they can get crazy over trifles, and of having the habit of painting the absent and unattainable in such attractive hues as to make the sober present intolerable. That there is something in the Liveliness of sentiment is It is a great endowment, charge we are not careful to deny. certainly a characteristic of our race. saving the character from tameness, and making a people original, adventurous, and patriotic. But it has its dangers, and one who has only a very slight knowledge of the history and the literature of the Celtic races will perceive that they have all, more or less, fallen into them. In every field of thought they are prone to extravagance. They see visicns and they dream dreams; they howl and rant over things that have no existence outside of their own minds. To counteract this tendency, our acquaintance with the Norsemen, with their love of reality and their fear of selfdeception, was the antidote that we needed, and our contact with them has brought us lasting advantages. The Gael of Scotland has yet, it is to be hoped, enough of sentiment for all useful purposes, but he certainly has a reputation for sanity and common sense which his relatives in France and Ireland never had. Our literature, limited though it be, has, in addition to its purely Celtic merits, a restraint and an earnestness that will increase its value for mankind. Even Rob Donn, with his keen appreciation of life, his absorbing sympathy with his fellow men, is, in spite of a reckless dash we can find in him, a born sage. He cannot get over the fact that life is a more serious thing than most men are inclined to make it, and the distinction between right and wrong in spirit and action has to him a sacred dignity. 27th FEBRUARY, 1895. The following gentlemen were elected members of the Society at this meeting, viz. :-Arthur Bignold of Lochrosque, Ross-shire, life member; and Mr John Mackay, editor, Celtic Monthly, Glasgow, an ordinary member. Thereafter Mr Wm. Mackay, honorary secretary, read a paper contributed by Mr John Mackay, Hereford, on "Sutherland Place Names--Parish of Lairg and Creich." Mackay's paper was as follows: SUTHERLAND PLACE NAMES. PARISH OF LAIRG. Mr This parish once extended from the confines of Dornoch and Creich right away to the Minch, and included the ancient divisions of Brae-chat, Diri-meanigh, Diri-mor, and Edderachylis, till ecclesiastical requirements, upon the introduction of Protestantism, and more particularly Presbyterianism, rendered it necessary to alter the boundaries of certain parishes in the county, and form new parishes for religious and civil purposes. In the early part of the eighteenth century, the district of "Edderachylis" was taken from Lairg and constituted into a parish of itself, the "Parph" part of it being annexed to Durness. Sir R. Gordon, of the " Genealogy" renown, states, pp. 9-10, "Although Edderachylis doth appertyn at this day (1620) to Macky, yet it was never a pairt of Strathnaver, bot it wes a portion of the baronie of Skelbo in Sutherland, and hath been a pairt of the parish of Lairg." The parish, as now constituted, is 24 miles long, and varying in breadth from 6 to 12 miles, a land area of 121,358 acres ; the greater portion of the cultivated land lying round the village of Lairg and the northern shore of Loch-Shin at Shinness, the scene of the late Duke of Sutherland's costly but unremunerative reclamation works. 