The Project Gutenberg eBook ofNether LochaberThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Nether LochaberAuthor: Rev. Alexander StewartRelease date: December 10, 2017 [eBook #56157]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for ProjectGutenberg (This file was produced from images generouslymade available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NETHER LOCHABER ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: Nether LochaberAuthor: Rev. Alexander StewartRelease date: December 10, 2017 [eBook #56157]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for ProjectGutenberg (This file was produced from images generouslymade available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Title: Nether Lochaber
Author: Rev. Alexander Stewart
Author: Rev. Alexander Stewart
Release date: December 10, 2017 [eBook #56157]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for ProjectGutenberg (This file was produced from images generouslymade available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NETHER LOCHABER ***
NETHER LOCHABER.WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)Original Title Page.NETHER LOCHABER:THE NATURAL HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND FOLK-LORE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.BYThe Rev.ALEXANDER STEWART, F.S.A. Scot.;MINISTER OF THE PARISH OF BALLACHULISH AND ARDGOUR.EDINBURGH:WILLIAM PATERSON.MDCCCLXXXIII.EDINBURGH: BURNESS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY.TODONALD CAMPBELL, Esq., M.D.,OFCRAIGRANNOCH, BALLACHULISH,IN PLEASANT RECOLLECTION OF HAPPY HOURS AT ONICH AND CRAIGRANNOCH,ANDOF MANY A DELIGHTFUL MIDSUMMER RAMBLE,THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBEDWITH MUCH AFFECTIONATE REGARD BY HIS FRIENDTHE AUTHOR.PREFATORY NOTE.The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from “Nether Lochaber” in theInverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr.Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.At one time it was the Author’s intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if itinterfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with theirprima curadirectness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.Nether Lochaber,June 1883.CONTENTS.CHAPTER I.PAGEPrimroses and Daisies in early March—“The Posie”—Burns—“The Ancient Mariner”—William Tennant, Author of “Anster Fair”—HebrideanEpithalamium—A Bard’s Blessing—A Translation—Macleod of Berneray,1CHAPTER II.Autumnal Tints—Solomon and the Queen of Sheba—SortesSacræ—Sortes Virgilianæ—Charles the First and Lord Falkland—Virgilius the Magician—Thomas of Ercildoune,8CHAPTER III.An old Gaelic MS.—“The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched”—Fairy Lore—Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes,18CHAPTER IV.Transit of Mercury—Improperly called an “Eclipse” of—November Meteors—Mr. Huggins—Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light—Translation of a St. Kilda Song,23CHAPTER V.Bird Music—The Skylark’s Song—Imitation of, by a French Poet—Alasdair Macdonald—Scott,29CHAPTER VI.Severe Drought—The Drive by Coach from Fort-William to Kingussie—Breakfast at Moy—Where did Scott find Dominie Sampson’s “Pro-di-gi-ous!”?—Professor Blackie’s Poem on Glencoe,33CHAPTER VII.O the Barren, Barren Shore—Brilliant Auroral Display—Intense Cold—Birds—Glanders—Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes,39CHAPTER VIII.A Wet February—A Good Time coming—Sir Walter Scott—Mr Gladstone—Death of Sir David Brewster,44CHAPTER IX.Long-Line Fishing—Scarcity of Fish—Their Fecundity—Large Specimen of theRaia Chagrinea—The Wolf Fish—The Devil Fish,50CHAPTER X.Birds—Contest between a Heron and an Eel,54CHAPTER XI.Sea-Fishing—Loch and Stream Fishing—“Brindled Worms”—Rush-Lights—Buckie-Shell Lamps—The Weasel killing a Hare—Killing a Fallow Deer Fawn,58CHAPTER XII.Extraordinary aspect of the Sun—Sunset fromRokeby—Mr. Glaisher—“Demoiselle” or Numidian Crane at Deerness—The Snowy Owl in Sutherlandshire—Does the Fieldfare breed in Scotland?—The Woodcock,66CHAPTER XIII.Extraordinary Heat and Drought—Plentifulness ofFungi—Cows fond of Mushrooms—Shoals of Whales—A rippling breeze, and a Sail on Loch Leven,70CHAPTER XIV.Herrings—Chimæra Monstrosa—Cure for Ringworm—Cold Tea Leaves for inflamed and blood-shot Eyes—An old Incantation for the cure of Sore Eyes—A curious Dirk Sheath—A Tannery of Human Skins,73CHAPTER XV.The Ring-Dove—A Pet Ring-Dove—Its Death—Shenstone—TheBelone Vulgarisor Gar-Fish—A Rat and a Kilmarnock Night-cap—Extraordinary Roebuck’s Head at Ardgour,79CHAPTER XVI.The “Annus Mirabilis” of Dryden—1870 a more wonderful Year in its way than 1666—Winter—Number of Killed and Wounded in the Franco-Prussian War—Battles of Langside, Tippermuir, Cappel—Carrier Pigeons—The Velocity with which Birds fly,86CHAPTER XVII.Signs of a severe Winter—The Little Auk or Auklet—The Gadwall—Falcons being trained by the Prussians to intercept the Paris Carrier Pigeons—Ballooning—The King of Prussia’s Piety—John Forster—Solar Eclipse of 22d December 1870—The Government and the Eclipse—Large Solar Spots—Visible to the naked eye—Rev. Dr. Cumming—November Meteors,94CHAPTER XVIII.November Rains: 1500 tons per Imperial Acre!—Rainfall in Skye—An old Gaelic Apologue—The Drover and his Minister—Grand Stag’s Head—Scott as a Poet—Mr. Gladstone and Scott—An old Lullaby from the Gaelic,99CHAPTER XIX.Winter—Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a coming Storm—Corvus Corax—Wonderful Ravens—Edgar Allan Poe,106CHAPTER XX.Along the Shore after Birds—An Otter in pursuit of a Fish—Tame Otter at Bridge of Tilt: Employed in Fishing—His hatred of all sorts of Birds—“The Otter and Fox,” a translation from the Gaelic,114CHAPTER XXI.Storms—An “inch” of Rain—Atherina Presbyter—Lophius Piscatorius—Mr. Mortimer Collins’ misquotation from theTimes,121CHAPTER XXII.Aurora Borealis—Unfavourable weather for Birds about St. Valentine’s Day—The Water-Vole in the Rhi—In the Eden in Fifeshire—In the Black Water, Kinloch Leven—Does it feed on Salmon Fry and Ova?