jealousy or other cause of displeasure conceived against her, he repudiated that lady. Macleod being informed of this, was highly offended, and sent a message to Donald Gorm desiring him to take back his wife. This the latter refused; and on the contrary set about procuring a legal divorce, in which he succeeded, and immediately afterwards married a sister of Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail. Macleod, in the first transports of his resentment at this indignity, assembled his clan and carried fire and sword through Macdonald's district of Troternish, in Skye. The Clandonald, in revenge, invaded Harris, which island they laid waste in a similar manner, killing many of the inhabitants and carrying off the cattle. This retaliation roused the Macleods to make a foray upon Macdonald's estate of North Uist, and, accordingly they sailed from Skye towards that island; and, on arriving there, the Chief sent his kinsman, Donald Glas Macleod, with forty men to lay waste the island, and to bring off from the church of Kiltrynad the cattle and effects of the country people, which, on the alarm being given, had been placed there for safety. In the execution of these orders Donald Glas was encountered by a celebrated warrior of the Clandonald, nearly related to their chief, called Donald MacIan Mhic James, who had only twelve men with him. The Macdonalds behaved with so much gallantry on this occasion that they routed their opponents and rescued the cattle, Donald Glas and many of his men being killed. The Chief of Dunvegan, seeing the ill success of this detachment, and suspecting that a larger force was at hand, returned home meditating future vengeance. These spoliations and incursions were carried on with so much inveteracy that both clans were carried to the brink of ruin; and many of the natives of the districts thus devastated were forced to sustain themselves by killing and eating their horses, dogs, and cats. At length, in the year 1601, while Ruairi Macleod was absent seeking assistance from the Earl of Argyll against his enemies, the Macdonalds invaded Macleod's land in Skye in considerable numbers, wishing to force on a battle. The Macleods, under Alexander, the brother of their chief, took post on the shoulder of the Coolins (a very high and rugged mountain or ridge of hills in Skye), and did not decline the contest. After a fierce and obstinate combat, in which both parties fought with great bravery, the Macleods were overthrown. Their leader, with thirty of their choicest warriors fell into the hands of the victors; and two of the chief's immediate relations and many others were slain. Privy Council now interfered to prevent further mischief. The Marquis of Huntly and the Earl of Argyll, and all others, were prohibited from giving assistance to either of the contending parties; whilst the chiefs themselves were ordered to disband their forces and to quit the island in the meantime. Macleod was enjoined to give himself up to the Earl of Argyll, and Macdonald to surrender himself to Huntly, and both were strictly charged, under the penalty of treason, to remain with these noblemen till the controversy between them should be settled by the King and Council. A reconciliation was at length effected between these chiefs by the mediation of Angus Macdonald of Isla, Maclean of Coll, and other friends; after which the prisoners taken at "the battle of Benquhillin" were released; and ever after these clans refrained from open hostility, and submitted their disputes to the decision of the law.*

(To be Continued.)

* Highlands and Isles, pp. 292-297.

The

JOHN MORRISON, OF THE LEWIS.

MANY bad and desperate characters infested the West Highlands, but a man named John Morrison, who dwelt at Habost, in the parish of Ness, Island of Lewis, was accounted to be the most daring and cruel of them all. The Morrisons were at that time very powerful in the Lewis in regard to numbers, while they were at the same time exceedingly cunning. Their chief stronghold was the parish of Ness. John Morrison, bold, daring, and cruel, was the scourge of the Outer Hebrides. He first began his disputes by a quarrel with his neighbours, the Macaulays of Uig and the Macleods of the Lewis, about marches and other comparative trifles, which he invariably finally decided by a bloody battle; but in course of time he became bolder, and proceeded to lay waste the Island of Harris, and even a portion of the mainland, and to butcher defenceless women and children in cold blood, carrying off cattle, horses, and every portable article he could lay his thievish hands on. At last it happened that his brother, Donald Ban Mor, was slain in a battle with the Macaulays. This was the climax. John was so enraged, that he collected around him a considerable body of wild fellows like himself, and, vowing to take a terrible revenge, he marched into Uig, and had not Macaulay called in the assistance of Macleod, nothing would have been left him but smoking villages.

Intoxicated by his success in Uig, Morrison now proceeded to Harris, devastating the land and putting the inhabitants to death. At the Caws of Tarbert, however, he was met by Macleod of Harris, and his band was completely routed, whilst he himself was compelled to seek safety in flight. Macleod made many vain attempts to capture him, but without avail. Once, indeed, he nearly had him, but Morrison escaped to the hills of Lewis. This disappointment annoyed Macleod so much that he offered a considerable reward for his apprehension, dead or alive. This incited Morrison to commit greater acts of violence. One winter evening he made an attack upon Marrig house, where young Macleod resided, but although Macleod had no lack of men, he wisely refused John's challenge to come out and fight him. Upon this refusal, Morrison set fire to all the houses in the neighbourhood, and carried off all the cattle that he could seize. The inhabitants, upon his advance, had fled to the hills, so that they escaped with their lives, but their houses were burnt, and their cattle carried away.

