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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Committee takes this opportunity of returning its thanks to the various gentlemen who have contributed information, manuscripts, or other documents, with regard to the object of its inquiries.

It hopes it may, without offence to others, particularly mention the names of the Reverend Mr Anderson of Kinguffie, the Reverend Mr M'Laggan of Blair, the Reverend Mr M'Diarmed of Weem, the Reverend Dr Smith of Campbelton, the Reverend Mr M'Donald of Anftruther, the Reverend Mr Irvine of Rannoch, Captain Morrison of Greenock, Mr George Chalmers of London, Major McLachlan of Kilbride, the Reverend Mr Stuart of Craignish, and the Reverend Mr M'Leod of Harries, as thofe from whom the most important materials were obtained *. Several members of the Committee itself had opportunities of affording MSS. and other

The late learned Mr M'Farlane of London, and Mr Gallie, minifter of Kincardine, in Rofsfhire, are not now alive to receive the acknowledgments of the Committee.

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other materials of importance, particularly Lord Bannatyne, Sir George M'Kenzie, Sir John Sinclair, and Mr M'Donald of Staffa. To Dr Donald Smith, late furgeon to the Breadalbane Fencibles, one of the best Celtic fcholars of the prefent time, the Committee would endeavour to exprefs its obli gation, were not its thanks rendered unneceffary by thofe of the Society itself, voted to that gentleman, in a manner most justly due to the ability and unwearied attention with which he has affifted the Committee in the progrefs of this business; an af fiftance, without which, its Report could never have been compleated.

The Committee, unwilling to lengthen the Appendix to this Report, which it fears will to moft of its readers appear already too long, has given only fpecimens or extracts of fuch documents as it ap peared to the Committee might fairly be judged of by fuch specimens or extracts; but the papers them. felves are open to the infpection of any person wishing to examine them more thoroughly, who will take the trouble of applying to the Committee for that purpose.

ΤΟ

TO THE

HIGHLAND SOCIETY

OF

SCOTLAND.

THE

REPORT, &c.

IN execution of the bufinefs affigned it, your Com mittee conceived it to be foreign to its duty to enter into any elaborate argument or difcuffion on the authenticity of thofe poems, or to examine, with critical or historical labour, the opinions of different writers who have made this matter a fubject of con troversy. It conceived the purpofe of its nomination to be, to employ the influence of the Society, and the extenfive communication which it poffeffes with every part of the Highlands, in collecting what materials or information it was ftill practicable to collect, regarding the authenticity and nature of the poems afcribed to Offian, and particularly of that celebrated collection published by Mr James Mac pherfon.

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For the purpose above mentioned, the Committee, foon after its appointment, circulated the following fet of Queries, through fuch parts of the Highlands and Islands, and among such persons refident there, as feemed most likely to afford the information required.

QUERIES.

1. HAVE you ever heard repeated or fung, any of the poems afcribed to Offian, tranflated and published by Mr Macpherfon? By whom have you heard them fo repeated, and at what time or times? Did you ever commit any of them to writing, or can you remember them fo well as now to fet them down? In either of these cases, be fo good to fend the Gaelic original to the Committee.

II. The fame anfwer is requested concerning any other ancient poems of the fame kind, and relating to the fame traditionary persons or stories with those in Mr Macphcrfon's collection.

any

III. Are any of the perfons, from whom you heard

fuch poems, now alive? Or are there, in your part of the country, any perfons who remember and can repeat or recite fuch poems? If there are, be fo good to examine them as to the manner of their getting or learning fuch compofitions; and fet down, as accurately as poffible, fuch as they can now repeat or recite; and tranfmit fuch their account, and fuch compofitions as they repeat, to the Committee.

IV. If there are, in your neighbourhood, any perfons from whom Mr Macpherson received any poems, inquire particularly what the poems were which he fo received, the manner in which he received them, and how he wrote them down; fhew those persons, if you have an opportunity, his tranflation of fuch poems, and defire them to fay if the tranflation is exact and literal; or, if it differs, in what it differs from the poems, as they repeated them to Mr Macpherson, and can now recollect them.

V. Be fo good to procure every information you conveniently can, with regard to the traditionary belief, in the country in which you live, concerning the history of Fingal and his followers, and that of Offian and his poems; particularly concerning those ftories and poems published by Mr Macpherson, and the heroes mentioned in them. Tranfmit any fuch account, and any proverbial or traditionary expreffion in the original Gaelic, relating to the fubject, to the Committee.

VI. In all the above inquiries, or any that may

occur to

in elucidation of this fubject, he is requested by the Commitee to make the inquiry, and to take down the answers, with as much impartiality and precifion as poffible, in the fame manner as if it were a legal question, and the proof to be investigated with a legal ftrictnefs.

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