—The Kingfisher—Character of the Water-Vole—Note about the Hedgehog,127CHAPTER XXIII.March—The Story of a Spanish Dollar—The Spanish Armada—The “Florida”—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard—Molehill Earth for Flowers,133CHAPTER XXIV.The Beauty of the West Highland Seaboard—Dr. Aiton of Dolphinton—Dr. Norman Macleod—Specimen of Turtle-Dove (Columba Turtur) shot in Ardgour—The belief on the Continent of its value as a Household Pet—Bechstein—Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement,140CHAPTER XXV.Thunderstorm—Potato Field in Bloom—The Hazel Tree—Hazel Nuts—Potato Shaws for Cattle—Ferns for Bedding Cattle—Marmion—Scott,144CHAPTER XXVI.Harvest—Scythe and Sicklev.Reaping Machines—Potatoes—Garibaldi and Potatoes at Caprera—Fishing—Platessa Gemmatus, or Diamond Plaice—Mushrooms—The Poetry of Fairy Rings—Harvest-Home,150CHAPTER XXVII.The disappearance of the glories of Autumn, and the advent of Winter—Innovations and Innovators—New Version of the Scriptures—TheMilkmaid and her Fairy Lover, translated from the Gaelic,159CHAPTER XXVIII.Wild Birds’ Nests in early April—Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured—The Domestic Cock—What he was, and what he is—Sadly demoralised by intermixture with “Cochin-Chinas” and “Bramahpootras,”165CHAPTER XXIX.The Vernal Equinox—Beauty of Loch Leven—Astronomical Notes—How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a cruel death,172CHAPTER XXX.Midges and other Bloodsuckers—TheTsetseof South Africa—The AbyssinianZimb—Livingstone—Adders and Grass Snakes—Lucan’sPharsalia—Celsus—Legend of St. Johnante Portam Latinam,178CHAPTER XXXI.The Leafing of the Oak and Ash—Splendid Stags’ Heads—Edmund Waller—Old Silver-Plate buried for preservation in the ’45—Mimicry in Birds—An accomplished Goldfinch,185CHAPTER XXXII.Potato Culture—Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes—The Carline Thistle—Burns—The trueCarduus Scotticus—The old Dog-Rhyme,192CHAPTER XXXIII.A non-“Laughing” Summer—Rheumatic Pains—Old Gaelic Incantation for Cattle Ailments,199CHAPTER XXXIV.Early sowing recommended—Vitality of Superstitions—Capnomancy—Hazel Nuts: Frequent References to in Gaelic Poetry—How best to get at the full flavour of a ripe Hazel Nut,204CHAPTER XXXV.Strength of Insects—Necrophorus Vespillo, or Burying-Beetle—Fœtid smell of—How Willie Grimmond earned an Honest Penny in Glencoe,210CHAPTER XXXVI.Seaweed as a Fertiliser—Homer, Horace, Virgil—November Meteors—Gaelic Folk-Lore—A Curfew Prayer—A Bed Blessing—A Cattle Blessing—Rhyme to be said in driving Cattle to Pasture—“Luath,” Cuchullin’s Dog—Notes from the Outer Hebrides,217CHAPTER XXXVII.The Delights of Beltane Tide—Bishop Gawin Douglas—His Translation of theÆneid—The Fat of Deer—“Light and Shade” from the Gaelic—Mackworth Praed—Discovery of an old Flint Manufactory in the Moss of Ballachulish,225CHAPTER XXXVIII.Warm showery Summer disagreeable for the Tourist, but pastorally and agriculturally favourable—Xiphias Gladius, or Sword-Fish, cast ashore during a Mid-summer Gale—Garibaldi dining on Potatoes and Sword-Fish steaks at Caprera—The General’s Drink—Medicinal virtues of an Onion—Nettle Broth—Translation of a New Zealand Maori Song,233CHAPTER XXXIX.Mountains—The Lochaber Axe, Ancient and Modern,238CHAPTER XL.Sea-Fowl—Weather Prognostics—Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.)—Gales of Wind—January Primroses—Lachlan Gorach, the Mull “Natural”—A Dancing Rhyme,244CHAPTER XLI.Plague of Thistles in Australia and New Zealand—How to deal with them—Cnicus Acaulis, Great Milk Thistle, or Stemless Thistle—Fierce Fight between two Seals, “Nelson” and “Villeneuve,”250CHAPTER XLII.Wounds from Stags’ Antlers exceedingly dangerous—The old Fingalian Ballads—Number of Dogs kept for the Chase—Dr. Smith’s “Ancient Lays” of modern manufacture—The Spotted Crake (Crex Prozana) at Inverness—Its Habits,258CHAPTER XLIII.Whelks and Periwinkles—An Ossianic Reading—The Sea-shore after a Storm—TheRejectamentaof the deep—An amusing Story of a Shore-Searcher—Severity of Winter—Wild-Birds’ Levee—Woodcock—Snipe—Blue Jay,264CHAPTER XLIV.A “Blessed Thaw” after a Severe Frost—Longevity in Lochaber—A ready “Saline draught”—Aprobatum estRecipe for Catarrh and Colds—Egg-shell Superstition—Curious old Gaelic Poem,272CHAPTER XLV.“Albert,” a famous Labrador Dog—As a Water Dog—His intelligence—Takes to Sheep-Stealing—Death!278CHAPTER XLVI.An old Fingalian Hero—His keenness of Sight and sharpness of Ear—Foresters and Keepers—Foxhunters—Donald MacDonald—His Dogs—Sandy MacArthur the Mole-catcher,286CHAPTER XLVII.Autumnal Night—Meteors—The Spanish Mackerel—Professor Blackie’s Translations from the Gaelic—The “Translations” of the Gaelic Society of Inverness,293CHAPTER XLVIII.Crops—Potato Slug—Fern Slug—Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them—The Merlin, Falcon, and Tringa,299CHAPTER XLIX.The Hedgehog an Egg and Bird Eater?—Bird-catching—“Old Cowie”—Mackenzie—Lanius Excubitor—The Butcher-Bird or Shrike—Tea-Drinking and Sobriety,305CHAPTER L.Superstition amongst the People—Difficulty of dealing with it—Examples of Superstitions still prevalent in the Highlands—Cock-crowing at untimely hours—Itching of the Nose—Ringing in the Ears—The “Dead-Bell”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Mickle,313CHAPTER LI.Welcome Rain in May—Plague of Mice in Upper Teviotdale—Arvicola Agrestis—Field-Mice in Ardgour—How exterminated—A Singing Mouse—Farmers’ Mistakes—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher,319CHAPTER LII.Tourist Grumblers; how to deal with them—Sea Fishing—Superstition about a Gull—Josephus—Story of Mosollam and the Augur,327CHAPTER LIII.Heat in Mid-August—Early Planting and Sowing—Over-ripening of Crops—Medusæ—Stinging Jelly-Fish—The amount of solid matter in Jelly-Fish,334CHAPTER LIV.Approach of Winter—Contentedness of the People—Poets and Wild-Bird Song—Differences in the Colouring and Markings of Birds’ Eggs—Late Nest-building—Anecdote of Provost Robertson of Dingwall, Mr. Gladstone’s Grandfather,341CHAPTER LV.Spring—Hood’s Parody of Thomson’sInvocation—The excellence of Nettle-Top Soup—Cock-crowing—Birds’-nesting—Professor Geikie—Curious Story of an old Pipe-Tune,348CHAPTER LVI.Rain in Lochaber—An Apple Tree in bloom by Candle-light—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher—A Badenoch “Wise Woman” spitting in a Child’s Face to preserve it from the Fairies,355CHAPTER LVII.Caught in a Squall on Loch Leven—Potatoes and Herrings: How to cook them—A day in Glen Nevis—A visit toUaimh Shomhairle, or Samuel’s Cave—The Cave-Men,361CHAPTER LVIII.Showers in Harvest Time—Magnificent Sunset—Night sometimes seeming not to descend but toascend—Death of M. Leverrier—The Discovery of Neptune—Pigeon cooing at Midnight—The Owl at Noon—Cage-Birds singing at Night,370CHAPTER LIX.October Storms—Cablegram Predictions—Indications of coming Storms—Geordie Braid, the St. Andrews and Newport Coach-driver—The Naturalist in Winter—Drowned Hedgehogs: Spines become soft and gelatinous—Lophius Piscatorius—Disproportion between head and body in the Devil-Fish a puzzle—An Itinerant Fiddler,379CHAPTER LX.A Trip to Glasgow—Kelvin Grove Museum—Highland Association—A run to Rothesay—Rothesay Aquarium,387CHAPTER LXI.Overland from Ballachulish to Oban on a “Pet Day” in February—Story ofClach Ruric—Castle Stalker: an old Stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin—James IV.—Charles II.—Magpies—Dun-Mac-Uisneachan,394CHAPTER LXII.Nest-building—Cunningham’s objection to Burns’ Song, “O were my Love yon Lilac fair”—Birds and the Lilac Tree—Rivalries of Birds—Birds and the Poets—The Nightingale,402CHAPTER LXIII.March Dust—Moons of Mars—Planetoids—Occultation ofAlpha Leonis—Zodiacal Light—Snow Bunting—Old Gaelic Ballad of “Deirdri:” Its Topography,410
NETHER LOCHABER.
