certainty how to pronounce any word which he has only seen written; (2) that no Englishman can tell with certainty how to spell a word which he has only heard spoken and never seen written." Of the principles to which I have referred, I shall here only make mention of that of "broad to broad and narrow to narrow," " which in itself is almost a complete key to our orthography.

As members of the Gaelic Society, our duty is to make ourselves perfectly acquainted with our language, as it is written. As Secretary of the Society, I experience the greatest difficulty in getting members to write Gaelic papers. This state of matters in the second year of our existence is a slur upon our reputation which must not be allowed to exist. We must have the language practically and systematically taught to us, either at our ordinary meetings, or at a class specially formed. Acquaint yourselves with the writing of the language, by corrosponding in it. If there is any one among my young friends here—and it is but charitable to suppose that there is—who has not yet forgot his first love towards some daughter of the mountains, in his native glen, let him correspond with her in the sweet and natural tongue of Uilleam Ros.

The subjects of my observations to-night are such as may be discussed; I therefore conclude. Permit me to do so in the words of the Rev. Professor Mullin, of Lochrea, Ireland, slightly altered to suit Highlanders. No Irishman will censure us for the liberty we take in thus adopting unto ourselves the words of an eloquent poem of which the sons of Erin are justly proud. The Kelts of Ireland and the Kelts of Scotland have a common language; and all differences and quarrels between them over that language are suicidal to their common cause. Let us hope that the unfortunate jealousies which for so long a time separated the Keltic scholars of Scotland and Ireland are now cast into that oblivion which endeth not

66 Oh, be Highland, Highlanders, and rally for the dear old tongue,
Which, as ivy to a ruin, to the dear old land has clung!
Oh, snatch this relic from the wreck, the only and the last,
To show what Albin ought to be, by pointing to the Past!"

DECEMBER 5th.-There was a paper read this evening, which may be regarded as a sequel to, if not a fragment of the tale, of which so much is given, under the head of "Toirioc na Taine." Throughout the Highlands this paper is known as

LAOID H NAN CEANN.

[Bho Dhonull Mac-an-t-Saoir,* Aird, Beinn-nam-faothala, Uist, 22na Mart, 1867. Taken down by

ALEX. A. CARMICHAEL.]

Mharbhadh Cuchullain a' cogadh an aghaidh Maoim a Chruachain. 'Nuair a leonadh e leis a' bhuitsich Feannag nighean a Challadair, thuirst e r'a ghille, Laoghaire mac Nearst, "A Laoghaire mhic Neirst, a threin ghaisgich, agus a dheagh sheirbheisich dhilis, fhuair mis mo bhuille bàis. Ach cuir thusa 'm sheasamh mi agus sleagh fo gach achlais agam agus te eile fo m' uc [bhrollach] a chumas am sheasamh mi am fianuis sluagh Maoim a Chruachain; agus cumaidh so Maoim a Chruachain agus a cuid airm gu'n tighinn a nall eir Ath-Crioch." Rinn Laoghaire mar a shir a mhaighstir eir. "Falbhaidh tu nis a Laoghaire, agus bheir thu fios ga'm chaomh charaid Connul gu'n do mharbhadh a dhalta (? oide) Cuchullain."

Chuir Connul bòidean agus briathran eir fhein gu marbhadh e neach eir bith a thigeadh a thoirt fios dha eir bas Chuchullain. Bha fios aig Laoghaire eir a so.

Rainig Laoghaire taigh Chonnuil agus chaidh e 's taigh. Ghabh Connul naigheac Chuchullain deth gu suilbhearra Seadh a Laoghaire, ciamar tha mo chaomh charaid Cuchullain?" orsa Connul. "Tha gu math," orsa Laoghaire. "Tha e 'n trast deigh taigh ùr a dhianadh." "Gu de 'n taigh a rinn e mar sin?" orsa Connul. "Nach bu mhath gu'm fonadh dhàsan' an t-seann aitreamh aosmhor mhor bha aig a shinnsre ?” "Rinn teigh anns an fhasan ur." "Gu de am fasan a fhuair e mar sin?" "O cha'n eil ann ach taigh beag. An uair a laidheas e eir a dhruim-direach eir an urlar agus a shineas e a chasun buailidh bonn a chas ceann-iocrach, agus crun a chinn ceann-uacrach, agus barr a shroine droma-mhaide 'n taighe." "'S ionnan sin" orsa "Connul agus gu bheil mo chaomh charaid Cuchullain marbh." "Cha tug mis iomara eir bas a Chonnuil," orsa Laoghaire, “fhiannis sin orst fhein, is tu thug iomara eir a bhas agus cha mhise."

