Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature

526 Pages·2008·18.28 MB·English

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C'^^f^? (y'^m^3ir-/7j<(^-'h
R E P O /T/.
C
OF THE
COMMITTEE OF THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY
SCOTLAND,
APPOINTEDTO INQUIRE INTO THE NATURE ANO
AUTHENTICITY OF THE
FOEMS OF OSSIAH»
XiR.JH'N-yp,ACCOKIilUr, 10 THR niRECIlONSOFTHE COMMIITSe,
BY
HENRY MACKENZIE,
Ej^.
fTSCONVENER Oft CffAIRM.iN.
COPIOUS APPENDIX,
CONTAININGSX)MEOfTHEPRINCIPALDOCUMENTSONWHICHTH»
REPOaTISFOUNDED.
EDINBURGH
:
JSjintca att^e tUniDcrCtp p?cf«(j
FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO. EDINBURGH,
AND LONGMAN, HURST, REES&ORME, LONDON.
1S05.

ADVERTISEMENT.
The Committeetakesthisopportunity of returning
its thanks to the various gentlemen who have con-
tributed information, manufcripts, or other docu-
ments, with regard to the objeft of its inquiries.
Ithopes it may, without offence to others, par-
ticularly mention the names of the Reverend Mr
Anderfon ofKinguflie, the Reverend Mr M'Laggan
of Blair, the Reverend Mr M'Diarmed of Weem,
the Reverend Dr Smith of Campbelton, the Reve-
rend Mr M'Donald of Anftruther, the Reverend
Mr Irvine of Rannoch, Captain Morrifon of Gree-
nock, Mr George Chalmers of London, Major
M'Lachlan of Kilbride, the Reverend Mr Stuart of
Craignifli, andthe ReverendMrM'LeodofHarries,
as thofe from whom the moft important materials
were obtained*. Several members of the Commit-
tee itfelf had opportunities of affording MSS. and
other
* ThelatelearnedMr M'FarlaneofLondon, and MrGallie,
minifterof Kincardine, in Rofsfhire, arenotnowalivetoreceive
theacknowledgmentsof theCommittee.
IV
other matemls of Importance, particularly Lord
Bannatyne, Sir George M'Kenzie, Sir John Sin-
clair, and Mr M'Donald of StafFa. To Dr Donald
Smith, late furgeon to the Breadalbane Fencibles,
one of the beft Celtic fcholars of the prefent time,
the Committee would endeavour to exprefs its obli-
gation, were not its thanks rendered unneceflary by
thofe of the Society itfelf, voted to that gentleman,
ina manner mofl juftly due to the ability and un-
wearied attention with which he has affiiled the
Committee in the progrefs of this bufmefs ; an af-
fiftance, without which, its Report could nevef
have been compleated.
The Committee, unwilling to lengthen the Ap-
pendix to this Report, which it fears will to mofl of
its readers appear already too long, has given only
fpecimens orextracts of fuch documents as it ap-
peared to the Committee might fairly be judged of
byfuchfpecimens or extrads but the papers them-
;
felves are open to the infpedion of any perfon wifh-
ing to examine them more thoroughly, who will
take the trouble of applying to the Committee for
thatpurpofe.
TO
CONTENTS
APPENDIX.
No. I.
Lettersto DrBlair.
Page»
I. Letterfrom SirJohn MacphersontoDr Blair, 1
2- Letterfrom. SirJames Macdonaldto ditto, ;-(
?>. Letterfrom Dr John Macpherson, ministerofSleat,
toditto, 5
4. Letterfrom Lachlan Macpherson of Strathmashie,to
ditto, 8
5. LetterfromDrJohn Macpherson, minister of Sleat,
to ditto, 9
6. Letter fromMr Angus Macnelll, minister of Hove-
more, , 18
7. Letterfrom MrNiel Macleod,minister of Ross, 21
8. LetterfromMrAlexanderMacaulay, 23
9. LetterfromMrDonaldMacleod,ministerofGlenelg, 28
10. LetterfromMrDonald Macqueen,minister of Thil-
muir, 3::^
il. Letterfrom Lord Auchlnleck,.»...... 36
4 b
Vi
No. II.
1. Original oft^ietestimonyor declarationofHugli M'
Donald ofKillpheder,in the Isle ofSouth Uist,... 35
2. Translation ofthe foregoingtestimony,., , 41«
No. III.
Letterfrom Mr Pope,ministerof Rea, to Mr Nicholson,
ministerofThurso, , 5^
No. IV.
LetterstoHenryMachefj^ieEsq,
1. FromDr Blair,ministerin Edinburgh, :->(.
2. FromDrAdam Fergusson, i 6-2
;•. FromtheReverendDrCarlyletoWilliamMacdonald
Esq. secretarytotheHighland Society, CC
4. Note fromJohnHome, Esq G*:^
No. V.
LetterstoHenryMachen-zieEsq.
3. Frompr John Smith, '•••. '"$>
2. Fromdittotoditto, «t "73
3. From dittotoditto, 80
4. Fromdittotoditto, >..t..i •. <•..»..... S'^