NETHER LOCHABER.
NETHER LOCHABER.
WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)
WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)
WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)
WEASEL KILLING A HARE.—(Page 63.)
Original Title Page.
Original Title Page.
Original Title Page.
NETHER LOCHABER:THE NATURAL HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND FOLK-LORE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.BYThe Rev.ALEXANDER STEWART, F.S.A. Scot.;MINISTER OF THE PARISH OF BALLACHULISH AND ARDGOUR.EDINBURGH:WILLIAM PATERSON.MDCCCLXXXIII.
NETHER LOCHABER:THE NATURAL HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND FOLK-LORE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.
NETHER LOCHABER:
THE NATURAL HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND FOLK-LORE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.
BYThe Rev.ALEXANDER STEWART, F.S.A. Scot.;MINISTER OF THE PARISH OF BALLACHULISH AND ARDGOUR.
EDINBURGH:WILLIAM PATERSON.MDCCCLXXXIII.
EDINBURGH: BURNESS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY.
EDINBURGH: BURNESS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY.
EDINBURGH: BURNESS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY.
TODONALD CAMPBELL, Esq., M.D.,OFCRAIGRANNOCH, BALLACHULISH,IN PLEASANT RECOLLECTION OF HAPPY HOURS AT ONICH AND CRAIGRANNOCH,ANDOF MANY A DELIGHTFUL MIDSUMMER RAMBLE,THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBEDWITH MUCH AFFECTIONATE REGARD BY HIS FRIENDTHE AUTHOR.
TODONALD CAMPBELL, Esq., M.D.,OFCRAIGRANNOCH, BALLACHULISH,IN PLEASANT RECOLLECTION OF HAPPY HOURS AT ONICH AND CRAIGRANNOCH,ANDOF MANY A DELIGHTFUL MIDSUMMER RAMBLE,THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBEDWITH MUCH AFFECTIONATE REGARD BY HIS FRIENDTHE AUTHOR.
TODONALD CAMPBELL, Esq., M.D.,OFCRAIGRANNOCH, BALLACHULISH,IN PLEASANT RECOLLECTION OF HAPPY HOURS AT ONICH AND CRAIGRANNOCH,ANDOF MANY A DELIGHTFUL MIDSUMMER RAMBLE,THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBEDWITH MUCH AFFECTIONATE REGARD BY HIS FRIENDTHE AUTHOR.
PREFATORY NOTE.The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from “Nether Lochaber” in theInverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr.Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.At one time it was the Author’s intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if itinterfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with theirprima curadirectness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.Nether Lochaber,June 1883.
PREFATORY NOTE.
The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from “Nether Lochaber” in theInverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr.Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.At one time it was the Author’s intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if itinterfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with theirprima curadirectness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.Nether Lochaber,June 1883.
The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from “Nether Lochaber” in theInverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr.Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.
At one time it was the Author’s intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if itinterfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with theirprima curadirectness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.
In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.
Nether Lochaber,
June 1883.
CONTENTS.CHAPTER I.PAGEPrimroses and Daisies in early March—“The Posie”—Burns—“The Ancient Mariner”—William Tennant, Author of “Anster Fair”—HebrideanEpithalamium—A Bard’s Blessing—A Translation—Macleod of Berneray,1CHAPTER II.Autumnal Tints—Solomon and the Queen of Sheba—SortesSacræ—Sortes Virgilianæ—Charles the First and Lord Falkland—Virgilius the Magician—Thomas of Ercildoune,8CHAPTER III.An old Gaelic MS.—“The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched”—Fairy Lore—Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes,18CHAPTER IV.Transit of Mercury—Improperly called an “Eclipse” of—November Meteors—Mr. Huggins—Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light—Translation of a St. Kilda Song,23CHAPTER V.Bird Music—The Skylark’s Song—Imitation of, by a French Poet—Alasdair Macdonald—Scott,29CHAPTER VI.Severe Drought—The Drive by Coach from Fort-William to Kingussie—Breakfast at Moy—Where did Scott find Dominie Sampson’s “Pro-di-gi-ous!”?—Professor Blackie’s Poem on Glencoe,33CHAPTER VII.O the Barren, Barren Shore—Brilliant Auroral Display—Intense Cold—Birds—Glanders—Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes,39CHAPTER VIII.A Wet February—A Good Time coming—Sir Walter Scott—Mr Gladstone—Death of Sir David Brewster,44CHAPTER IX.Long-Line Fishing—Scarcity of Fish—Their Fecundity—Large Specimen of theRaia Chagrinea—The Wolf Fish—The Devil Fish,50CHAPTER X.Birds—Contest between a Heron and an Eel,54CHAPTER XI.Sea-Fishing—Loch and Stream Fishing—“Brindled Worms”—Rush-Lights—Buckie-Shell Lamps—The Weasel killing a Hare—Killing a Fallow Deer Fawn,58CHAPTER XII.Extraordinary aspect of the Sun—Sunset fromRokeby—Mr. Glaisher—“Demoiselle” or Numidian Crane at Deerness—The Snowy Owl in Sutherlandshire—Does the Fieldfare breed in Scotland?—The Woodcock,66CHAPTER XIII.Extraordinary Heat and Drought—Plentifulness ofFungi—Cows fond of Mushrooms—Shoals of Whales—A rippling breeze, and a Sail on Loch Leven,70CHAPTER XIV.Herrings—Chimæra Monstrosa—Cure for Ringworm—Cold Tea Leaves for inflamed and blood-shot Eyes—An old Incantation for the cure of Sore Eyes—A curious Dirk Sheath—A Tannery of Human Skins,73CHAPTER XV.The Ring-Dove—A Pet Ring-Dove—Its Death—Shenstone—TheBelone Vulgarisor Gar-Fish—A Rat and a Kilmarnock Night-cap—Extraordinary Roebuck’s Head at Ardgour,79CHAPTER XVI.The “Annus Mirabilis” of Dryden—1870 a more wonderful Year in its way than 1666—Winter—Number of Killed and Wounded in the Franco-Prussian War—Battles of Langside, Tippermuir, Cappel—Carrier Pigeons—The Velocity with which Birds fly,86CHAPTER XVII.Signs of a severe Winter—The Little Auk or Auklet—The Gadwall—Falcons being trained by the Prussians to intercept the Paris Carrier Pigeons—Ballooning—The King of Prussia’s Piety—John Forster—Solar Eclipse of 22d December 1870—The Government and the Eclipse—Large Solar Spots—Visible to the naked eye—Rev. Dr. Cumming—November Meteors,94CHAPTER XVIII.November Rains: 1500 tons per Imperial Acre!