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Thug iad cuid de'n mhir dhomh,
'S theid inns' air an rann.

Tha ceudan de bhliadh'nan

Bho'n shiolaich iad ann.

'N oidhche mhòrt bha 'n Gleann-a-comhan

Bha droch gnothach thall;

'S iad a ghlac an t'oighre,

'S ghabh greim dheth air ball.

Till towards the end of the fifteenth century, Glenmoriston formed part of the princely dominions of the Lords of the Isles and Earls of Ross, and for many generations was held of them by Cloinn-Iain-Ruaidh-a branch of the great Macdonald confederacy. Annually at the Inn of Aonach, in the braes of Glenmoriston, Macianruaidh, their chief or ceanntighe, met the Lord of the Isles to renew their bond of friendship and mutual fidelity, which was done in the primitive style of exchanging shirts. This ceremony constituted Macianruaidh the "Leine-chrios," or faithful ally of his insular Majesty. But when it was found needful to curtail the almost regal power of these potentates, besides other portions of their territories, they were deprived of Glenmoriston, which was handed over to the Grants of Freuchie. These encroachments on their hereditary rights were resisted by Macianruaidh and his allies; but they were eventually obliged to yield to the irresistible pressure of circumstances. To conciliate them, John Mor, first of the Grant lairds there, constituted Macianruaidh tutor to his eldest son Patrick Og; from whom his descendants take the patronymic of Mac'ic-Phatrick. These Livisie Macdonalds were allied by marriage to the House of Glenco. This may account for their prompt and seasonable friendship towards the young chief.

It was during his stay at Livisie that the following incident occurred at a marriage festival. It was the mutton and not the wine which became scarce on the occasion; and young Macian, who seems to have been a wag as well as a poet, said to his host

Iain 'ic Dhomhail o'n t-shian

A bha fuireach an Libhisie riamh.

Ged' 's mòr do bhosd ad' chuid gabhar,
Cha'n fhoghainn iad dhut mar bhiadh.

To which the other replied impromptu :

A chloinn Iain Ghlinnecomhan,

Cha d'rinn sibh gnothach math riamh,
Mharbh sibh Stiubhartaich na h-Apuinn,
A chionn a bhi tagradh fhiach.
S thog sibh creach Bhraidalbuinn,
S bu dubh 's bu shearbh a crioch.

The last two lines allude to the part the Glenco men had in the fight at Stroinachlachain, near Killin, in which skirmish several cadets of the Breadalbane family were slain. It is said that the connection John Glas, Earl of Breadalbane, is alleged to have had with the massacre, was in resentment of this injury. The above-mentioned Ian-mac DhomhuilMacianruaidh, was a poet of merit. A poem by him in praise of "Coiriarrairidh," is not much inferior to Macintyre's "Coirecheathaich."

The last representative of the Macianruaidhs of Glenmoriston was the late Dr Patrick Macdonell, only son of Captain Duncan Macdonell of Aonach -an eminently accomplished medical officer in the Indian army. He died at Mandalay, where a monument was reared to his memory by the officers of his regiment, by whom he was greatly respected and beloved. The nearest living representative of this ancient sept of the Macdonalds is Patrick Macdonell, Esq., Kinchyle.

There is another Glenmoriston bard-Alastair Mac-Iain-bhain-wellknown and deservedly appreciated by his contemporaries; but whose poems are, we fear, almost irrecoverably gone. The only one in print is "Oran an t-Shaighdear," which will be found in Macpherson's "Duanaire." He composed many others of superior merit. One of them describes in vivid strains the British expedition to Denmark under Lord Cathcart, and the bombardment of Copenhagen. Grant accompanied this expedition. He also composed an elegy on Colonel Grant of Glenmoriston, a composition that shows great bardic ability. His farewell to his native glen, on joining his regiment, is full of pathos and exquisite descriptions of scenery. The following are the only two stanzas that we at present remember:

Thoir mo shòlas do'n duthaich,
Bithidh mo run di gu m' éug.
Far am fàsadh a ghiùbhsach,
An coill smudain na géig.
Thall ri aodan an Dùnain
Chluinnte thuchan gu réidh,
Moch maduinn na drùchda
An am dusgadh do'n ghréin.

Gheibhte coilleach 's lach riabhach

Anns an riasg an Loch Coilleaig.

Coilleach dubh an Ariamlich,

Air bheag iarraidh 'sa choille.

