as much detail as possible relating to the deceased nobleman, a nobleman who was exceedingly kind and generous to all with whom he came in contact, who was on all occasions accessible to and beloved by his tenants, and one who will be mourned by a wide circle of friends for a long time to come. He was sixty years of age. His body was embalmed in New York, and carried across the wide Atlantic to Holyrood Abbey, where his remains were laid in their last resting-place about a month ago.

WICK.

G. M. SUTHERLAND,

A LOCHABER LEGEND.

Uirisg an easa-bhuidh,

'S e na shuidhe an Gleanna-maili,
'S a nuair a chiaradh air an fheasgar,
Thigeadh e dhachaidh gu Mairi.

THIS is a frequent saying in Lochaber if any person makes a habit of daily frequenting a neighbour's house, and the story of it is as follows:Once upon a time a farmer who had Glenmaillie had a pretty servant lass of the name of Mary. The farmer built a sheiling far up the glen near the falls that are still known as the "Eas buidhe," and Mary was sent there to take charge of the cows and their milk. The girl was very brave-hearted, but though not afraid to be alone in the mountain sheiling, yet she began to have company frequently that caused her great alarm. An "Uirisg" came to her cot evening by evening in the dusk, and as he came in he invariably repeated the sentence at the head of this article. He had always some small trout with him, which in the course of the evening he roasted one by one, always eating the one before he roasted another, and saying as he ate each,

Mar a rostar bricein ithear bricein.

And as he cooked and ate his fish he ogled Mary the whole time, casting at her the most admiring glances possible, to the girl's great dismay. At length she got so frightened that she fled to her master's house, and told him about the "Uirisg," and that she was not safe alone in the sheiling. Her master told her he would go in her place for a day or two, and he would see if he could not rid her of the troublesome visitor. He went and dressed himself in a suit of Mary's clothes, and sat at dusk spinning the distaff as Mary was wont to do. By and by he heard a footstep, heavy and slow, and as the creature came in he exclaimed as usual,—

Uirisg an easa-bhuidh,

'S e na shuidhe 'n Gleanna maili,
'S a nuair a chiaradh air an fheasgar,
Thigeadh e dhachaidh gu Mairi.

He then sat down and began as usual to roast his fish, saying,

Mar a rostar bricein ithear bricein,

and all the time gazing at the one who in silence worked away with the distaff in the corner. At length he began to say angrily,

At length, in his indignation at the fraud perpetrated upon him in giving him this masculine creature instead of Mary, he was going to lay hands in violence upon the man, "What is your name ?" (C'ainm tha ort) he asked in angry tones. And the man gave his name as "Is mi, 's is mi," which in English may be interpreted ""Tis me, 'tis me;" and then taking a pot of hot water, he threw it about the feet of the poor creature and scalded him. The "Uirisg" ran away, howling dreadfully in his pain, and all the rest of his brother "Uirisgs" ran out to meet him. They asked eagerly who hurt him, as if they were willing to avenge him, and he said, "Is mi, 's is mi." They replied, "Ma's tu, 's ma's tu, ge de a glaothaich a tha air t-aire ?" (If it is you, if it is you, what are you crying for?) Mary got leave to return to the sheiling in peace, and the "Uirisg" never troubled her again.

There is a strange resemblance in this story to that of the Cyclops, to whom Ullyses gave his own name as No man," and who when his shouts of pain brought his brother Cyclops to him, said in answer to their questions that it was "No man" that hurt him; and then their answer, "If no man hurt you, why do you cry out?" I will send you soon another of these short stories, that also has a resemblance to one of these classical tales. MARY MACKELLAR.

Literature.

·0-

THE CELTIC GARLAND. Translations of Gaelic and English Songs; Popular Gaelic Readings, &c. By "FIONN." Glasgow: Archibald Sinclair.

THE lovers of Gaelic song and story will heartily welcome this contribution to our rapidly extending store-house of Celtic literature. To those who do not understand Gaelic the volume will afford an opportunity of acquiring some idea of the sweet gems the language contains, especially in verse. Translations of Gaelic poetry into English are generally failures and a great injustice to the original, even Professor Blackie's not excepted, though his might perhaps with no injustice be described as much original compositions as translations. "Fionn's" renderings are of a different character, and are, on the whole, so well done that we have been largely reconciled to such productions. To render English into Gaelic is not so difficult a task, and in this department of his work the translator has been eminently successful. Among the favourite songs rendered into English are "An Ribhinn donn," "Mo Run Geal Dileas," "C'aite 'n Caideil an Ribhinn," "Eilean an Fhraoich," and several other popular gems; while

among those translated into Gaelic we have "O, whistle and I'll come to you my lad," "Jock o' Hazeldean," "The Braes o' Mar," "Flora Macdonald's Lament," "Wae's me for Prince Charlie," and "Mary of Argyle." The Gaelic prose readings, some of which are very humorous and laughable, will be found very useful to those who give readings at Gaelic entertainments, though they fall far short of and bear no comparison to the inimitable productions of "Caraide nan Gaidheal." Being mostly translations, though fairly well done, they have not always the same rich flavour about them as genuine originals. "Fionn" (Henry Whyte of Glasgow) deserves the thanks and support of his countrymen for his Garland; and notwithstanding the strong, undeserved reflections recently made upon them in a quarter where it would be least expected, we have no doubt "Fionn" will get both their thanks and support, just because he well deserves it.

THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES.*

It would be out of place to review the above-named pamphlet in these pages, but as the subject of it is of universal interest to Highlanders all over the world, it may be considered appropriate that we should give a few specimens of the opinions of others regarding it. The Rev. Alexander Stewart, F.S.A. Scot., "Nether-Lochaber" correspondent of the Inverness Courier, writes:

We have just been reading a very sad and heart-rending chapter in the history of Scottish Celtland landlordism, as to which many of our readers will have no difficulty in correctly guessing that we refer to "Highland Clearances," by our indefatigable friend, Mr Alexander Mackenzie, F.S.A. Scot., editor of the Celtic Magazine. It is indeed a melancholy story, which Mr Mackenzie tells with the utmost impartiality, extenuating nothing, nor setting down aught in malice. All the same, the painful story of "evictions," "clearances," and wholesale depopulation all over the Highlands and Hebrides since the '45 is told with much vivid force and pathos.

In another communication he says:

While interesting from a social economy and political point of view, and highly creditable as a literary production, it is a sad and shameful chapter in the history of Highland Chiefship. One's cheeks burn red-hot as iron over it all.

Professor Blackie writes:

Accept my best thanks for your "Highland Clearances," which will do good service.

John Mackay, "Shrewsbury," writes:-

I have read your pamphlet upon the "Highland Clearances" with the attention it deserves from every Highlander who feels for his fellow-countrymen in the past and in the present. I must admit that I was not so well informed about these atrocities, nor of the extent to which they had been carried, as I am now from the perusal of your pamphlet. I was well versed in those perpetrated'in Sutherland, but I had little conception of the enormous extent to which such dreadful deeds of "man's inhumanity to man had been carried in the counties of Ross, Inverness, Argyle, and Perth. In

* THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES; or, a Strange Return by the Highland Chiefs for the Fidelity of the Clans: with an Appendix on the Highland Crofters. By Alexander Mackenzie, F.S.A. Scot., Editor of the Celtic Magazine. Inverness: A. & W, Mackenzie,

this age, when the preservation even of wild birds, wild beasts, and beasts of prey engrosses the attention of Parliaments and lawgivers, and cruelty to dumb animals is punished by the magistrate, it is inconceivable that, less than three-quarters of a century ago, such barbarities could have been enacted-nay, much more, could have been permitted by the law of the land, at a time when the nation was engaged in a hand-to-hand life-and-death struggle with Europe in arms.

D. G. F. Macdonald, LL.D., in a long letter to the London Echo and the Inverness Advertiser, says:——

Mr Mackenzie's brochure is very telling and stirring, and is a valuable contribu tion to historic literature, teeming with cases of barbarity such as would shock the nerves of a Russian or a Turk. I shall not trespass more on your space for

the present, but will return to the subject another time. My main object in addressing you is to bring the pamphlet under the notice of your numerous readers, that they may be induced to get it for themselves, and peruse it carefully. When they have done so I am certain that they will shudder with indignation and horror, and believe that truth is really stranger than fiction.

The London Daily News says:

In the pamphlet on Highland Clearances," Mr Alexander Mackenzie, editor of the Celtic Magazine, traces the history of evictions in the Highlands of Scotland from the battle of Culloden to the present time, adding many interesting and pathetic details derived from the writer's long personal acquaintance with the districts to which these events chiefly refer. The tendency of the pamphlet is to show that the evils resulting from the attempt to regulate the position of landlord and tenant in Ireland in accordance with English ideas have been not less observable under like circumstances in the Scottish Highlands. The author states that it is the evictions from good inland arable land to wretched patches on the seashore which are responsible for the miserable state of things now existing; and he expresses his belief that there is no reason why immediate improvement should not take place, if the landlords would, like the present Duke of Sutherland, begin by reversing the proceedings of their predecessors and give part at least of the land back to the people.