Macleod now determined to get hold of Morrison at any price. He therefore levied a large body of men, composed of his own retainers and the Macaulays of Uig, and, having marched to Ness, surrounded Morrison's house. The latter, however, manfully defended the house, having at the time a guard of thirty men, but at length, seeing that half of these had been put hors-de-combat, he made a desperate charge, and attempted to break through his enemies, and his charge was so fierce and so unexpected, that he succeeded, but he was soon caught, and led off to Rodel, there to await his fate.

Macleod arrived at Rodel with his prisoner at midnight, and shut him

up in the Tigh-Mhail, a strong building near the big house, and consigned him to the care of a strong guard. He then sent messengers through all his territories, ordering all his vassals and tenants to attend on the occasion of Morrison's execution at Rodel. At four o'clock next afternoon an immense number of people had assembled at Tom-na-Croich to witness his ignominious fate; but on some of the Macleods entering the TighMhail to bring out the prisoner, no prisoner was there. In fact, to use a well-known proverb, "The bird had fled." A search was at once instituted, but no trace of the fugitive could be found.

For a while after this the Harris men had peace from the plundering of Morrison, but about a year after his escape he again made his appearance in company with a band of ruffians, when Macleod of Harris was one day feasting with his kinsman, Macleod of Amhuinsuidh, and he attacked the house in which they were enjoying themselves. Macleod, however, had a large number of men about him at the time, and resisted bravely. But in spite of all his men and his own bravery, Macleod was pressed so hard that he was about to give in, when a circumstance occurred which completely turned the tables. The din of battle had been heard at Hushinish on one side, and at Tolmachan on the other, upon which the inhabitants of these townships, knowing that something was wrong, sent a strong body of men to the assistance of Macleod, and with these reinforcements he soon routed the Morrisons, who retreated with great slaughter, closely followed by the victors. But again Morrison escaped. Soon after, however, he again returned to Harris, and went on plundering as before.

Macleod at last applied to the Privy Council for aid, and soon obtained a warrant against the Lewis riever. But although assisted by Macaulay of Uig, he failed to apprehend him.

Macleod of Luskintyre had an only daughter, an heiress, called Catherine, whom he dearly loved, and having a notion that he should die early, he made an agreement with Donald Macleod of Hushinish, his brother, that if he (Luskintyre) should die ere Catherine married, Hushinish would take charge of her. He died soon after, and Hushinish, faithful to his trust, adopted Catherine, and brought her up in a manner befitting her rank. Catherine had not been long at Hushinish when she fell in love with John Macleod of Borve, a young man well worthy of her hand.

On a certain rent day, John Morrison with his band, suddenly burst into Hushinish. Most of the inhabitants were away cutting peats, so Morrison met no resistance in the execution of his project. He carried off Catherine, and was away with his prize before the alarm could be raised. If they had carried away the whole stock of Hushinish it would not have made Macleod so miserable as he was when he heard how his niece had been kidnapped. He was quite stunned.

Macleod of Harris was at once informed of the affair, and immediately invaded the parish of Ness, but no trace of Morrison or his captive could be found, and the only result of the invasion was the spilling of more blood and the loss of several brave men. Hushinish was now almost mad with grief, but not so much so as Macleod of Borve, who did nothing but wring his hands in lamentation. "Catherine! Catherine! oh, my dear Catherine, what shall I do for thee," he cried aloud. He con

tinued in this state for days. At last, Macleod of Harris sent a messenger to Ness, that unless Catherine was sent back to Hushinish within ten days, he would destroy every Morrison in the land. To this threat the Morrisons answered that no harm was intended to the heiress, and that she should be returned safe and sound as soon as John Morrison obtained a pardon for his past offences, but that if Macleod persisted in his threat, Catherine would be slain. Macleod, at last, finding no other means, fair or foul, of regaining her, agreed to this arrangement, and having obtained a pardon from the Privy Council and sent it to Morrison, Catherine was at once restored to her friends. She had been treated with every respect and kindness while in Morrison's hands, and when the search had been instituted by Macleod, she and her captor were out of harm's way on the island of Rona. When Morrison had received his pardon, and restored Catherine, he settled down in Ness, gave up his raiding life, and ultimately died as Judge of the Island of Lewis.

Shortly after her return Catherine married her lover, Macleod of Borve, and lived long and happily, having many children, many of whose descendants are still in Harris.

MAC IAIN.

