Like sea-bird over billow's crest At evening call it fluttered free, His helm our old brave leader bowed, For stirrup still and banner staff, Were fast together bound. And "Oh, my Greys, my gallant Greys!" "Yon humbled foe now well doth know, The French upon Holland are marching, Bonnet and feather sae braw, The round-hilted Scottish broad blade, A banner o' silk she has broidered, And wi' its folds waving aboon her, She rides through the Gordon's broad lands; And bunches of ribbons she carries, Of colours the Gordons aye wore ; While stepping in time to the pibroch, The pipers gae sounding before. Wearing the tartan plaid, &c. A lad frae the hills cries, "I'm ready To gang whaur your Grace may command," A ribbon she ties on his bonnet, A shilling she slips in his hand; And bending her down frae the saddle, She presses her rosy wee mou' To his cheek, that grows red as the heather:- Wearing the tartan plaid, &c. They come from the braes of Lochaber, Unscared and unhunted may roam; Wearing the tartan plaid, &c. Then up spoke the Duchess of Gordon- The leaves were a' green on the tree, Wearing the tartan plaid, &c. "Now take you the banner, Lord Huntly, I keep my ain son from the peril While her's I am wiling away; Then, hey! for the tartan plaid, &c. An' gin the fair Duchess could see us, It's hersell would be proud o' the gathering, Then, hey! for the Gordon plaid, The bonnet and feather sae braw, Three cheers for our Waterloo fren's, When songs such as these pall-when they fall stale and flat-when they lose the smack and flavour of the bivouac, the clang of the charge, the smell of smoke and brimstone, the ping of the bullet, the clash of the sabre, and the roar of the cannon-then-and not till then-will Scotland have sent forth her last son to the field of battle. A HIGHLAND OFFICER. GAELIC SOCIETY OF INVERNESS-TENTH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY. THIS popular meeting was held this year as usual, on the Thursday of the Inverness Wool Market-14th of July. Donald Cameron, Esq. of Lochiel, M.P., occupied the chair, and was accompanied to the platform by Duncan Davidson of Tulloch, LordLieutenant of the County of Ross; the Rev. Alexander Macgregor, M.A., Inverness; the Rev. Lachlan Maclachlan, Tain; Mrs Mary Mackellar, bard to the Society; Captain MacRa Chisholm, Glassburn; Captain Scobie; Alastair Macdonald Maclellan of Portree Estate, Ceylon; William Matheson, Chief of the Celtic Society of Hebburn-on-Tyne; James Fraser, Mauld; Colin Chisholm, Inverness; Dean of Guild Mackenzie, editor of the Celtic Magazine; Councillor Charles Mackay; Charles Innes, solicitor; and William Mackenzie, Secretary of the Society. Apologies were received from C. Fraser-Mackintosh, M.P.; Professor Blackie; George G. Campbell; John Mackay, Hereford; Mackintosh of Mackintosh; Duncan Forbes of Culloden; Major Grant, Drumbuie; Dr Charles Mackay; Lachlan Macdonald of Skaebost; Angus Mackintosh of Holme; D. Davidson of Drummond Park; N. B. Mackenzie, Fort-William; D. Mackenzie, Newport, Mon.; Rev. A. C. Sutherland, B.D., Strathbraan (by telegram); and John Mackenzie, Auchenstewart. Mr C. Fraser-Mackintosh wrote as follows: I regret I cannot be present at your meeting next week, but hope it will go off with wonted success. If some reference could be made in the form of recommending that a correct Gaelic census be obtained in the manner I have begun with the counties of Inverness, Ross, and Sutherland, I think it would be well. Just imagine the state of mind of those in strongly Highland districts who actually kept no note of the Gaelic returns! On the other hand, while many friends omitted infants and young children, there were several staunch true men who tell me that not a soul who could lisp or squeal, if of Gaelic parentage, but was duly returned. Mr John Mackay, Hereford, sent the following telegram in Gaelic: Piseach air a' Chomunn ! Slainte a's falanachd do na Gaidheil a's do 'n Cheann-fheadhna urramach, uasal! Bithibh tapaidh! Bithibh duineil! Mr George J. Campbell, added the following postscript to his letter of apology:Could the Society not offer a prize for the best essay, contributed by either Highlanders or Lowlanders, on the best means of attaining the objects we have in view, the essays to be at the disposal of the Society for publication or otherwise? If so, I will be glad to contribute a guinea to the "Prize Fund.' LOCHIEL was well received, and delivered a suitable address, which we are obliged to condense. After a few preliminary remarks apologising for his inability to speak Gaelic he proceeded :-To my great regret and shame I hardly understand a word of the noble tongue, the existence and the