—Rainfall in Skye—An old Gaelic Apologue—The Drover and his Minister—Grand Stag’s Head—Scott as a Poet—Mr. Gladstone and Scott—An old Lullaby from the Gaelic,99CHAPTER XIX.Winter—Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a coming Storm—Corvus Corax—Wonderful Ravens—Edgar Allan Poe,106CHAPTER XX.Along the Shore after Birds—An Otter in pursuit of a Fish—Tame Otter at Bridge of Tilt: Employed in Fishing—His hatred of all sorts of Birds—“The Otter and Fox,” a translation from the Gaelic,114CHAPTER XXI.Storms—An “inch” of Rain—Atherina Presbyter—Lophius Piscatorius—Mr. Mortimer Collins’ misquotation from theTimes,121CHAPTER XXII.Aurora Borealis—Unfavourable weather for Birds about St. Valentine’s Day—The Water-Vole in the Rhi—In the Eden in Fifeshire—In the Black Water, Kinloch Leven—Does it feed on Salmon Fry and Ova?—The Kingfisher—Character of the Water-Vole—Note about the Hedgehog,127CHAPTER XXIII.March—The Story of a Spanish Dollar—The Spanish Armada—The “Florida”—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard—Molehill Earth for Flowers,133CHAPTER XXIV.The Beauty of the West Highland Seaboard—Dr. Aiton of Dolphinton—Dr. Norman Macleod—Specimen of Turtle-Dove (Columba Turtur) shot in Ardgour—The belief on the Continent of its value as a Household Pet—Bechstein—Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement,140CHAPTER XXV.Thunderstorm—Potato Field in Bloom—The Hazel Tree—Hazel Nuts—Potato Shaws for Cattle—Ferns for Bedding Cattle—Marmion—Scott,144CHAPTER XXVI.Harvest—Scythe and Sicklev.Reaping Machines—Potatoes—Garibaldi and Potatoes at Caprera—Fishing—Platessa Gemmatus, or Diamond Plaice—Mushrooms—The Poetry of Fairy Rings—Harvest-Home,150CHAPTER XXVII.The disappearance of the glories of Autumn, and the advent of Winter—Innovations and Innovators—New Version of the Scriptures—TheMilkmaid and her Fairy Lover, translated from the Gaelic,159CHAPTER XXVIII.Wild Birds’ Nests in early April—Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured—The Domestic Cock—What he was, and what he is—Sadly demoralised by intermixture with “Cochin-Chinas” and “Bramahpootras,”165CHAPTER XXIX.The Vernal Equinox—Beauty of Loch Leven—Astronomical Notes—How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a cruel death,172CHAPTER XXX.Midges and other Bloodsuckers—TheTsetseof South Africa—The AbyssinianZimb—Livingstone—Adders and Grass Snakes—Lucan’sPharsalia—Celsus—Legend of St. Johnante Portam Latinam,178CHAPTER XXXI.The Leafing of the Oak and Ash—Splendid Stags’ Heads—Edmund Waller—Old Silver-Plate buried for preservation in the ’45—Mimicry in Birds—An accomplished Goldfinch,185CHAPTER XXXII.Potato Culture—Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes—The Carline Thistle—Burns—The trueCarduus Scotticus—The old Dog-Rhyme,192CHAPTER XXXIII.A non-“Laughing” Summer—Rheumatic Pains—Old Gaelic Incantation for Cattle Ailments,199CHAPTER XXXIV.Early sowing recommended—Vitality of Superstitions—Capnomancy—Hazel Nuts: Frequent References to in Gaelic Poetry—How best to get at the full flavour of a ripe Hazel Nut,204CHAPTER XXXV.Strength of Insects—Necrophorus Vespillo, or Burying-Beetle—Fœtid smell of—How Willie Grimmond earned an Honest Penny in Glencoe,210CHAPTER XXXVI.Seaweed as a Fertiliser—Homer, Horace, Virgil—November Meteors—Gaelic Folk-Lore—A Curfew Prayer—A Bed Blessing—A Cattle Blessing—Rhyme to be said in driving Cattle to Pasture—“Luath,” Cuchullin’s Dog—Notes from the Outer Hebrides,217CHAPTER XXXVII.The Delights of Beltane Tide—Bishop Gawin Douglas—His Translation of theÆneid—The Fat of Deer—“Light and Shade” from the Gaelic—Mackworth Praed—Discovery of an old Flint Manufactory in the Moss of Ballachulish,225CHAPTER XXXVIII.Warm showery Summer disagreeable for the Tourist, but pastorally and agriculturally favourable—Xiphias Gladius, or Sword-Fish, cast ashore during a Mid-summer Gale—Garibaldi dining on Potatoes and Sword-Fish steaks at Caprera—The General’s Drink—Medicinal virtues of an Onion—Nettle Broth—Translation of a New Zealand Maori Song,233CHAPTER XXXIX.Mountains—The Lochaber Axe, Ancient and Modern,238CHAPTER XL.Sea-Fowl—Weather Prognostics—Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.)—Gales of Wind—January Primroses—Lachlan Gorach, the Mull “Natural”—A Dancing Rhyme,244CHAPTER XLI.Plague of Thistles in Australia and New Zealand—How to deal with them—Cnicus Acaulis, Great Milk Thistle, or Stemless Thistle—Fierce Fight between two Seals, “Nelson” and “Villeneuve,”250CHAPTER XLII.Wounds from Stags’ Antlers exceedingly dangerous—The old Fingalian Ballads—Number of Dogs kept for the Chase—Dr. Smith’s “Ancient Lays” of modern manufacture—The Spotted Crake (Crex Prozana) at Inverness—Its Habits,258CHAPTER XLIII.Whelks and Periwinkles—An Ossianic Reading—The Sea-shore after a Storm—TheRejectamentaof the deep—An amusing Story of a Shore-Searcher—Severity of Winter—Wild-Birds’ Levee—Woodcock—Snipe—Blue Jay,264CHAPTER XLIV.A “Blessed Thaw” after a Severe Frost—Longevity in Lochaber—A ready “Saline draught”—Aprobatum estRecipe for Catarrh and Colds—Egg-shell Superstition—Curious old Gaelic Poem,272CHAPTER XLV.“Albert,” a famous Labrador Dog—As a Water Dog—His intelligence—Takes to Sheep-Stealing—Death!278CHAPTER XLVI.An old Fingalian Hero—His keenness of Sight and sharpness of Ear—Foresters and Keepers—Foxhunters—Donald MacDonald—His Dogs—Sandy MacArthur the Mole-catcher,286CHAPTER XLVII.Autumnal Night—Meteors—The Spanish Mackerel—Professor Blackie’s Translations from the Gaelic—The “Translations” of the Gaelic Society of Inverness,293CHAPTER XLVIII.Crops—Potato Slug—Fern Slug—Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them—The Merlin, Falcon, and Tringa,299CHAPTER XLIX.The Hedgehog an Egg and Bird Eater?—Bird-catching—“Old Cowie”—Mackenzie—Lanius Excubitor—The Butcher-Bird or Shrike—Tea-Drinking and Sobriety,305CHAPTER L.Superstition amongst the People—Difficulty of dealing with it—Examples of Superstitions still prevalent in the Highlands—Cock-crowing at untimely hours—Itching of the Nose—Ringing in the Ears—The “Dead-Bell”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Mickle,313CHAPTER LI.Welcome Rain in May—Plague of Mice in Upper Teviotdale—Arvicola Agrestis—Field-Mice in Ardgour—How exterminated—A Singing Mouse—Farmers’ Mistakes—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher,319CHAPTER LII.Tourist Grumblers; how to deal with them—Sea Fishing—Superstition about a Gull—Josephus—Story of Mosollam and the Augur,327CHAPTER LIII.Heat in Mid-August—Early Planting and Sowing—Over-ripening of Crops—Medusæ—Stinging Jelly-Fish—The amount of solid matter in Jelly-Fish,334CHAPTER LIV.Approach of Winter—Contentedness of the People—Poets and Wild-Bird Song—Differences in the Colouring and Markings of Birds’ Eggs—Late Nest-building—Anecdote of Provost Robertson of Dingwall, Mr. Gladstone’s Grandfather,341CHAPTER LV.Spring—Hood’s Parody of Thomson’sInvocation—The excellence of Nettle-Top Soup—Cock-crowing—Birds’-nesting—Professor