Bhiodh an ruadh-chearc mar gheard air,

'G innse dàn dha ro theine:

'S ach na'n coisneadh i 'm bàs dha
Thug ise gràdh do dh' fhear eile.

A fickle bird she was.

Grant played his part under Wellington in all his Portuguese and Spanish campaigns-returned home at the close of the war broken by exposure, privations, and wounds; and died at a comparatively early age. The sufferings of a soldier in active service are vividly described by him —and no doubt from painful experience-in "Oran an t-Shaighdear.' He was a true poet, and the productions of his muse, could they be recovered, are well worthy of a place in the Pantheon of our Highland bards.

KENMORE.

ALLAN SINCLAIR.

TO CONTRIBUtors. "Notes on Caithness History" unavoidably left over. The article by the Rev. A. C. Sutherland, B.D., Stratlibraan, on "Ewen Maclauchlan's Translation into Gaelic Verse of the Third Book of the Iliad," will appear in an early number.

THE

CELTIC MAGAZINE.

Conducted by ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, F.S.A. Scot.

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XVI. DONALD GORM MOR MACDONALD, Seventh baron' of Sleat. Immediately on the succession of this chief he became involved in serious disputes with his neighbours, the Macleans, through the treachery of his own nephew, a desperate character known as "Uistean Mac Ghilleaspuig Chleirich," or Hugh, son of Archibald the clerk. The Chief of Sleat being, in 1585, on a voyage to pay a complimentary visit to his relative, Angus Macdonald of Dunyveg, in Islay, and accompanied by the usual retinue befitting his rank, was forced by stress of weather to take shelter in the Island of Jura, on a part of it belonging at the time to Maclean of Duart. At the same time Uistean Mac Ghilleaspuig Chleirich and a son of Donald Herrach, already referred to as the ancestor of the Macdonalds of Balranald, were by the same cause driven into a neighbouring creek for shelter. Learning that their chief lay so near them, "these vassals," according to Gregory, "carried off, by night, a number of cattle from Maclean's lands and took to sea, in the expectation that Donald Gorme and his party would be blamed by the Macleans for the robbery, and suffer accordingly. Their malicious design, unfortunately, took effect, for in the course of the following night the men of Skye were attacked by a superior body of the Macleans; and, as they apprehended no danger, fell an easy prey to the assailants. Sixty of the Macdonalds were slain, and their chief only escaped the same fate from the circumstance of his accidentally sleeping on board his galley on the night of the attack. He immediately returned to Skye, much exasperated at what he had reason to believe was such an unprovoked attack, and vowed vengeance against the Macleans; feelings which quickly spread amongst all the Macdonalds and their allies. Violent measures of retaliation were immediately resorted to, and carried to such an extent, that, in the month of September, we find the King himself writing to Macleod of Harris, and earnestly requesting that chief to assist Maclean of Duart against the Clandonald, who had

D

already done much injury to Maclean and his followers, and threatened to do more."* The original letter, which is dated 18th September 1585, is in the Macleod Charter Chest in Dunvegan Castle. All the Macdonalds joined to revenge the insult offered to the Chief of Sleat and the terrible slaughter of his followers for the unscrupulous misdeeds of a character of whose conduct they were as ignorant as they were innocent. Angus Macdonald of Isla became the chief leader in the bloody battles which followed, but he was well backed up by the Chief of Sleat. A very full account of the atrocious acts which followed is given in the "History of the Macleans," but as these refer more particularly to the Macdonalds of Isla, a record of them will more appropriately be given under that head later on.