privilege of which we are met here this evening to rejoice in. (Applause.). I believe that it is only Highlanders who really know the fondness which Highlanders entertain for their mother tongue. I have often noticed the brightness of expression on a Highlandman's face when any one addresses him suddenly in his native tongue. He appears to become far more confidential in his intercourse, and I attribute very much of the suspiciousness in his nature which has been charged against him to his extreme disinclination to talk in any language besides that which he has imbibed with his mother's milk. Now having made this apology, I would say a word as to the intrinsic merits of the Gaelic tongue to all those whose business avocations and duties in life compel them to reside in the Highlands. There are various posts, and important ones, which may be held in this part of the country, which require for their proper fulfilment a knowledge of the Gaelic language. There are Sheriffships which must be filled up; there are Procurator-Fiscalships which must be filled up. Those who follow the profession of teachers, and especially of public school teachers, to say nothing of ministers of religion--to all of these classes a knowledge of the Gaelic language is almost essential to a due and proper prosecution of their public duties. So that you see, putting sentiment on one side-though I don't think we Highlanders ought to put sentiment entirely on one side-putting sentiment aside, you see that there are considerable material advantages to be derived from a thorough acquaintance with the language of this part of the country. (Applause.) I would now briefly allude to the position, to the future and past usefulness, and the general prospects of the Society to which we all belong. With regard to its position, I think it appears to stand in a most satisfactory state. The roll of membership appears to be so full, that I may say it embraces every man of any importance in the north, or at any rate nearly every man. Now, when I speak of men of importance, however distinguished, I do not do so in the ordinary sense in which the word is used. In a community of Celts, those men alone are distinguished who have done something to serve the cause and forward the interests of Highlanders. (Applause.) Here, I believe I may say, peer and peasant, chieftain and clansman, are all equal, and are all to be adjudged according to results, and those who have done most for the good of the Highlands will, not only in the present time, but in all future time be held to be those who are most distinguished. But, at the same time, we must remember, and our worthy secretary must remember, that the more we increase our members the more we increase our power of doing good, and therefore I hope, when this meeting is over, that one result of it might be that many of us may encourage our friends to belong to this Society, and take a share in all the benefits it has conferred upon the Highlands, in consequence of, and since its existence. Well, now, the usefulness of the Society may be found in the eight volumes of its transactions which I have been lately reading, and which, I can assure those who have not read them, form the most interesting and useful compendium of everything relating to Highland subjects. This Society and these transactions may be considered as the renaissance of Highland feeling, of Highland sentiment, of Highland language, and of Highland self-assertion—(applause) -and if these things are to do good, as I believe they will do good in the future, it will form a lasting satisfaction to those who started the Society, and showed the confidence they possessed in their countrymen, that they themselves had the courage to embark in and carry on so good a work. (Applause.) Now, out of these eight volumes it would seem rather invidious and take up too much time were I to dwell at any length upon any one subject. But, taking a general glance over the volumes, you find there the most eloquent outbursts of the noblest sentiments, and you also find there thoughtful expression of philosophical, of ethnical, and I might even say, of philological truths. You find there a Gaelic array of legends and ancient traditions, mingled, I may perhaps say, with a not too flattering commentary upon the present condition of the Highlands. There you find Gaelic poetry, Gaelic prose, after-dinner speeches, and last, not least, you find the great Professor Blackie himself-(applause) -in his most vigorous and combative form. And, if I may be pardoned in the Professor's absence (I would not venture to quote Greek in his presence), I would say, as we find Professor Blackie enthroned