We extract the following from some of the notices which reached us:—

There can be little doubt that in recent times several of the owners of land in the Highlands somewhat ruthlessly cleared away the populations of many a glen, but it must at the same time be admitted that the evicted were in most cases provided with the means of emigrating to Canada, where many of them have since become the heads of industrious and prosperous families. In connection with these clearances there were many cases of hardship and even cruelty, but no good purpose can be served by again bringing them to light, as Mr Mackenzie does in his pamphlet. A more important and practical subject is handled in the concluding section of the pamphlet, in which Mr Mackenzie describes the present condition of the crofters, and suggests that means should be taken to enlarge their holdings, which are at present too small to be profitably cultivated. He calls upon proprietors to follow the example of the present Duke of Sutherland, who is reversing the proceedings of his predecessors "by giving part, at least of the land back to the people."-Edinburgh Courant.

In this sixpenny pamphlet there is a compressed, but pretty comprehensive, account of the evictions which have taken place in the Highlands during the last threequarters of a century. Facts are mentioned to show on what an extensive scale they were at times conducted, and with what barbarous cruelty they were carried out. Mr Mackenzie naturally speaks with great bitterness and indignation of the ingratitude of the lairds and chiefs in expatriating the poor people of their clans in order to turn the glens they occupied into feeding places for sheep and deer, and dilates on the political blunder which has deprived the country of so many stalwart men, whose absence would be sorely missed should war break out. The question is no doubt a sad and perplexing one, and strong feelings are excited by the graphic accounts of the evictions, and the pitiable scenes which accompanied them. But it would appear that the evil has not been unproductive of good for thousands of those who were thus forced, in tears and sorrow, to leave the homes and glens they so passionately loved.-Dundee Advertiser.

Mr Mackenzie gives particulars of the Glengarry, Strathglass, Glenelg, Skye, Sutherland, and other evictions, and the story he tells is certainly sad enough. He has for a long time made the question throughout the Highlands generally more or less a subject of special study and observation, and whatever he says may be looked upon as perfectly reliable. He hopes that the present Government, when dealing out a share of justice to the half-rebellious Irish, may show some consideration to the peace-loving and loyal Highlander. The pamphlet deserves a wide circulation.—

Daily Free Press.

The author deals first with the evictions which have from time to time taken place in the Highlands, giving such facts and details as will at present prove most instructive as well as interesting; and he afterwards has something to say about the Highland crofters, whose position has been grossly misrepresented of late years by certain interested parties, who, professing to give a fair account of the subject, have in reality gone for their information to landlords and factors. Mr Mackenzie has proceeded on a very different plan; and, both as to the clearances and the condition of the crofters, he has been careful not to set anything down but what can be substantiated by the best authorities.-Daily Mail.

The accounts given of the different clearances are very startling, and such as could hardly be believed in our day, were there no documentary evidence to prove their truth. In this interesting narrative the author shows that in most cases the tyranny was inflicted, not by the Highland chiefs themselves, but by underlings, who carried out the orders of their superiors with a cruel zeal that their masters would scarcely sanction if they were present. The pamphlet is so cheap as to be within easy reach of all, and a perusal of it will at the same time be interesting and profitable, as showing the interest now taken by the public and the press in the wellbeing of even the poorest crofter.-Ross-shire Journal.

Mr A. Mackenzie, like the true Celt he is, has rendered valuable services to his countrymen in various departments. The present pamphlet will teach the country and statesmen who are willing to examine a great social question unbiassed by inherited prejudice or pre-conceived opinion. The story of Highland eviction in the present century is told with a straightforward simplicity more effective than the most highly coloured description; for their heart-rendering pathos and the heartless tyranny of the landlords are brought into strong relief and shows that the clamour against that class has had very good foundation.-Leith Herald.

The revelations of this book reveal the truth of the old adage, which Mr Mackenzie has appropriately utilised as his motto, "Truth stranger than fiction." The book gives evidence of care, research, and careful writing, and will be read with avidity by the thousands whose present position in life is the result of their or their forefathers having been evicted from their Highland homes.-Buteman.

"The Highland Clearances" is the title of a neat little pamphlet just received from the author, Mr Alex. Mackenzie, editor of the Celtic Magazine, Inverness, Scotland, whose visit to Woodstock about a year ago will be remembered by many of our readers. The narrative of the Highland evictions (which should make modern Irishmen turn pale and bless their comparatively happy lot) is written in a free and graphic style, and will be found intensely interesting.—Sentinel-Review, Woodstock, Canada.

The reader would have seen a quotation from the Edinburgh Daily Review in our last number.

The John O'Groat Journal says-" The story he (the author) tells is certainly sad enough," and after describing the nature of the information given, the writer adds that the pamphlet will be found" both interesting and instructive." The Northern Ensign says

It was well that the melancholy story in Mr Mackenzie's letters should be pre served in this shape, and its appearance just now is opportune when the land question is occupying so much attention. An appendix is added on the Highland crofter system, and in this part of his work Mr Mackenzie corrects the false impressions which were likely to be produced by a series of articles regarding Highland crofters which were published a few years ago in an Edinburgh newspaper.