"O na 'm bu leis a' Ghaidheal mi, O nach bu leis, 's truagh nach bu leis, E nach bu leis an t-saighdeir mi, O nach bu leis, 's truagh nach bu leis, Dh' olteadh mo ghloine fhiona leam, Lionteadh mo ghloine, dh' olteadh mo ghloine, Dheanteadh mo leaba shioda dhomh, Chairteadh mo leaba, shioda dhomh, Dheanteadh mo leaba, chàirteadh mo leaba, Dh' eirinn gu moch, mhàrsainn gu trom, Dh' eirinn gu moch, mhàrsuinn gu moch, Nunn thar na linne, nall thar a' bheinn, Nunn thar na linne, nall thar na linne, Ma theid sinn do 'n mhonadh marbhaidh iad sinn, O nach bu leis a' Ghaidheal mi, E nach bu leis a' Ghaidheal mi, O nach bu leis, 's truagh nach bu leis, Sud, a Righ, nach ann air a dh' fhag iad mi." There are few webs made now in the Highlands, and though there would be a waulking as of old, where are the maidens? We might well quote the old song "Tha mo chlòth gun luadh da-rireadh, Anns an tir le dith nan caileag." "The flowers of the forest are all wede away." The men appear at kirk and market in bought things, in which they have not the pride that their forefathers had in the handiwork of their dear ones, and which have not the sacredness that those garments had which were wrought by the hands of the beloved. And few also of the women can quote the song that says "Chan iarr mi airgiod no òr, Siod no sròl a cheannach dhomh ; 'S i obair mo dhà làimhe fhéin, Bu chinntich mi a leanailt rium." In conclusion, I may mention here that the next thing done with the cloth was for two or three strong men to stretch and roll it as firmly and tightly as possible on a narrow board, or strong stick, whilst it was damp. This was called "coinnleachadh,” and it was left for several days in that condition, that it might become smooth and stiff. When it came off the stick with a sound that seemed like a declaration of its strength, it was called "fioraodach." It was then unrolled to get dried in the sun, and after that it was rolled up again ready for the tailor, who had already been spoken to for coming to the house as soon as he could to make the required suits for young and old. "Na bothain chleachd bhi air gach raon, "Ann an àit' ar n-oigridh ghaoil, Tha feidh a's caoirich anns na glinn, 16th MARCH, 1887. At the Society's meeting on this date, Mr Malcolm Macintyre, painter, Fort-William, nominated at previous meeting, was elected an ordinary member. Thereafter Mr John Whyte read a paper, contributed by Sir Kenneth S. Mackenzie of Gairloch, Baronet, being extracts from "Reports on Highland Parishes, 1749." The paper, with an explanatory introduction by Sir Kenneth, was as follows: REPORTS ON HIGHLAND PARISHES-1749. There appeared in the correspondence columns of the Scotsman, of 4th February, 1885, a letter relating to the publications of the Scottish Text Society, the writer of which pointed out that many unpublished MSS. in Scottish Libraries were worth examining; and he added that, in the Library of the Church of Scotland, he had " seen a volume of collected reports from all the parishes in Scotland as to their condition-social, moral, and otherwise. They are in MSS., and date about 1746-that is forty years. earlier than Sir John Sinclair's statistical account." My attention was directed to this letter by Mr William Mackenzie, the late Secretary of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, and I made enquiry about the volume of reports mentioned in it through the present Dean of Faculty-at that time Sheriff of Ross and Procurator for the Church of Scotland. He was good enough to apply to Dr Christie, the obliging librarian of the Church, who made search for these reports, which had not previously come under his notice. They were found in the Record Room, unbound, and not in a state, therefore, which permitted of their removal from the librarian's custody, but he offered to show them on any Wednesday within the Library, which, on that day of the week, is open to the public from ten to one in the forenoon. In the following month of June I attended at the Library on one of these public days, and was allowed by Dr Christie to examine these MSS. I found that they were reports from most of the parish ministers of Scotland in answer to queries by a Committee of the General Assembly of 1749, for preparing a plan for the augmentation of ministers' stipends. They were arranged in order under the head of their respective Presbyteries, and I made such cursory examination as the time allowed of the reports from the Highland Presbyteries, to see if there was anything in them that might be of interest to the Gaelic Society of Inverness. The queries had related (1) to the amount of the stipend; (2) to the extent and the population of the parish; (3) to the amount of the teinds; and (4) to what other subjects were available for augmenting the stipend. As may be supposed, the answers to these queries were frequently of small general interest, but some I thought worth transcribing, and, Dr Christie having courteously offered to attend on a private day, I procured the services of a shorthand writer, and had the extracts taken down which I herewith transmit. They include