Geikie—Curious Story of an old Pipe-Tune,348CHAPTER LVI.Rain in Lochaber—An Apple Tree in bloom by Candle-light—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher—A Badenoch “Wise Woman” spitting in a Child’s Face to preserve it from the Fairies,355CHAPTER LVII.Caught in a Squall on Loch Leven—Potatoes and Herrings: How to cook them—A day in Glen Nevis—A visit toUaimh Shomhairle, or Samuel’s Cave—The Cave-Men,361CHAPTER LVIII.Showers in Harvest Time—Magnificent Sunset—Night sometimes seeming not to descend but toascend—Death of M. Leverrier—The Discovery of Neptune—Pigeon cooing at Midnight—The Owl at Noon—Cage-Birds singing at Night,370CHAPTER LIX.October Storms—Cablegram Predictions—Indications of coming Storms—Geordie Braid, the St. Andrews and Newport Coach-driver—The Naturalist in Winter—Drowned Hedgehogs: Spines become soft and gelatinous—Lophius Piscatorius—Disproportion between head and body in the Devil-Fish a puzzle—An Itinerant Fiddler,379CHAPTER LX.A Trip to Glasgow—Kelvin Grove Museum—Highland Association—A run to Rothesay—Rothesay Aquarium,387CHAPTER LXI.Overland from Ballachulish to Oban on a “Pet Day” in February—Story ofClach Ruric—Castle Stalker: an old Stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin—James IV.—Charles II.—Magpies—Dun-Mac-Uisneachan,394CHAPTER LXII.Nest-building—Cunningham’s objection to Burns’ Song, “O were my Love yon Lilac fair”—Birds and the Lilac Tree—Rivalries of Birds—Birds and the Poets—The Nightingale,402CHAPTER LXIII.March Dust—Moons of Mars—Planetoids—Occultation ofAlpha Leonis—Zodiacal Light—Snow Bunting—Old Gaelic Ballad of “Deirdri:” Its Topography,410
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.PAGEPrimroses and Daisies in early March—“The Posie”—Burns—“The Ancient Mariner”—William Tennant, Author of “Anster Fair”—HebrideanEpithalamium—A Bard’s Blessing—A Translation—Macleod of Berneray,1CHAPTER II.Autumnal Tints—Solomon and the Queen of Sheba—SortesSacræ—Sortes Virgilianæ—Charles the First and Lord Falkland—Virgilius the Magician—Thomas of Ercildoune,8CHAPTER III.An old Gaelic MS.—“The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched”—Fairy Lore—Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes,18CHAPTER IV.Transit of Mercury—Improperly called an “Eclipse” of—November Meteors—Mr. Huggins—Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light—Translation of a St. Kilda Song,23CHAPTER V.Bird Music—The Skylark’s Song—Imitation of, by a French Poet—Alasdair Macdonald—Scott,29CHAPTER VI.Severe Drought—The Drive by Coach from Fort-William to Kingussie—Breakfast at Moy—Where did Scott find Dominie Sampson’s “Pro-di-gi-ous!”?—Professor Blackie’s Poem on Glencoe,33CHAPTER VII.O the Barren, Barren Shore—Brilliant Auroral Display—Intense Cold—Birds—Glanders—Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes,39CHAPTER VIII.A Wet February—A Good Time coming—Sir Walter Scott—Mr Gladstone—Death of Sir David Brewster,44CHAPTER IX.Long-Line Fishing—Scarcity of Fish—Their Fecundity—Large Specimen of theRaia Chagrinea—The Wolf Fish—The Devil Fish,50CHAPTER X.Birds—Contest between a Heron and an Eel,54CHAPTER XI.Sea-Fishing—Loch and Stream Fishing—“Brindled Worms”—Rush-Lights—Buckie-Shell Lamps—The Weasel killing a Hare—Killing a Fallow Deer Fawn,58CHAPTER XII.Extraordinary aspect of the Sun—Sunset fromRokeby—Mr. Glaisher—“Demoiselle” or Numidian Crane at Deerness—The Snowy Owl in Sutherlandshire—Does the Fieldfare breed in Scotland?—The Woodcock,66CHAPTER XIII.Extraordinary Heat and Drought—Plentifulness ofFungi—Cows fond of Mushrooms—Shoals of Whales—A rippling breeze, and a Sail on Loch Leven,70CHAPTER XIV.Herrings—Chimæra Monstrosa—Cure for Ringworm—Cold Tea Leaves for inflamed and blood-shot Eyes—An old Incantation for the cure of Sore Eyes—A curious Dirk Sheath—A Tannery of Human Skins,73CHAPTER XV.The Ring-Dove—A Pet Ring-Dove—Its Death—Shenstone—TheBelone Vulgarisor Gar-Fish—A Rat and a Kilmarnock Night-cap—Extraordinary Roebuck’s Head at Ardgour,79CHAPTER XVI.The “Annus Mirabilis” of Dryden—1870 a more wonderful Year in its way than 1666—Winter—Number of Killed and Wounded in the Franco-Prussian War—Battles of Langside, Tippermuir, Cappel—Carrier Pigeons—The Velocity with which Birds fly,86CHAPTER XVII.Signs of a severe Winter—The Little Auk or Auklet—The Gadwall—Falcons being trained by the Prussians to intercept the Paris Carrier Pigeons—Ballooning—The King of Prussia’s Piety—John Forster—Solar Eclipse of 22d December 1870—The Government and the Eclipse—Large Solar Spots—Visible to the naked eye—Rev. Dr. Cumming—November Meteors,94CHAPTER XVIII.November Rains: 1500 tons per Imperial Acre!—Rainfall in Skye—An old Gaelic Apologue—The Drover and his Minister—Grand Stag’s Head—Scott as a Poet—Mr. Gladstone and Scott—An old Lullaby from the Gaelic,99CHAPTER XIX.Winter—Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a coming Storm—Corvus Corax—Wonderful Ravens—Edgar Allan Poe,106CHAPTER XX.Along the Shore after Birds—An Otter in pursuit of a Fish—Tame Otter at Bridge of Tilt: Employed in Fishing—His hatred of all sorts of Birds—“The Otter and Fox,” a translation from the Gaelic,114CHAPTER XXI.Storms—An “inch” of Rain—Atherina Presbyter—Lophius Piscatorius—Mr. Mortimer Collins’ misquotation from theTimes,121CHAPTER XXII.Aurora Borealis—Unfavourable weather for Birds about St. Valentine’s Day—The Water-Vole in the Rhi—In the Eden in Fifeshire—In the Black Water, Kinloch Leven—Does it feed on Salmon Fry and Ova?—The Kingfisher—Character of the Water-Vole—Note about the Hedgehog,127CHAPTER XXIII.March—The Story of a Spanish Dollar—The Spanish Armada—The “Florida”—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard—Molehill Earth for Flowers,133CHAPTER XXIV.The Beauty of the West Highland Seaboard—Dr. Aiton of Dolphinton—Dr. Norman Macleod—Specimen of Turtle-Dove (Columba Turtur) shot in Ardgour—The belief on the Continent of its value as a Household Pet—Bechstein—Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement,140CHAPTER XXV.Thunderstorm—Potato Field in Bloom—The Hazel Tree—Hazel Nuts—Potato Shaws for Cattle—Ferns for Bedding Cattle—Marmion—Scott,144CHAPTER XXVI.Harvest—Scythe and Sicklev.Reaping Machines—Potatoes—Garibaldi and Potatoes at Caprera—Fishing—Platessa Gemmatus, or Diamond Plaice—Mushrooms—The Poetry of Fairy Rings—Harvest-Home,150CHAPTER XXVII.The disappearance of the glories of Autumn, and the advent of Winter—Innovations and Innovators—New Version of the Scriptures—TheMilkmaid and her Fairy Lover, translated from the Gaelic,159CHAPTER XXVIII.Wild Birds’ Nests in early April—Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured—The Domestic Cock—What he was, and what he is—Sadly demoralised by intermixture with “Cochin-Chinas” and “Bramahpootras,”165CHAPTER XXIX.The Vernal Equinox—Beauty of Loch Leven—Astronomical Notes—How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a cruel death,172CHAPTER XXX.Midges and other Bloodsuckers—TheTsetseof South Africa—The AbyssinianZimb—Livingstone—Adders and Grass Snakes—Lucan’sPharsalia—Celsus—Legend of St. Johnante Portam Latinam,178CHAPTER XXXI.The Leafing of the Oak and Ash—Splendid Stags’ Heads—Edmund Waller—Old Silver-Plate buried for preservation in the ’45—Mimicry in Birds—An accomplished Goldfinch,185CHAPTER XXXII.Potato Culture—Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes—The Carline Thistle—Burns—The trueCarduus Scotticus—The old Dog-Rhyme,192CHAPTER XXXIII.A non-“Laughing” Summer—Rheumatic Pains—Old Gaelic Incantation for Cattle Ailments,199CHAPTER XXXIV.Early sowing recommended—Vitality of Superstitions—Capnomancy—Hazel Nuts: Frequent References to in Gaelic Poetry—How best to get at the full flavour of a ripe Hazel Nut,204CHAPTER XXXV.Strength of Insects—Necrophorus Vespillo, or Burying-Beetle—Fœtid smell of—How Willie Grimmond earned an Honest Penny in Glencoe,210CHAPTER XXXVI.Seaweed as a Fertiliser—Homer, Horace, Virgil—November Meteors—Gaelic Folk-Lore—A Curfew Prayer—A Bed Blessing—A Cattle Blessing—Rhyme to be said in driving Cattle to Pasture—“Luath,” Cuchullin’s Dog—Notes from the Outer Hebrides,217CHAPTER XXXVII.The Delights of Beltane Tide—Bishop Gawin Douglas—His Translation of theÆneid—The Fat of Deer—“Light and Shade” from the Gaelic—Mackworth Praed—Discovery of an old Flint Manufactory in the Moss of Ballachulish,225CHAPTER XXXVIII.Warm showery Summer disagreeable for the Tourist, but pastorally and agriculturally favourable—Xiphias Gladius, or Sword-Fish, cast ashore during a Mid-summer Gale—Garibaldi dining on Potatoes and Sword-Fish steaks at Caprera—The General’s Drink—Medicinal virtues of an Onion—Nettle Broth—Translation of a New Zealand Maori Song,233CHAPTER XXXIX.Mountains—The Lochaber Axe, Ancient and Modern,238CHAPTER XL.Sea-Fowl—Weather Prognostics—Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.)—Gales of Wind—January Primroses—Lachlan Gorach, the Mull “Natural”—A Dancing Rhyme,244CHAPTER XLI.Plague of Thistles in Australia and New Zealand—How to deal with them—Cnicus Acaulis, Great Milk Thistle, or Stemless Thistle—Fierce Fight between two Seals, “Nelson” and “Villeneuve,”250CHAPTER XLII.Wounds from Stags’ Antlers exceedingly dangerous—The old Fingalian Ballads—Number of Dogs kept for the Chase—Dr. Smith’s “Ancient Lays” of modern manufacture—The Spotted Crake (Crex Prozana) at Inverness—Its Habits,258CHAPTER XLIII.Whelks and Periwinkles—An Ossianic Reading—The Sea-shore after a Storm—TheRejectamentaof the deep—An amusing Story of a Shore-Searcher—Severity of Winter—Wild-Birds’ Levee—Woodcock—Snipe—Blue Jay,264CHAPTER XLIV.A “Blessed Thaw” after a Severe Frost—Longevity in Lochaber—A ready “Saline draught”—Aprobatum estRecipe for Catarrh and Colds—Egg-shell Superstition—Curious old Gaelic Poem,272CHAPTER XLV.“Albert,” a famous Labrador Dog—As a Water Dog—His intelligence—Takes to Sheep-Stealing—Death!278CHAPTER XLVI.An old Fingalian Hero—His keenness of Sight and sharpness of Ear—Foresters and Keepers—Foxhunters—Donald MacDonald—His Dogs—Sandy MacArthur the Mole-catcher,286CHAPTER XLVII.Autumnal Night—Meteors—The Spanish Mackerel—Professor Blackie’s Translations from the Gaelic—The “Translations” of the Gaelic Society of Inverness,293CHAPTER XLVIII.Crops—Potato Slug—Fern Slug—Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them—The Merlin, Falcon, and Tringa,299CHAPTER XLIX.The Hedgehog an Egg and Bird Eater?—Bird-catching—“Old Cowie”—Mackenzie—Lanius Excubitor—The Butcher-Bird or Shrike—Tea-Drinking and Sobriety,305CHAPTER L.Superstition amongst the People—Difficulty of dealing with it—Examples of Superstitions still prevalent in the Highlands—Cock-crowing at untimely hours—Itching of the Nose—Ringing in the Ears—The “Dead-Bell”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Mickle,313CHAPTER LI.Welcome Rain in May—Plague of Mice in Upper Teviotdale—Arvicola Agrestis—Field-Mice in Ardgour—How exterminated—A Singing Mouse—Farmers’ Mistakes—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher,319CHAPTER LII.Tourist Grumblers; how to deal with them—Sea Fishing—Superstition about a Gull—Josephus—Story of Mosollam and the Augur,327CHAPTER LIII.Heat in Mid-August—Early Planting and Sowing—Over-ripening of Crops—Medusæ—Stinging Jelly-Fish—The amount of solid matter in Jelly-Fish,334CHAPTER LIV.Approach of Winter—Contentedness of the People—Poets and Wild-Bird Song—Differences in the Colouring and Markings of Birds’ Eggs—Late Nest-building—Anecdote of Provost Robertson of Dingwall, Mr. Gladstone’s Grandfather,341CHAPTER LV.Spring—Hood’s Parody of Thomson’sInvocation—The excellence of Nettle-Top Soup—Cock-crowing—Birds’-nesting—Professor Geikie—Curious Story of an old Pipe-Tune,348CHAPTER LVI.Rain in Lochaber—An Apple Tree in bloom by Candle-light—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher—A Badenoch “Wise Woman” spitting in a Child’s Face to preserve it from the Fairies,355CHAPTER LVII.Caught in a Squall on Loch Leven—Potatoes and Herrings: How to cook them—A day in Glen Nevis—A visit toUaimh Shomhairle, or Samuel’s Cave—The Cave-Men,361CHAPTER LVIII.Showers in Harvest Time—Magnificent Sunset—Night sometimes seeming not to descend but toascend—Death of M. Leverrier—The Discovery of Neptune—Pigeon cooing at Midnight—The Owl at Noon—Cage-Birds singing at Night,370CHAPTER LIX.October Storms—Cablegram Predictions—Indications of coming Storms—Geordie Braid, the St. Andrews and Newport Coach-driver—The Naturalist in Winter—Drowned Hedgehogs: Spines become soft and gelatinous—Lophius Piscatorius—Disproportion between head and body in the Devil-Fish a puzzle—An Itinerant Fiddler,379CHAPTER LX.A Trip to Glasgow—Kelvin Grove Museum—Highland Association—A run to Rothesay—Rothesay Aquarium,387CHAPTER LXI.Overland from Ballachulish to Oban on a “Pet Day” in February—Story ofClach Ruric—Castle Stalker: an old Stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin—James IV.—Charles II.—Magpies—Dun-Mac-Uisneachan,394CHAPTER LXII.Nest-building—Cunningham’s objection to Burns’ Song, “O were my Love yon Lilac fair”—Birds and the Lilac Tree—Rivalries of Birds—Birds and the Poets—The Nightingale,402CHAPTER LXIII.March Dust—Moons of Mars—Planetoids—Occultation ofAlpha Leonis—Zodiacal Light—Snow Bunting—Old Gaelic Ballad of “Deirdri:” Its Topography,410
CHAPTER I.PAGE
Primroses and Daisies in early March—“The Posie”—Burns—“The Ancient Mariner”—William Tennant, Author of “Anster Fair”—HebrideanEpithalamium—A Bard’s Blessing—A Translation—Macleod of Berneray,1
CHAPTER II.