Donald Macintyre, usually called "Do'ul mac Dho'uil 'ic Thearlaich," died in 1868. He was a sort of catechist among the Roman Catholic population of Uist and Barra. His lays of Ossian were in more request than his lays of Rome. The younger people used to tease him much, when he would break out into great fits of swearing. One of the priests told me that the Barra people-no saints-complained that he introduced several new oaths amongst them,

A. A. C.

"O cha tug a laochain 's tu nach tug. Co leis am bu chruaidhe bas Chuchullain na leatsa fhein. Biodhmid a falbh a Laoghaire,"

agus dh-falbh Connul agus Laoghaire.

A chiad choille choinnich Connul chaidh e 's taigh innte agus bhuain e seac gaid (goid) ura dha'n chaol bu ruighne agus chuir e siod eir bac ruighe Laoghaire.

Innsidh tu nis dhomhsa a Laoghaire co na daoine bu deise agus na cairdean bu dilse bha aig Maoim a Chruachain agus a b-fhaide bh' eir a taobh 'sa chogadh agus cha'n fhag mise ceann eir amhach (aca) gus an lion mi na seac goid so."

Rainig 'ad Ath-Crioch far an tugadh am blar agus fhuair 'ad Cuchullain na sheasadh ris na sleaghun agus e marbh gun deo, agus sluagh Maoim a Chruachain thall ma choineamh ga choimhead agus nach leigeadh an t-eagal leo tighinn a nall na b'fhaisg eir (gu'n fhios an robh e marbh).

Ghabh Connul a null agus shin e eir sliocadh agus eir seacadh sluagh Maoim a Chruachain. Ghabh e sios roimh 'n teis meadhoin 's a suas roimh 'n teis meadhoin; a null eir an tarsuin sa nall eir an tarsuin, eir an oir, eir am fiaradh agus eir am fad-fhiaradh gus an robh na seac goid aig Laoghaire lan dha na cinn. Ach an deigh sin uile bha tuille namh aig Cuchullain bu mhath le Laoghaire mbarbhadh agus leig e ruith le fear dha na gaid. Thoisich Connul as ur agus bha e ga'm bualadh thall's gan seacadh a bhos; ga'n sliocadh shios 's ga'n leagail shuas fad da la agus da oiche gus na lionadh na gaid a rist.

Dh-falbh a sin Connul agus Laoghaire agus na cinn ac eir a muin anns na gaid. Bha 'ad ga'n leon leis an acras agus an am bhi dol seachad eir aitreabh mhor a bha sin; fhuair 'ad cuireadh a staigh gu'n dinnteir. Nuair a ghabh iad an dinnteir (agus m' anam fhein bu mhath a thoill 'ad i), thainig 'ad a mach, agus thainig ainnir aillidh a mach as an deigh oir bu ghaisgeach sgiamhach Connul. An trath chunnaig an ainnir na cinn eir na gaid bhuail i eir faighneac do Chonnul co na cinn a bha ann agus bha Connul ga freagairst.

An Ainnir "A Chonnuil shealbhaich nan ceann,

Is cinnteach mi gu'n dhearg thu t-airm;
Na cinn sin a th'agad eir ghad-

An sloinntear leat eir fad na soinn ?"

Connul-"A nighean shoirbhearstach nan each,
Ainnir og nam bria'ra binn

An eirig Chochullain nan cleas

Thugadh (Thogadh ?) liom fo dheas na cinn."

An Ainnir "Co e an ceann, donn, molach mor
Is deirge nan ros a ghruaidh ghlan
A chuir thu thall eir a thaobh clí?