the full reports of the four ministers in the Presbytery of Lewis; extracts from the reports of the ministers of Sleat, Duirinish, Bracadale, and Kilmuir, in the Presbytery of Skye; the report of the ministers of the collegiate charge of Inverness; and an extract minute of the freeholders of Ross, at a meeting held at Dingwall on the 21st December, 1750, "to consider the report made by the Synod of Ross to the last General Assembly." This last paper has probably some connection with the series of reports among which it is now placed, but I could not find the report of the Synod of Ross in the records of the Assembly of 1750. Any matters of special interest in these reports will speak for themselves, but I may perhaps be allowed to notice that, where the population is mentioned, it tends to show that Webster's returns of six years later (1755)—on the accuracy of which unmerited doubt has been sometimes cast-were not understated. A considerable rise of rents seems to have taken place in Lewis in 1740 -several years, therefore, before the abolition of the heritable jurisdictions, with which rent-raising has sometimes been connected. Thus incidentally points of historical interest may here and there be met with, while there is a good deal of humour in the accounts given by some of the ministers of the extent of their parishes, and the difficulties of getting about them. Altogether, I hope that the Gaelic Society will find that, mixed up with a certain amount of dry detail, there is sufficient interesting matter in the extracts I transmit to make them worthy of being read at an evening meeting. Conon House, 18th January, 1887. KENNETH S. MACKENZIE. 22nd November, 1749.-The answers of Mr John Clark, minister of the Gospel in the parish of Stornoway and the Presbytery of Lewis, to the queries of the Committee of the late General Assembly for preparing a plan for the augmentation of ministers' stipends in this Church. Primo. The amount of my yearly stipend is 950 merks, all paid in money by Lord Fortrose; my allowance for Communion elements is 50 merks Scots money-both which appear by our decreet of new erection, dated at Edinburgh, 19th December, 1722. The value of my glebe and grass a-year is £5 sterling money. The peat moss is a mile of bad road distant from my manse, which makes my fuel amount to the charge of £4 sterling a-year for my single person and one servant. Secundo. The extent of my parish is 15 miles in length and 7 miles in breadth, with six rapid rivers which, in all the seasons REPORTS ON HIGHLAND PARISHES-1749. There appeared in the correspondence columns of the Scotsman, of 4th February, 1885, a letter relating to the publications of the Scottish Text Society, the writer of which pointed out that many unpublished MSS. in Scottish Libraries were worth examining; and he added that, in the Library of the Church of Scotland, he had " seen a volume of collected reports from all the parishes in Scotland as to their condition-social, moral, and otherwise. They are in MSS., and date about 1746-that is forty years. earlier than Sir John Sinclair's statistical account." My attention was directed to this letter by Mr William Mackenzie, the late Secretary of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, and I made enquiry about the volume of reports mentioned in it through the present Dean of Faculty-at that time Sheriff of Ross and Procurator for the Church of Scotland. He was good enough to apply to Dr Christie, the obliging librarian of the Church, who made search for these reports, which had not previously come under his notice. They were found in the Record Room, unbound, and not in a state, therefore, which permitted of their removal from the librarian's custody, but he offered to show them on any Wednesday within the Library, which, on that day of the week, is open to the public from ten to one in the forenoon. In the following month of June I attended at the Library on one of these public days, and was allowed by Dr Christie to examine these MSS. I found that they were reports from most of the parish ministers of Scotland in answer to queries by a Committee of the General Assembly of 1749, for preparing a plan for the augmentation of ministers' stipends. They were arranged in order under the head of their respective Presbyteries, and I made such cursory examination as the time allowed of the reports from the Highland Presbyteries, to see if there was anything in them that might be of interest to the Gaelic Society of Inverness. The queries had related (1) to the amount of the stipend; (2) to the extent and the population of the parish; (3) to the amount of the teinds; and (4) to what other subjects were available for augmenting the stipend. As may be supposed, the answers to these queries were frequently of small general interest, but some I thought worth transcribing, and, Dr Christie having courteously offered to attend on a private day, I procured the services of a shorthand writer, and had the extracts taken down which I herewith transmit. They include the full reports of the four ministers in the Presbytery of Lewis; |