in these pages, may he prove to be a ktema es aci—“ a possession for ever." (Applause.) And, indeed, well may his name be associated with this Society, for it was under your auspices that, the greatest and most vigorous attempt upon the pockets of the philologist and upon the Highlander that has ever been known was made by the Professor, whom I believe many people consider as a modern, and a sort of very much improved Rob Roy. (Laughter and applause.) Now, gentlemen, although the Celtic Chair which has been established by the Professor may, to a certain extent, supersede the labours of the Society, yet it will only do so in one direction, for in another direction it will very greatly increase the influence of the Society by bringing it more into prominence, and by enabling it to found bursaries, establish scholarships, and in that way to do a vast deal of good which, without a central spot in which Celtic literature might be encouraged, and where a knowledge of these ancient and kindred languages might be acquired, would be likely to fail, as isolated efforts very often did fail, from not having a common centre in which to work. These bursaries were strongly recommended by Professor Blackie himself, and I hope that when the Chair is founded, this Society, and other kindred societies, will do what in them lies to carry out these things, for it must be remembered that the Chair is not a Gaelic Chair alone, but a Celtic Chair, and that assistance to Gaelic students will not come from the inside, but must come from the outside. Now, there is another matter which, I think, might very properly be taken up by this Society. I allude to the publication by those qualified, of course, to do so, of ancient Gaelic legends, accompanied with English translations. There was another subject which I think might be most usefully introduced in the transactions and doings of our Society, and that was in reference to the old historical monuments, and the ruins of ancient castles which abound in the Highlands, and I confess that their his tory is to me almost a blank. It is very provoking to see the ruins of a castle hundreds and hundreds of years old, and ask as to who built it, or whom it belonged to, who occupied it, what sieges it had undergone, what battles its possessors had witnessed, to be told that all these had been lost in the mists of antiquity. There is a castle in my vicinity, for instance, the Castle of Inverlochy. have heard of the battle of Inverlochy, but I never heard of any authenticated account of the history of the Castle further back than the days of Cromwell. These things should be gone into for the benefit of the present generation and for those who may come after us. The joint secretary of the Society had collected some facts about the Castle of GlenUrquhart, and I wish that his example might be followed by those who may be easily found in this neighbourhood, and who are quite competent to the task. These transactions appear to me to possess a very superior interest. They are much to be preferred to papers written in newspapers, because few people file newspapers, and fewer still cut out extracts. Any one, however, who wishes to brush up his memory, or to obtain some important facts, may very easily lay his finger upon the page in these transactions. They are superior to books, for this double reason, that if you were to purchase books on all Highland subjects now published, and if you ever shifted your quarters, you would require a caravan to carry them away. (Laughter.) I hope that, when this meeting is over, we shall none of us consider that our duties thereby cease, but that we shall consider what good this Society and other kindred societies have lately done to Highlanders and to the Highland cause, instilling a patriotic feeling into the youth of the nation that you can only incite them to by pointing them to those deeds of prowess which we admire in our forefathers, and which we hope to emulate in ourselves. Not long since, this and other kindred societies carried their point in regard to the kilts in the tartan regiments. (Applause.) Let us not, therefore, consider that we are weak, because we are not weak; let us carry ourselves as men; let us stand shoulder to shoulder, and do all we can to perpetuate the love of our country, and let us bring to the front those good qualities of the Celt, and of so great and so noble a race as that of the Highlanders. (Loud applause.) 