In the New Statistical Account of the Parish of Kilmuir in Skye, written in 1841 by the Rev. Alexander Macgregor, M.A., then residing in the parish, we find the following:-" A secret plot was laid to deprive Donull Gorm Mor of his property, which was devised and artfully carried on by his own nephew, Uistean Mac Ghilleaspuig Chleirich (Hugh, the son of Archibald the clerk), who was a very powerful and treacherous man. Seeing that his uncle, Donull Gorm, had no issue, and that the property would, in consequence, devolve upon his elder brother, Donull Gorm Og Mac Ghilleaspuig Chleirich, he resolved to usurp it by power and stratagem. For this purpose he secretly contrived to gain over to his cause as many of the clan as possible, at the same time pretending to his uncle to be on the best possible terms with him. The first preparation for the accomplishment of his schemes was the building of a large tower or castle on the farm of Peinduin, in the adjoining parish of Snizort. This tower, still called 'Caisteal Uistein,' i.e., Hugh's castle, was never entirely finished. It was erected on a rock by the sea-side, and had neither doors nor windows, but was to be entered on the top by means of ladders, which could be pulled up and let down at pleasure. The ruins of this castle are still several feet in height, It is said that Donull Gorm had but little suspicion of his nephew's intrigues until he commenced the building of this unique fortress, which he did under other pretences, by the permission of his uncle. A few years afterwards, however, Donull Gorm had more direct proof of his nephew's intentions. Having had occasion to pay a visit to his kinsman at Dunyveg, in Isla, he set out from his castle at Duntulm." Mr Macgregor then gives an account of what occurred on the Island of Jura which is pretty much the same as that already quoted from Gregory, and proceeds-" Soon after Donull Gorm's return at that time to his castle of Duntulm, he had a letter from his treacherous nephew Uistean, which was the means of bringing his plots clearly to light. Uistean being in Uist, with a view to procure as many adherents as possible, wrote a letter to one of his confederates in Skye, revealing all his plans, while at the same time he wrote another letter, full of friendly expressions, to his uncle at Duntulm. It is said that, while both letters were closed and sealed, he committed an egregious mistake for his own unrighteous cause, by addressing his confederate's letter to his uncle and vice versa; by which awkward oversight Donull Gorm was, from Uistean's own handwriting, led to a

* Highlands and Isles, pp. 280-31.

knowledge of all his schemes. Before the usurper was aware of what he had done, Donull Gorm despatched a messenger to his kinsman and relative, Donull Mac Iain 'ic Sheumais in Uist, to seize Uistean, and bring him prisoner to Duntulm. Without loss of time Donull Mac Iain put his liege-lord's instructions into execution. He resorted to the house where Uistean resided, and as he approached it with a strong retinue of men, the usurper dreading that all was not right, and seeing the impossibility of effecting his escape, had barely time to dress himself in female attire, and to commence grinding with a quern, or hand-mill, at which the inmates had been at the time engaged. The size and masculine appearance of the grinder soon attracted the notice of the party when they entered the house. They laid hold of him, but his great agility and bodily strength, together with his being rendered violent through despair, made it doubtful for a time whether or not the party could retain him. At length, being encumbered with his dress, and unable any longer to defend himself against the men who surrounded him, he was seized, and fastly bound and carried prisoner to the family seat in this parish (Kilmuir). He was cast into the dungeon of the castle, which was a dark, secluded vault on the ground-floor of the edifice, where he was chained in the centre of the apartment. He was fed on salt beef, and when he stretched forth his hand to grasp a covered pitcher which was placed near him, and which he no doubt supposed to contain water, he found it empty! Writhing in agony with thirst, he found neither alleviation nor repose, until death put an end to his sufferings."

Lachlan Mor, Chief of the Macleans, had been able for some time to get the best of the quarrel with the Macdonalds; he on one occasion having put to death no less than five hundred and six of that clan in Isla, and to secure a truce with him Macdonald of Isla had to grant Maclean the half of his Isla territories; whereupon the latter returned to Mull. The Macdonalds generally were highly exasperated, and a powerful league was formed, to revenge their past misfortunes, under Donald Gorm of Sleat, composed of the Macdonalds of Kintyre, Skye, Ardnamurchan, Clanranald, and the subordinate clans of Macneil of Gigha, Macallisters of Loup, and the Macphees of Collonsay, while they had the assistance of Maclean of Borreray, who held his lands of Donald Gorm of Sleat as his feudal superior. This powerful force assembled so suddenly and entered Maclean's territories in Mull that he was quite unprepared to meet them, having no force ready to take the field, and he was obliged to retreat with all the inhabitants of the lower grounds along the sea coast to the mountains, whither they carried all their moveable property, under his immediate command. They encamped at Lichd Li. The Macdonalds meanwhile sailed up Loch-nan-gall on the west coast of Mull, and, embarking, marched and pushed forward their outposts within three miles of where the Macleans were encamped. The Macdonalds of Sleat having held such a prominent position in this expedition, the following may be given from the account in "Seanachie's" History of the Clan Maclean. He says:-Lachlan Mor gave strict orders that no one should advance beyond a certain pass, at which it was his intention to dispute the progress of his enemies when they attempted to force it. Contrary to his intentions, however, a bold and spirited youth, Ian an Inner (or John of Innerscadell), a son of Maclean of Ardgour, who commanded the detached parties, and

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