66 From the village of Lairg to the Minch, in a north-westerly direction, runs a chain of lakes and conjoined rivers, forming a fitting pass " for a canal or a railway were other considerations and auspices propitious. The "Shin," 161⁄2 miles in length, 270 feet above sea level; the " Griam," 13 mile, 304 feet; the 'Merkland,” 27 miles, 367 feet; the "Lochmore," 4 miles, 140 feet; the "Stack," 2 miles, 118 feet above sea level, thence to the sea through Loch-Laxford. In this parish are fifty other lakes of much repute for angling. Sinking in the extreme south along the Shin to 120 feet above sea level, the aspect of the parish is every where hilly and mountainous on its northern confines reaching altitudes of nearly 3000 feet, presenting few geological features of much interest. The prevailing rocks are granite and trap; limestone exists on the northern shore of Loch-Shin, probably an off-shoot from the great belt of limestone running diagonally through to Durness. The cultivated land is chiefly light gravelly loam, mixed with moss, lying in a clayey subsoil. The uplands are generally covered with peat and heather, valuable for pasture, grouse, and bog-fir. The antiquities in this parish are few, consisting of so-called Pictish towers, or their rums, called by the natives 'Fingalian," and near them are found, as in many other parts of the parish, tumuli and hut circles, where the ancient inhabitants were buried, whether slain in battle by the spear or sword, or cut down by the scythe of death, where they had lived. In 1801 the population was 1209, when a great number of the manhood of the parish was enrolled in the 93rd Regiment and other Highland corps, serving at home and abroad. In 1841 the population dwindled to 913, increasing in 1871 to 978, and in 1881 to 1355. In this parish was born the famous Samuel Macdonald, familiarly called "Big Sam,” a veritable giant, seven feet four inches in height, and proportionately strong. His feats of strength, at home and in the army, have been told and retold for years round firesides in Sutherland. In the churchyard are two notable monuments, the one recording the virtues of two Mackay ministers, father and son, who officiated in the parish for 99 years, from 1714 to 1803, and of two brave and gallant sons of the latter-Captain Hugh, who headed the last cavalry charge at the battle of Assaye in 1803, and secured to Wellington his maiden victory; Captain William, of the East India Company's Naval Service, whose relation of the shipwreck of the "Juno" formed the groundwork of Byron's celebrated epic "Don Juan," which fact Thomas Moore pronounced to be the only instance he knew of prose excelling poetry. The other monument, erected in 1880 to Sir James Matheson, Bart. of Achany and the Lews, is a splendid structure. Sir James was a nephew of the above two officers, his mother being their eldest sister. He was born at Shinness in 1796; died 1878. 66 MOUNTAIN NAMES. Ben-Hee-G. beinn-na-sith, or beinn-an-t-sith, ben-shidhe. Sith in various forms is seen as a prefix in many mountain names in Ireland and Scotland. The Irish definition of the word sidhe or sithe is invariably fairy." Whether a prefix or suffix, sidhe is fairy, sidhean is the fairy hillock, which, too, is the acceptation of this word in the Highlands of Scotland. Ben-Hee is situated in the centre of the great Reay Forest, far away from any habitation of man. If it be Beinn-an-t-sith, the definition would be mountain of tranquil solitude. 2864 feet Ben-Sgreamhaidh-G. sgreamhaidh, sgremhach, sgreamhail, abhorrent, horrid, the horrid mountain. 1428 feet. Cnoc-bhaid-bhàn-G. cnoc, hill; bhaid, gen. of bad, thicket or grove, and bàn, pale, hoary; the hill of the pale or hoary grove. Arm. bod, bot. Heb. bad, grove. 1264 feet. Cnoc-maol-a-bhealaidh--G. cnoc-maol, bare or bald hill; a bhealaidh, gen. of bealaidh, broom. Arm. balan. Fr. balai, a broom. Frenchmen make brooms of this shrub. 1673 feet. Cnoc-a-ghreim-G. greim, pain, hill of pain; possibly in allusion to the pain or fatigue in climbing it. 1220 feet. Cnoc-a-choire-G. coire, hollow in a mountain side, corrie; hill of the corrie. Cnoc-ghuibhas-G. cnoc-a-ghuibhais, guibhas, nom., fir-wood,. hill of the fir-wood. 1035 feet. Cnoc-Sgeivach-G. sgeivach, rocky; the rocky hill. 1780 feet. Creag-riabhach-G. riabhach, brindled rock. 1573 ft. Creag-dhubh-mhor-G. the big black rock, or mountain; du, G. black; Ir. dubh; Manx, W., Corn., Arm. du; Heb. and Punic dua; Malay du, black; Chal. dutha, ink; Heb. din., ink. 1821 ft. Creag-na-h-iolaire-G. rock of the eagle. 