A Chonnuil mhoir is ailli dreach."

Connul " Maoire foirbhearstach nan each
Macan le'n creachta gach cuan ;
Sgar mi dheasan fhein an ceann
'S ann liom fein a thuit a shluagh."

An Ainnir "A Chonnuil mhoir le d' ghaisgeadh righ
Co a (? e) an ceann eil eir dhiol chaich,
'Fhalt orbhuidh eir dhealra grinn—
Gu molach sliom mar airgiod nàmh (bàn).

Connul" Mac-a(n)-Lŭthaidh o (n) Ros-rua(dh)
Mac na h-uaille thuit le m' nearst,

Mo dhoigh! gur h-e siod fhein a th'ann
Ard Righ Lochlan nan lann breac."

An Ainnir "Co an da cheann so th'eir a laimh chli
Is aille lí 's cha'n olc (? mhiosa) an dealbh,
A Chonnuil mhoir le d' ghaisgeadh righ
Is cinnteach mi gu'n dhearg thu d' airm."

Connul" Cumhal agus Connul cruaidh

Dist a bhuineadh buaidh 's an léirg [am feirg ?]
Thugadh liom an cinn fo dheas

Dh-fhag mi an cuirp fo an aon leirg."

An Ainnir-"Co an da cheann so eir a laimh dheis
A Chonnuil nan cleasun aigh-

Connul

Aon dath eir falta nam fear?

O! 's meirig bean ga bheil am baigh." "Ceann Mhanuis us Mhuinngidh mhoir, 'S e mo dhoigh gu'r h-eud a th' ann ; Aca fhuaradh ceann a' Choin

Eir maogh Theamh-righ nan struth seimh."

An Ainnir—“ Co a (? e) an ceann a chitheam thall
'Us fhalt fann gu molach sliom

A rasg mar fheur 's a dheud mar bhlath
Is ailli na cach cruth a chinn?"

Connul“ Mac mo pheathar o'n Tur-sheimh
Sgar mi fhein a cheann o chorp;

'S niarach an onair mac righ
Iomachair gu min eir an fhalt."

An Ainnir "Co na sia cinn a chitheam thall

Connul

A chuir thu dhiot eir a thaobh ma thuath
Is guirme aogasg 's is caoine rasg
Is duighe falt a Chonnuil chruaigh ?”
"Seisear bhraithrean a bh' ann
'Siod 'ad thall 's an clab ri gaoith—
Clann Challadair nan cleas

Dream nach robh eir leas mo ghaoil.

"Ceann eir fhichead 's fichead ciad
Gu'n iomaradh eir fear creuc no lot
Do chlann mhetheun 'us mhaca righ 'un
Thuit an eirig ceann a Choin."

Feannag, agus Annag, agus Mor chiar triuir chlann a Challadair, a bha g' ionnsachadh na sgoil fhausanac fad sheac blianna ann an inʼarna." SEANACHAIDH.

See this poem in the "Dean's Book," pp. 58 and 41.

See also Torac na Taine," a tale called in Irish "Tain Bo Chuailgne " in "Manuscript Material of Irish History," p. 716.

THE ANNUAL SUPPER

Was held on the 26th December, in the Royal Hotel. the report which appeared in the Inverness Advertiser :

We give

Mr Fraser

There was a large and influential attendance. Mackintosh of Drummond occupied the chair, and the croupiers were Mr. Dallas, solicitor, and Mr. Murdoch. The company included Sheriff Macdonald; Mr. Colvin, solicitor; Mr. Alex. Fraser, solicitor; Mr. Fraser, C.E.; Mr. Mackintosh, Bank of Scotland; Mr. Barclay, accountant; Mr. Maclennan, Tartan Warehouse; Mr. R. Grant, do.; Mr. Macdonald, the Exchange, Treasurer of the Society; Mr. Duncan Maciver, cabinetmaker; Mr. Finlay Maciver, gilder; Mr. Donald Maciver, student; Mr. Charles Mackay, Drummond; Mr. Alex. Mackay, Rose Street;

E