and rivers as are in the forest of Athole, if they could be transferred to your wild country?" "And are there nae bonny braes and birks in Badenoch? Ye're joost as bad as our minister; but fat need the man say ony thing mair aboot the matter, fan I tell 'im that I'll prove, frae his ain Bible, ony day he likes, that the Liosmor, as we ca' the great garden in Gaelic, stood in its day joost far the Muir o' Badenoch lies noo, an' in nae ither place aneth the sun; isna there an island in the Loch Lhinne that bears the name o' the Liosmor to this blessed day? Fan I tell you that, an' that I hae seen the island mysel, fa can doot my word?" "But, Mac, the Bible says the garden was planted eastward, in Eden." "Hout! aye; but that disna say but the garden micht be in Badenoch for Eden is a Gaelic word for a river, an' am shaire there's nae want o' them there; an' as for its bein' east o'er, that is, when Adam planted the Liosmor, he sat in a bonny bothan on a brae in Lochaber, an' nae doot lukit eastwar' to Badenoch, an’ saw a'thing sproutin' an growin' atween 'im an' the sun, fan it cam' ripplin' o'er the braes frae Athole in the braw simmer mornings." "But, Mac, the Bible further says, they took fig leaves and made themselves aprons; you cannot say that figs ever grew in Badenoch." "Hout-tout! there's naebody can tell fat grew in Badenoch i' the days of the Liosmor; an' altho' nae figs grow noo, there's mony a bonny flag runs yet o'er the braes o' both Badenoch and Lochaber. It was fiag's skins, an' no fig blades that they made claes o'. Fiag, I maun tell you, is Lochaber Gaelic for a deer to this day; an' fan the auld guidman was getting his repreef for takin' an apple frae the guidwife, a' the beasties in Liosmor cam' roon them, an' among the rest twa bonny raes; an' fan the guidman said 'See hoo miserable we twa are left; there stands a' the bonny beasties weel clad in their ain hair, an' here we stand shamefaced and nakit'—aweel, fan the twa raes heard that, they lap oot o' their skins, for very love to their sufferin' maister, as any true clansman wad do to this day. Fan the guidman saw this, he drew ae fiag's skin on her nainsel', an' the tither o'er the guidwife. Noo, let me tell ye, thae were the first kilts in the world." By this account, Mac, our first parents spoke Gaelic." "An' fat ither had they to spake, tell me? Our minister says they spoke Hebrew; and fat's Hebrew but Gaelic, the warst o' Gaelic, let alane Welsh Gaelic." "Well done, Mac, success to you and your Gaelic." The following account of the Old Badenoch forests is exactly as given in Old Biallid's MSS., the spelling simply of the names of places in a few instances being modernized :— The Earls of Huntly possessed by far the most extensive range of Hills, as Deer Forests, in Britain. They commenced at BenAvon in Banffshire, and terminated at Ben-Nevis near Fort-William — a distance of about seventy miles-without a break, except the small estate of Rothiemurchus, which is scarcely two miles in breadth where it intersects the Forest. This immense tract of land was divided into seven distinct divisions, each of which was given in charge of the most influential gentleman in its neighbourhood. The names of these divisions or Forests are-1st, Ben-Avon; 2nd, Glenmore, including Cairngorm; 3rd, Brae-Feshie; 4th, Gaick; 5th, Drumuachdar; 6th, Ben-Alder, including Farron; and 7th, Lochtreig, which extended from the Badenoch March to Ben-Nevis. The extent of these divisions was nearly as follows:-Ben-Avon about 20 square miles, Glenmore 20, Brae-Feshie 15, Gaick 30, Drumuachdar 25, Ben-Alder 50, and Lochtreig 60 square miles—in all, 220 square miles. The whole, however, were not solely appropriated for the rearing of deer, for tenants were allowed to erect shealings on the confines of the forest, and their cattle were permitted to pasture as far as they chose throughout the day, but they must be brought back to the shealing in the evening, and such as were left in the forest over night were liable to be poinded. These regulations did very well between Huntly and his tenants, but they opened a door for small proprietors, who held in feu from the Gordon family, to make encroachments, and in the course of time to acquire a property to which they had not the smallest title. The old forest laws in Scotland were exceedingly severe, if not barbarous. Mutilation and even death was sometimes inflicted. It is related that Macdonald of Keppoch hanged one of his own clan to appease Cluny Macpherson of the time for depredations committed in the forest of Ben-Alder, and it is a well-known fact that another hunter, called John Our, had an eye put out and his right arm amputated for a similar offence. It is also said that he killed deer even in that mutilated state. No alteration took place until after the rising of 1745, when the whole were let as grazings except Gaick which the Duke of Gordon continued as a deer forest until about the year 1788, when it was let as a sheep walk, and continued so until 1826, when the late Duke of Gordon (then Marquis of Huntly) re-established it. It is now rented by Sir Joseph Radcliff, but as he takes in black cattle to graze in summer, the number of deer is not great, perhaps not more than two or three hundred. The deer in this forest are small, and are principally hinds, but in all the other named forests it was not uncommon to kill harts that weighed twenty-four and even twentyseven imperial stones. The forest of Ben-Alder is now rented by the Marquis of Abercorn, but as the sheep were only turned off in 1836, there are not many deer as yet; however, as the Marquis of Breadalbane's forest is not far distant, they will no doubt accumulate rapidly. This forest lies on the north-west side of Locherrichd, and contains an area of from 30 to 35 square miles. Its lie is in a south-west direction. The boundary on the south-west is the small River Alder, on the north-west, Beallachnadui (the dark vale), and the River Caalrath, and on the north-east it is bounded by Lochpattag and Farron. The mountains are high, probably near 4000 feet above the level of the sea, and there is a lake about two miles in circumference, at an elevation of at least 2500 feet, abounding with trout of excellent quality. It is called Loch Beallach-a-Bhea. The legends connected with this forest are many, and some of them are interesting, for in Ben-Alder is the cave that sheltered Prince Charlie for about three months after he made his escape from the islands where he very imprudently entangled himself. When he came to Ben-Alder he was in a