Autumnal Tints—Solomon and the Queen of Sheba—SortesSacræ—Sortes Virgilianæ—Charles the First and Lord Falkland—Virgilius the Magician—Thomas of Ercildoune,8
CHAPTER III.
An old Gaelic MS.—“The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched”—Fairy Lore—Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes,18
CHAPTER IV.
Transit of Mercury—Improperly called an “Eclipse” of—November Meteors—Mr. Huggins—Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light—Translation of a St. Kilda Song,23
CHAPTER V.
Bird Music—The Skylark’s Song—Imitation of, by a French Poet—Alasdair Macdonald—Scott,29
CHAPTER VI.
Severe Drought—The Drive by Coach from Fort-William to Kingussie—Breakfast at Moy—Where did Scott find Dominie Sampson’s “Pro-di-gi-ous!”?—Professor Blackie’s Poem on Glencoe,33
CHAPTER VII.
O the Barren, Barren Shore—Brilliant Auroral Display—Intense Cold—Birds—Glanders—Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes,39
CHAPTER VIII.
A Wet February—A Good Time coming—Sir Walter Scott—Mr Gladstone—Death of Sir David Brewster,44
CHAPTER IX.
Long-Line Fishing—Scarcity of Fish—Their Fecundity—Large Specimen of theRaia Chagrinea—The Wolf Fish—The Devil Fish,50
CHAPTER X.
Birds—Contest between a Heron and an Eel,54
CHAPTER XI.
Sea-Fishing—Loch and Stream Fishing—“Brindled Worms”—Rush-Lights—Buckie-Shell Lamps—The Weasel killing a Hare—Killing a Fallow Deer Fawn,58
CHAPTER XII.
Extraordinary aspect of the Sun—Sunset fromRokeby—Mr. Glaisher—“Demoiselle” or Numidian Crane at Deerness—The Snowy Owl in Sutherlandshire—Does the Fieldfare breed in Scotland?—The Woodcock,66
CHAPTER XIII.
Extraordinary Heat and Drought—Plentifulness ofFungi—Cows fond of Mushrooms—Shoals of Whales—A rippling breeze, and a Sail on Loch Leven,70
CHAPTER XIV.
Herrings—Chimæra Monstrosa—Cure for Ringworm—Cold Tea Leaves for inflamed and blood-shot Eyes—An old Incantation for the cure of Sore Eyes—A curious Dirk Sheath—A Tannery of Human Skins,73
CHAPTER XV.
The Ring-Dove—A Pet Ring-Dove—Its Death—Shenstone—TheBelone Vulgarisor Gar-Fish—A Rat and a Kilmarnock Night-cap—Extraordinary Roebuck’s Head at Ardgour,79
CHAPTER XVI.
The “Annus Mirabilis” of Dryden—1870 a more wonderful Year in its way than 1666—Winter—Number of Killed and Wounded in the Franco-Prussian War—Battles of Langside, Tippermuir, Cappel—Carrier Pigeons—The Velocity with which Birds fly,86
CHAPTER XVII.
Signs of a severe Winter—The Little Auk or Auklet—The Gadwall—Falcons being trained by the Prussians to intercept the Paris Carrier Pigeons—Ballooning—The King of Prussia’s Piety—John Forster—Solar Eclipse of 22d December 1870—The Government and the Eclipse—Large Solar Spots—Visible to the naked eye—Rev. Dr. Cumming—November Meteors,94
CHAPTER XVIII.
November Rains: 1500 tons per Imperial Acre!—Rainfall in Skye—An old Gaelic Apologue—The Drover and his Minister—Grand Stag’s Head—Scott as a Poet—Mr. Gladstone and Scott—An old Lullaby from the Gaelic,99
CHAPTER XIX.
Winter—Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a coming Storm—Corvus Corax—Wonderful Ravens—Edgar Allan Poe,106
CHAPTER XX.
Along the Shore after Birds—An Otter in pursuit of a Fish—Tame Otter at Bridge of Tilt: Employed in Fishing—His hatred of all sorts of Birds—“The Otter and Fox,” a translation from the Gaelic,114
CHAPTER XXI.
Storms—An “inch” of Rain—Atherina Presbyter—Lophius Piscatorius—Mr. Mortimer Collins’ misquotation from theTimes,121
CHAPTER XXII.
Aurora Borealis—Unfavourable weather for Birds about St. Valentine’s Day—The Water-Vole in the Rhi—In the Eden in Fifeshire—In the Black Water, Kinloch Leven—Does it feed on Salmon Fry and Ova?—The Kingfisher—Character of the Water-Vole—Note about the Hedgehog,127
CHAPTER XXIII.
March—The Story of a Spanish Dollar—The Spanish Armada—The “Florida”—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard—Molehill Earth for Flowers,133
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Beauty of the West Highland Seaboard—Dr. Aiton of Dolphinton—Dr. Norman Macleod—Specimen of Turtle-Dove (Columba Turtur) shot in Ardgour—The belief on the Continent of its value as a Household Pet—Bechstein—Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement,140
CHAPTER XXV.
Thunderstorm—Potato Field in Bloom—The Hazel Tree—Hazel Nuts—Potato Shaws for Cattle—Ferns for Bedding Cattle—Marmion—Scott,144
CHAPTER XXVI.
Harvest—Scythe and Sicklev.Reaping Machines—Potatoes—Garibaldi and Potatoes at Caprera—Fishing—Platessa Gemmatus, or Diamond Plaice—Mushrooms—The Poetry of Fairy Rings—Harvest-Home,150
CHAPTER XXVII.
The disappearance of the glories of Autumn, and the advent of Winter—Innovations and Innovators—New Version of the Scriptures—TheMilkmaid and her Fairy Lover, translated from the Gaelic,159
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Wild Birds’ Nests in early April—Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured—The Domestic Cock—What he was, and what he is—Sadly demoralised by intermixture with “Cochin-Chinas” and “Bramahpootras,”165
CHAPTER XXIX.
The Vernal Equinox—Beauty of Loch Leven—Astronomical Notes—How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a cruel death,172
CHAPTER XXX.