66 Lochiel was followed by a young man who came all the way from Glasgow to murder an excellent Gaelic song. Miss Watt then sang "Cam ye by Athole," in her usual happy manner; whereupon she was loudly and most deservedly encored. The Highland Fling," by Pipe-Major Ronald Mackenzie, of the 78th Highlanders, PipeMajor Ferguson, I.H.R.V.; Piper Reid, do.; and Alexander Dean, Inverness, came next. The "Oganaich were warmly cheered and encored. An old friend, Mr John A. Robertson, who had only arrived an hour before from Boston, U.S.A., presented himself, to the surprise of many, and sang in splendid style, "Is Toigh leam a Ghaidhealtachd," in Gaelic and English, the former by Campbell Ledaig, the latter by Professor Blackie. Miss Macdonald sang very sweetly, "O, for the Bloom of my own Native Heather," and was encored. "Oran a Phrionnsa," by Hugh Fraser, followed, and Mr John A. Mackenzie, burgh surveyor, concluded the first part of the programme by an excellent rendering of "The Flowers of the Forest." An interval of ten minutes followed, during which Pipe-Major Ronald Mackenzie played, in grand style, a selection of music on his great Highland bag-pipes. The Chairman then called upon the Rev. LACHLAN MACLACHLAN, of Tain, who delivered the following spirited address in Gaelic : : Tha latha agus bliadhna on a labhair mi anns a bhaile so ann an cainnt mo mhathair, agus 's gann gu'r urrainn dhomh a thuigsinn ciamur tha mi an so an nochd, no cionnus a dh'irradh orm focal no dha a labhairt ribh aig a choinneamh bhliadhnail so. Math dh'fheudte gur ann a chionn 's gun robh mi aon uair a searmonachadh Gaelic anns an t-sean Eaglais Ghaidhealaich 'sa bhaile so-aitreabh nach eil, math dh'fheudte, ro thaitneach do shuilean a choigrich, ach a tha ro bhoidheach agus aillidh nam shuileansa -oir is ann innte a thoisich mi "le h-eagal agus ballchrith" air Soisgeul nan Gras a chur an ceill do shluagh cho baigheil agus blath-chridheach 'sa bha riamh air an t-saoghal-Ni maith g'am beannacheadh! No math dh'fheudte gur h-ann do bhrigh 's gu'm bheil mi na'm bhall don chomunn so-Comunn, Gaidhealach Baile Inbhirnis agus gun robh e na chleachdadh domh 'bhi maille riu aig uairean sonruichte na'n eachdraidh. Ach co dhiu, tha mi toilichte a bhi maille ribh air an fheasgar so, agus cuideachd cho mor agus cho eireachdail fhaicinn fa'm chomhair. So an t-am ris an abair sinne 's an duthaich a 's an d'thainig mise, "faidhir na cloimhe "--far am bheil na daoine mora, laidir, beartach cruinn a chum na miltean punnd Sassunach a dheanadh, no math dh'fheudte a chall. Tha iad a'g innseadh dhomhsa gu bheil na tuathanaich a gearan. Ach, Ni Maith a thoirt naitheanas dhomhsa, ma chunnaic mise tuathanach riamh nach robh a gearan! Cha chreid mi nach eil e air fas nadurra don duine choir sin bhi daonnan diombach. Aig an am cheudna feumaidh sinn aideacheadh gu bheil mor reuson aig na tuathanaich a bhi mi-thoilichte anns na bliadhnachan so. Tha, gun teagamh, calltaichean mora a teachd orra; agus, tha e cruaidh gu leoir 'bhi faicinn maoin dhaoine dichiollach agus stuama a leaghadh uidh air n' uidh air falbh mar shneachd air aodan Bheinn Nibheis air teachd a steach an t-samhraidh. Chan eil teagamh sam bith nach fheum na mail tuiteam, agus nach fheum an t-uachdaran an tuathanach a choinneacheadh gu cothromach agus gu cneasda mar a tha rireadh cuid dhiu cheana a deanamh. Ach so a bhochduinn mu thimchioll nan tighearnan Gaidhealach, a chuid mhor dhiubh co dhiu, nach eil, sgillinn ruadh aca ris an t-saoghal, a bhuineas dhoibh fein. Cha'n e 'mhain nach eil facal Gaelic aca fein no aig an cloinn, ach feumaidh iad falbh do Lunnain; feumaidh iad tighean mora costail a chumail a suas an sin; gus mu dheireadh am bheil an sporan a fas eutoom, agus mo thruaighe, falamh. Tha fhios agaibh uile gle mhaith gur e so smior na firinn. Tha mi creidsinn nam bithinn a bruidhinn anns a bheurla nach bithinn cho fosgailte agus cho briathrach; ach cha tuig na Goill mi co dhiu, agus tha e cho maith. Ach nach eil e bronach gu leoir a bhi faicinn oighreachd an deigh oighreachd a bhuineadh do theaghlaichean uasal Gaidhealach re mhoran linntean air an reic ri Sasunnaich aig nach eil suim no baidh do na Gaidheil, agus le'n fhearr fiadh agus earb agus coileach dubh agus ruadh na muinntir na duthcha. Ma tha am fearacn ann an lamhan uchdarain do'n t-seorsa so, cho bochd ris na luchan, tha an tuathanach a fulang air doigh no dha. Cha'n fhaigh e na tighean agus na nithean feumail eile a tha dhith air; agus cha'n islichear am mal aon phunnd Sasunnach air an droch bhliadhna. Nam fanadh an t-uachdaran aig an tigh, agus n' an tigeadh e beo air fhearann fein agus na tha cinntinn air, nan labhradh e a Ghailig, agus nam measgadh e le shluagh fein aig feill, 'us baile, 'us eaglais, bhiodh, e fein sona, bhiodh meas aig an t-sluagh air, agus cha bhiodh an oighreachd air a reic. Tha 'n t-oran a' gradh : Feumaidh mnathan uaisle an Tea |