most deplorable state, full of rags, vermin, &c., &c., but there everything was put to rights, and during that period he made considerable progress in the Gaelic language. It is unnecessary to add that Cluny Macpherson and Lochiel were his companions, attended by three or four trusty Highlanders, who brought him every necessary, and many of the luxurys of life. Cluny Macpherson had generally the charge of this forest in olden times, and upon one occasion a nephew of his (a young man) met a party of the Macgregors of Rannoch on a hunting excursion. There were six of them, but Macpherson having a stronger party, demanded their arms. To this the Macgregor leader consented, except his own arms, which he declared should not be given to any man except Cluny personally. Macpherson, however, persisted in disarming the whole, and in the attempt to seize Macgregor, was shot dead upon the spot. The Macgregors of course fled, and effected their escape except one that was wounded in the leg, and who died through loss of blood. This unlucky circumstance, however, was not attended with any farther bad consequences. On the contrary, it had the effect of renewing an ancient treaty between the two clans for mutual protection and support. When Cluny Macpherson resolved on going to France on account of the share he had in the Rising of 1745, he called upon a gentleman with whom he was intimate, and who was a noted deer-stalker (Mr Macdonald of Tulloch), and said that he wished to kill one deer before quitting his native country for ever. The proposal was quite agreeable to Macdonald, and they accordingly proceeded to Ben-Alder. They soon discovered a solitary hart on the top of a mountain, but just as they got within shot of him, he started off at full gallop for about two miles. He then stood for a few minutes as if considering whether he had had any real cause of alarm, and then deliberately walked back to the very spot from where he first started, and was shot dead by Cluny, a circumstance that was considered a good omen, and which was certainly not falsified by future events. Mr Macpherson of Breakachy had the charge of this forest at one period. He went upon one occasion, accompanied by a servant, in quest of venison, and in the course of their travel they found a wolf-den (an animal very common in the Highlands at that time). Macpherson asked his servant whether he preferred going into the den and destroying the cubs, or to remain outside and guard against an attack from the old ones. The servant said he would remain without, but no sooner did he see the dam approaching than he took to his heels, without even advising his master of the danger. Macpherson, however, being an active man, and expert at his weapons, killed the old wolf also, and, on coming out of the den, he saw the servant about a mile off, when he beckoned to him, and without hardly making any remark upon his cowardly conduct, said that as it was now late he intended to remain that night in a bothy (Dalinlineart) at a little distance from them. They accordingly proceeded to that bothy, and it was quite dark when they reached it. Macpherson, on puting his hand on the bed to procure heather for lighting a fire, discovered a dead body, and without taking any notice of the circumstance, he said--I don't like this bothy, we shall proceed to such a one about a mile off (Callag), where we shall be better accommodated. They accordingly proceeded to the other bothy, and on arriving there Macpherson, pretending that he left his powder-horn in the first-mentioned bothy, desired the servant to go and fetch it, and Isaid that he would find it in the bed. The servant did as he was desired, but instead of the powder-horn he found a dead man in the bed, which, to one of his poor nerves, was a terrible shock. He therefore hurried back in great agitation, and on reaching the second bothy, to his dismay, found it dark and empty, his master having set off home as soon as the servant set out for the powderhorn. Terrified beyond measure at this second disappointment, he proceeded home, a distance of twelve miles of a dreary hill, which he reached early in the morning, but the fright had nearly cost him his life, for he fevered, and was many weeks before he recovered. This Macpherson of Breakachy was commonly called Callum beg (little Malcolm), and there is reason to believe that he was one of those who fought the famous Battle of Perth in the reign of King Robert the Third. Two children of tender age strayed from a neighbouring sheiling, and were found after a lapse of many days in Ben-Alder, locked in each other's arms. They were dead, of course, and the place is still called the affectionate children's hollow. It is confidently asserted that a white hind continued to be seen in BenAlder for two hundred years. Gaick. There are many circumstances connected with this forest that give it an interest. Its lie is in a south-west direction, bounded on the south by the Braes of Athole, on the north by Glentromie, on the east by Corry Bran, and on the west by the Glentruim Hills. In the centre of Gaick there is a plain of about eight miles long, and in this plain there are three lakes-Lochan-t-Seillich, Loch Vrotain, and Loch-an-Dùin, all abounding with excellent trout and char, and another species of fish called dorman by the country people. This fish called dorman is large, with a very big head, and is believed to prevent salmon from ascending into the lakes. Some of them weigh from twenty to thirty pounds. The hills on each side of this flat are remarkably steep, with very little rock, and of considerable height, and in the south end there is a hill of a very striking appearance. Its length is about a mile. Its height is at least 1000 feet above the plain, and its shape is that of a house. This hill is called the Doune, and is the southern boundary of the forest. It was in Gaick that Walter Comyn was killed by a fall from his horse. bably a son of one of the Comyns of Badenoch, and very profligate young fellow. Tradition says that he determined on causing a number of young women to shear, stark naked, on the farm of Ruthven, which was the residence of the Comyns in Badenoch. He was, bowever, called on business to Athole, and the day of his return was fixed for the infamous exhibition. day at last arrived, but instead of Walter, his horse made his appearance, with one of his master's legs in the stirrup. Search was of course made instantly, and the mangled body was found with two eagles feeding upon it, and although nothing could be He was procertainly a The |