1243 ft. Grianan-a-choire-G. the sunny eminence of the corry. 1549 ft. Meallan-odhar-G. meallan, dim. of meall, lumpy eminence, generally applied to rounded hill or mountain tops, the small dun, lumpy eminence. Odhar-G. dun; W. and Arm. moel, lumpy bill. Meall-a-chalpa-G. the calf of the leg. We have in Eng. ochre, from Gr. ochros, corresponding with the G. odhar, dun. Meallan-a-chuaile-G. cuaile, nom. cudgel, bludgeon, staff, the small rounded eminence of the staffs. 2460 ft. From its height it is more likely to be "Meallan-a-ghuaile," from the "Meallan,” having a shoulder-like projection. Meallan-an-fheur-loch-G. eminence of the grassy lake. LAKE NAMES. Loch-an-Staing-G. lake of the trench. stancg, a trench or ditch; G. staing domhan a deep ditch. 2010 ft. 1330 ft. 2250 ft. 1500 ft. 1223 ft. Arm. and Corn.. Arm. stancg doun, Loch-a-Bhainbh -G. bhainbh, gen. of bainbh, contraction of ban or bain, an taobh, 'a sire. Ban-taobh was an ordinary expression applied in olden times to uncultivated or fallow land. Locha-bhain-taobh contracted to Loch-a-Bhainbh, lake of the fallow or uncultivated side. Here the lake is an arm of Loch Shin, running parallel to it. The promontory thus formed is the uncultivated land, and its end is the Ness, which, added to the lake name, forms the place name Shin-ness, adjoining it. Loch-a-ghorm-choire-G. lake of the blue corrie. Loch-Coire-na-Sith-G. lake of the fairy corrie, This lake is near "Beinn-an-t-sith," or Ben Hee. (See mountain names.) Loch Beannaichte-G. the blessed lake. Ir. Lough-beannaighte; Arm. Lagen benequet; Corn. lagen beingaz ; G. Barr-beannaichte ;. Arm. bara benniquet, blessed bread; W. bara-bendigaid; G. loch; Ir. lough; Manx luch; W. lluch; Bisc. and Fr. lac; Arm. lagen ; Gr. lakkos; Lat. lac-us; Pers, laca; Coptic pha-lakkos. Loch-na-Caillich—G. lake of the hag, or nun. Loch-na-fuar leac--G. lake of the cold flagstone. Loch-Fiodhag-G. lake of the bird cherry; or it may be fiodhach, woody, copsy, if so, the woody lake would be the signification. Loch-Eileanach-G. lake abounding in islands, which it is. Loch-Dulaich-G. lake of the muddy banks. See place names. Loch-Shin-G. Shin is a contraction of Sithean, round green mounts, or small round hills, of which there are many on the north and south shores of this noble lake. Near its south end, and immediately below the church and manse of the Established Church, is an island dedicated to St Murie, St Mulray, or St Maolrubha, about 60 yards from the shore. Possibly this Culdee missionary had a cell on the island, and a coracle of his own to go to it and come from it, before and after the church dedicated to him was built. The island for ages was regarded with veneration and awe by the natives. On the induction of Mr John Mackay to the church of Lairg in 1714, being the first Presbyterian minister who was settled in the parish, he experienced great difficulty in inducing the people to attend the church on Sundays They, like most Highlanders of their day, paid more attention to the British Solomon's "Book of Sports " than to any Gospel ministrations week day or Sunday. They paid no heed to their minister's remonstrances. He was a man of learning much beyond his day, having for several years studied in the University of Leyden. He was also a man of great physical strength and undaunted courage, which acquired him the cognomen of the "Ministear laidir," the strong minister. He was not making much headway with his rebellious flock. He always carried an immense cudgel in his hand. If his flock did not respect him for his new fangled, strict doctrine, they respected and feared him for his strength and big staff, and the manner in which he could use it at times. Finding his remonstrances to have no effect, and Sunday sports going on daringly during worship time, he issued from the church, the big stick in hand, and compelled the players to enter the church before him. After locking the doors he ascended the pulpit, |