Midges and other Bloodsuckers—TheTsetseof South Africa—The AbyssinianZimb—Livingstone—Adders and Grass Snakes—Lucan’sPharsalia—Celsus—Legend of St. Johnante Portam Latinam,178
CHAPTER XXXI.
The Leafing of the Oak and Ash—Splendid Stags’ Heads—Edmund Waller—Old Silver-Plate buried for preservation in the ’45—Mimicry in Birds—An accomplished Goldfinch,185
CHAPTER XXXII.
Potato Culture—Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes—The Carline Thistle—Burns—The trueCarduus Scotticus—The old Dog-Rhyme,192
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A non-“Laughing” Summer—Rheumatic Pains—Old Gaelic Incantation for Cattle Ailments,199
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Early sowing recommended—Vitality of Superstitions—Capnomancy—Hazel Nuts: Frequent References to in Gaelic Poetry—How best to get at the full flavour of a ripe Hazel Nut,204
CHAPTER XXXV.
Strength of Insects—Necrophorus Vespillo, or Burying-Beetle—Fœtid smell of—How Willie Grimmond earned an Honest Penny in Glencoe,210
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Seaweed as a Fertiliser—Homer, Horace, Virgil—November Meteors—Gaelic Folk-Lore—A Curfew Prayer—A Bed Blessing—A Cattle Blessing—Rhyme to be said in driving Cattle to Pasture—“Luath,” Cuchullin’s Dog—Notes from the Outer Hebrides,217
CHAPTER XXXVII.
The Delights of Beltane Tide—Bishop Gawin Douglas—His Translation of theÆneid—The Fat of Deer—“Light and Shade” from the Gaelic—Mackworth Praed—Discovery of an old Flint Manufactory in the Moss of Ballachulish,225
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Warm showery Summer disagreeable for the Tourist, but pastorally and agriculturally favourable—Xiphias Gladius, or Sword-Fish, cast ashore during a Mid-summer Gale—Garibaldi dining on Potatoes and Sword-Fish steaks at Caprera—The General’s Drink—Medicinal virtues of an Onion—Nettle Broth—Translation of a New Zealand Maori Song,233
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Mountains—The Lochaber Axe, Ancient and Modern,238
CHAPTER XL.
Sea-Fowl—Weather Prognostics—Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.)—Gales of Wind—January Primroses—Lachlan Gorach, the Mull “Natural”—A Dancing Rhyme,244
CHAPTER XLI.
Plague of Thistles in Australia and New Zealand—How to deal with them—Cnicus Acaulis, Great Milk Thistle, or Stemless Thistle—Fierce Fight between two Seals, “Nelson” and “Villeneuve,”250
CHAPTER XLII.
Wounds from Stags’ Antlers exceedingly dangerous—The old Fingalian Ballads—Number of Dogs kept for the Chase—Dr. Smith’s “Ancient Lays” of modern manufacture—The Spotted Crake (Crex Prozana) at Inverness—Its Habits,258
CHAPTER XLIII.
Whelks and Periwinkles—An Ossianic Reading—The Sea-shore after a Storm—TheRejectamentaof the deep—An amusing Story of a Shore-Searcher—Severity of Winter—Wild-Birds’ Levee—Woodcock—Snipe—Blue Jay,264
CHAPTER XLIV.
A “Blessed Thaw” after a Severe Frost—Longevity in Lochaber—A ready “Saline draught”—Aprobatum estRecipe for Catarrh and Colds—Egg-shell Superstition—Curious old Gaelic Poem,272
CHAPTER XLV.
“Albert,” a famous Labrador Dog—As a Water Dog—His intelligence—Takes to Sheep-Stealing—Death!278
CHAPTER XLVI.
An old Fingalian Hero—His keenness of Sight and sharpness of Ear—Foresters and Keepers—Foxhunters—Donald MacDonald—His Dogs—Sandy MacArthur the Mole-catcher,286
CHAPTER XLVII.
Autumnal Night—Meteors—The Spanish Mackerel—Professor Blackie’s Translations from the Gaelic—The “Translations” of the Gaelic Society of Inverness,293
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Crops—Potato Slug—Fern Slug—Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them—The Merlin, Falcon, and Tringa,299
CHAPTER XLIX.
The Hedgehog an Egg and Bird Eater?—Bird-catching—“Old Cowie”—Mackenzie—Lanius Excubitor—The Butcher-Bird or Shrike—Tea-Drinking and Sobriety,305
CHAPTER L.
Superstition amongst the People—Difficulty of dealing with it—Examples of Superstitions still prevalent in the Highlands—Cock-crowing at untimely hours—Itching of the Nose—Ringing in the Ears—The “Dead-Bell”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Mickle,313
CHAPTER LI.
Welcome Rain in May—Plague of Mice in Upper Teviotdale—Arvicola Agrestis—Field-Mice in Ardgour—How exterminated—A Singing Mouse—Farmers’ Mistakes—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher,319
CHAPTER LII.
Tourist Grumblers; how to deal with them—Sea Fishing—Superstition about a Gull—Josephus—Story of Mosollam and the Augur,327
CHAPTER LIII.
Heat in Mid-August—Early Planting and Sowing—Over-ripening of Crops—Medusæ—Stinging Jelly-Fish—The amount of solid matter in Jelly-Fish,334
CHAPTER LIV.
Approach of Winter—Contentedness of the People—Poets and Wild-Bird Song—Differences in the Colouring and Markings of Birds’ Eggs—Late Nest-building—Anecdote of Provost Robertson of Dingwall, Mr. Gladstone’s Grandfather,341
CHAPTER LV.
Spring—Hood’s Parody of Thomson’sInvocation—The excellence of Nettle-Top Soup—Cock-crowing—Birds’-nesting—Professor Geikie—Curious Story of an old Pipe-Tune,348
CHAPTER LVI.
Rain in Lochaber—An Apple Tree in bloom by Candle-light—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher—A Badenoch “Wise Woman” spitting in a Child’s Face to preserve it from the Fairies,355
CHAPTER LVII.
Caught in a Squall on Loch Leven—Potatoes and Herrings: How to cook them—A day in Glen Nevis—A visit toUaimh Shomhairle, or Samuel’s Cave—The Cave-Men,361
CHAPTER LVIII.
Showers in Harvest Time—Magnificent Sunset—Night sometimes seeming not to descend but toascend—Death of M. Leverrier—The Discovery of Neptune—Pigeon cooing at Midnight—The Owl at Noon—Cage-Birds singing at Night,370
CHAPTER LIX.
October Storms—Cablegram Predictions—Indications of coming Storms—Geordie Braid, the St. Andrews and Newport Coach-driver—The Naturalist in Winter—Drowned Hedgehogs: Spines become soft and gelatinous—Lophius Piscatorius—Disproportion between head and body in the Devil-Fish a puzzle—An Itinerant Fiddler,379
CHAPTER LX.
A Trip to Glasgow—Kelvin Grove Museum—Highland Association—A run to Rothesay—Rothesay Aquarium,387
CHAPTER LXI.
Overland from Ballachulish to Oban on a “Pet Day” in February—Story ofClach Ruric—Castle Stalker: an old Stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin—James IV.—Charles II.—Magpies—Dun-Mac-Uisneachan,394
CHAPTER LXII.
Nest-building—Cunningham’s objection to Burns’ Song, “O were my Love yon Lilac fair”—Birds and the Lilac Tree—Rivalries of Birds—Birds and the Poets—The Nightingale,402
CHAPTER LXIII.
March Dust—Moons of Mars—Planetoids—Occultation ofAlpha Leonis—Zodiacal Light—Snow Bunting—Old Gaelic Ballad of “Deirdri:” Its Topography,410