--(p• plause) and perhaps much more-(Rev. Mr Mackenzie-"Hear, bear. That is really so")-and to go a little further than that, I believe we may truly speak of it as Ghaidhlig❞— Bha aig Adhamh a's Eubha (Applause.) Whether that be true or not, it is not necessary for us in the meantime to consider. It is frequently alleged that the Gaelic language has no literature. I maintain quite the opposite of this. It has a very extensive literature, as my good friend on my left here can testify. (Rev. Mr Mackenzie-Yes.) The Gaelic language, as you all knew, consists of various languages. Take the Welsh, the Irish, the Manx; take your own good. High'and longng-there are many works published in that. It is preached in the various courches in the Highlands of Wales now-beat, hear)—and we all know that it is preached in the Highlands of Scotland. I myself have preached in it for upwards of twenty years without hardly preaching at all in English. It is, as I have affirmed, a language that I entertain a high regard for in respect of its own native qualities and from its being, as I truly believe, the root of Greek and Latin and the various other languages. (Applause.) To see that it has its own literature you have but to look at the various bards in the Highlands who have published beautiful poems, such as Dugald Buchanan, my own namesake Macgregor and others. (Applause.) And not only so, but in more modern times we have our own blessed Word of God trans1ted into Gaelic, and I believe that that translation is much more perfect than any other translation we have-(hear, hear)—and it is used in all our churches where Gaelic is preached. And to go further back, as has been already pointed out, we have the old deeds that were written in Gaelic, The Book of Deer," "Carsewell's Prayer Book," and the book of my namesake, the Dean of Lismore. (Applause.) All these we have still, thanks greatly to our chief Dr Maclauchlan. (Applause.) After alluding to local and other Celtic literature, and paying a high compliment to the Celtic Magazine for the real good work it was doing-(cheers)—and congratulating its editor for the ability with which it was conducted, he referred to the interesting book of Highland proverbs which the Sheriff of Kirkcudbright was to publish that week. Mr Macgregor then spoke of those, such as Professor Blackie, Principal Shairp, Professor Geddes, of Aberdeen, and Mr William Jolly, who, though they were not Highlanders, and had not a single drop of Highland blood in their veins, sought to pry into the origin of languages, and were most enthusiastie in their admiration of Gaelic. The chief, said Mr Macgregor, is that indefatigable beggar-(laughter)-- Professor John Stuart Blackie. I cannot say he is a sturdy beggar-(laughter)-but he is a most enthusiastic one--(applause) and by means of his begging and intercession with all those who would supply him with funds you see he has established the Celtic Chair, and it is a matter of certainty that that chair is fixed-(cheers)-and that it will carry down and spread throughout the world a knowledge of the beauties of the Gaelic language for ages after we are all gone, and after the language has ceased to be spoken in the Highlands of Scotland. And in this respect the Celtic Chair is a chair as to which Professor Blackie may say in the words of Horace, Exegi momentum aere perennius." (Applause.) There is no fear of the Gaelic language being lost. It may be lost as a spoken language, but it will never be lost in regard to its own intrinsic qualities and characteristics. (Applause.) I regret very much that Gaelic is not taught in our Highland schools. I think the School Boards themselves are considerably to blame for that, and I consider that Government is to blame too, because it cannot be expected that teachers will teach a language unless they are paid for doing so. (Hear, hear.) But perhaps through the instrumentality of our members of Parliament this matter may be rectified. Aud now, in conclusion, I may say that I hope this Gaelic Society of ours will continue to prosper. In the record of its transactions there are many valuable things that will be handed down to succeeding members of the society when we ourselves shall be removed from earth's scene. (Applause.) 66 Major MACANDREW proposed Kindred Societies. I propose this toast with great pleasure, he said, because it is always well to be brotherly and to be mindful of hose who are labouring to a like end with ourselves. (Applause.) As regards other Celtic societies, to which this toast more particularly applies, I am glad to think that they are now bringing their aims to somewhat different objects to what they did when I can first remember. It seems to me in looking back that I can remember two phs of the Celtic society. I think I can remember that the great object of what was supposed to be a Celtic society was to exhibit the mere outside of a Highlander-(hear, hear)-kilts and cocked bonnets and feathers and plaids, all beautiful things in them ives-(laughter)-but yet perhaps the attention was too exclusively directed to them. (Applause.) But lately, as my learned friend Mr Mackay has said, the attention has been directed to a better subject perhaps, and that is to the language of the Gael, and within the last teu years there is no doubt whatever-whatever may have been done in past centuries, whatever attention may have been paid to it in past centuries-Celtic scholars have done much to rescue what remains of our Highland literature. (Applause.) But I think I have noticed that within the past few years the sympathy of Celtic Societies has been directed to something better even than that. We have come to recognise the fact that one hundred and fifty years ago the whole of this land was inhabited, and the whole of it was possessed by people of the Celtic race-(applause)—and we have come also to recognise the fact that the plaids and the bonnets and the targets and the broadswords covered the bodies of Highlanders, and that the language which we all wish to preserve grew out of the hearts and out of the feelings and sympathies of Highlanders. (Applause.) I look around with some regret to think that while Celtic societies were preserving all that remained of the ancient language and its ancient literature a process was silently going on by which the ancient way in which they have behaved in respect of the Highlander was fast disappearing from the land—(applause)—and I think it has now come to |