FEDERATION OF CELTIC SOCIETIES.-At the last meeting of this Association the Committee appointed to refute the statements made by Messrs Ross and Syme, two of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, anent Teaching in Gaelic Schools, in recent reports to the Education Department, have, after many months delay, come up without any real report, beyond a simple reproduction of a part of Mr Jolly's report to the Department, published in these pages several months ago. Will not outsiders, though quite erroneously, come to the conclusion that no satisfactory reply could have been made, simply because the Federation was unable to prepare one? The Inspectors boldly stated, in effect, in official reports, in addition to their objections to Gaelic Teaching, that Do Gaelic literature existed worthy of the name. Such a statement as that, coming from two Gaelic-speaking Inspectors, demanded notice, and ought to have been refuted by the Federation; and the fact of their not doing so will be construed by the enemies of Gaelic as an admission of the charge. The Federation had a splendid opportunity to do some real service, and it is a great pity that they took no advantage of it. We heartily approve of the action taken, at the request of the patriotic Highlanders of Hebburn, in protesting against a change in the designation of the Highland Regiments which would simply denationalise them and rob them of a splendid inheritance. We are also in complete sympathy with the following resolutions, passed unanimously, in reference to the cruel proceedings in process of being carried out by the paper laird of Leckmelm :

(1.) "That this Federation express their deepest sympathy with the people of Leckmelm who are about to be evicted from their lands and tenements by the proprietor, who has recently acquired these lands by purchase.

(2.) "That the Federation are of opinion that this compulsory removal of people, who are innocent of any crime, and have not refused to pay the annual rent demanded of them, is not only unwarrantable in law, but cruel in the extreme, and deserving of the reprobation of all who are interested in the welfare of their fellow country men.

(3.) "That this Federation earnestly urge on their constituents to memorialise the Home Secretary on the subject, and where practicable, hold public meetings without delay, to give expression to their views on the question.

66

(4.) That the Federation, warmly appreciating the services rendered by the Rev. J. Macmillan to their countrymen at Leckmelm, as well as to the general question involved in this action by his public advocacy of their cause, hereby tender to him their warmest thanks, and remit to the following committee to prepare an address and forward the same :-Messrs William Sutherland, H. Whyte, H. C. Gillies, and A. Sutherland."

EVAN MACCOLL-THE "BARD OF LOCHFYNE."

DURING a visit last year to Canada the writer had the great pleasure of spending a few days with Evan Maccoll in his happy home, Kingston, Ontario. The agreeable impressions made upon him, and the manner in which he enjoyed himself with "Clarsair nam Beann," or the "Mountain Minstrel," and his interesting family, is already known to the reader. While it would be agreeable again to go over the same ground, our purpose at present is to give a sketch of his career, from his youth upwards, as a man and a poet; and with that object we must, without further preliminaries, proceed.

Evan Maccoll was born on the 21st September 1808 (not 1812, as stated in "The Beauties of Gaelic Poetry"), at Kenmore, Lochfyne-sidea farm situated on the banks of that famous Loch, about five miles west from Inveraray, Argyleshire, and at the time in the joint occupation of several tenants, the poet's father, Dugald Maccoll, being one of them. The bard, who was the youngest but one of a family of six sons and two daughters, was fortunate in having for his father one who, in addition to many other excellent qualities, was famed far and near for the possession of the richest store of Celtic song of any man living in his part of the country. His home became, in consequence, the common resort of those in the district who delighted in such things, and long and frequent were the winter ceilidhs at his house to listen to him singing Gaelic song after song-especially the Jacobite lays of such favourite minstrels as Mairi nighean Alastair Ruaidh, Alexander Macdonald, and Duncan Bàn Macintyre, every line of whose compositions he could repeat from memory, and in a manner well calculated to attract and captivate the rustic audience congregated round his hospitable fireside. He had a keen and genuine appreciation of the beautiful and the grand in the natural scenery which adorned his native land; and it was charming to hear the bard relating his recollections of how, when a mere boy, his father had made him familiar with the best positions in the neighbourhood of his home from which to view to advantage any scene of more than ordinary attraction— a circumstance which, no doubt, tended to implant in the mind of the future poet that love of Nature which afterwards found such mellifluous expression in his "Address to Loch Lomond ;" his "Sonnets descriptive of Lochawe," which appeared in these pages; his "Loch Duich," and many more of his most beautiful and best descriptive poems.

Dugald Maccoll, possessed of a manly presence, fine personal appearance and great natural intelligence, was received among, and lived on close terms of intimacy with, men who moved in a sphere of social life far above his own, and was in consequence able to procure the use of books, otherwise quite inaccessible, for his children; for Parish Libraries in those days were things undreamt of. Nothing delighted him more than to see the patriot flame fanned in the bosom of his young family by the perusal of such books as Blind Harry's Metrical Life of Sir William Wallace, the Life of Hannibal, Baron Trench's Autobiography, and other works of a similar character. He was descended from an old family