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Loch Stack-G. and N., the mountain Stack gives its name to the lake, being adjoining.

Loch Laxford-N., lax, salmon, fiord, an arm of the sea; G. name, luis-ard, luis herbs, ard,. height; N., salmon firth; G., height of the herbs or plants.

Loch Inchard-G., innis, flat land, ard, height; height of the flat land, or high flat land.

Loch Sandwood-N., Sandr, sand, vatn, water, or lake, the sandy lake. It lies near the sea-shore.

Loch crocach-G., branched, like the fingers of the hand; N., kroka, crooked, both applicable to the aspect of this lake.

Loch-an-tigh-sheilg--G., lake of the hunt-house or hunting

house.

Loch-an-fhionn-leathad-G., lake of the fair or white slope. Loch-na-h-airbhe-G., airbhe, produce or productiveness, the productive lake, in referenee to its fishing properties.

Loch-bhad-daraich-G., lake of the oak thicket.
Loch-na-tuaigh—G., lake of the axe.

Loch-bhar-locha-G, lake in the summit, in the vicinity of

others.

Loch-gharbh-bhaid-mhor-G., the rough lake of the big thicket. Loch-na-gainimh-G., gaineamh, sand; the sandy shore lake. Loch-na-h-ealaidh-G., ealaidh, swans; lake of the swan. Loch-na-claise-G., lake of the hollow; it is an arm of the sea entering between hills, then widening to form the hollow. Loch-a-chraisg-G., crasg; crossway through hills.

Loch-innis-nam-bà buidhe-Lake of the meadow of the yellow kine; Wel., bwch; Gr., bo; Fr., vache; Lat., vacca.

Loch-uidh-an-tuim—Uidh, slow flowing water, as seen at ends of lakes before it reaches the stream channel, and tuim, pl. of tom, round knoll, lake of the slow flowing water passing the knolls. Uidh also means a ford in smooth water; Wel., Gwy, hence Wye, Wey, rivers in England, smooth flowing water. Tom, G.; tom, Wel.; tumb, Arm.; tumulus, Lat. ; tumbus, Gr.

Loch-cul-uidh-an-tuim-G., lake at the back of Uidh-an-tuim.

RIVER NAMES.

Inchard-G., see lake names.

Laxford-G. and N., see lake names.

Maldie-G., meall, round topped hill, and du, black; the hill gives the name to the river or stream.

An Earrachd-G., earrac hd, narrow strip of land, that gives its name to the river.

Allt-achadh-na-fairidh-G., see Achadh-na-fairidh, place names. Allt-mor-gisgeil-Allt, stream, mor, big, and geisgeil, roaring -the big roaring stream; N., gjosa, gushing, gil, ravine, the gushing ravine; in reference to the stream rushing through a gorge or ravine.

Allt-an-lon bhan---G., stream of the white or fair meadow.

Allt-nan lu-bhain-G., allt, stream, luib, bend, and bhain, gen. pl. of ban, fair, white--stream of the white bends.

Allt-an-t-Strathan-G., srath, valley, srathan, dim.—stream of the little valley.

Allt-nan-Ramh-G., ramh, oar, tree, wood; O.G., trees, wood—stream of the trees; probably from the fact of oars being made from the trees growing by this river.

Garbh-Allt-G., common name of streams in the Highlands, garbh, rough; Wel., garw; Arm., garv; Corn., garow; Phen., garv, rapid; O.G., garv, is rapid; hence the Garonne in France. Garv-àn, or garv-umhainn, the rapid flowing river.

ISLAND NAMES.

Handa--G., is said to be aon-dath, of one colour. It is more probably N., from its geological formation, sandi, sanda-sand, and ey, island. It consists of sandstone in highly inclined strata, rising rapidly to a height of 406 feet at the "Sithean Mor," N.W. end, whence it breaks sheer down into the sea, presenting a continuous series of almost perpendicular cliffs. In these cliffs are seen striking features of ledge and fissure, which form a most imposing piece of rock scenery as is anywhere to be met with round British shores. An enormous perforation reaches down to the level of the sea, which sweeps through it at the ebb and flow of the tides. Thousands of sea fowl haunt its cliffs, and build their nests in the crevices. The "Sithean Mor" (big grassy knoll), the supposed haunt of fairies, commands a grand view of the lofty seaboard of the mainland from Rhu-stor in Assynt, to Eilean an roin beg (the little isle of seals), north of Loch Inchard. The Sound of Handa, little more than a quarter of a mile wide, separates the island from the mainland. The island from E. to W. measures 1 miles, and from N. to S. 1 mile. Here, at the beginning of the 17th century, lived the noted Ian-beg Mhic Dho'ill Mhic Huistean, of the Assynt Macleods, a man of low stature, but of uncommon strength, and matchless skill in arms. He kept a war galley of his own, ready for any enterprise. By him was slain the famous Judge Morrison of the Isles with six of his men, in revenge of the supposition of the judge's being

accessory to the death of the young chief of the Lewis. Ian-beg immediately afterwards went to Lewis and married the judge's widow. The judge's clansmen came to Assynt with a galley to convey his body to Lewis for interment. When on the way, with the body on board, a storm arose which forced them to take shelter in an island on the coast of Eddrachilis, and there they buried the body, after taking out his heart. The wind soon after changing, they returned home safely. This island, from the above circumstance, has since been named

Eilean a Bhriu-G., the island of the judge (breitheamh).

Eilean a Chalva Mor-G., calbh, headland, island of the big headland.

Eilean a Chalva Beg-G., calbh, headland, island of the small headland.

Eilean na Bearachd-G., bearradh, an abrupt ascent, a precipice, the island having a precipitous ascent.

Eilean an Rainich-G., raineach fern, island of the fern; Wel., rhedyn; Manx, rhennagh.

Eilean an Roin Moir-G., the large seal island.

Eilean an Roin Beg-G., the small seal island.

Eilean na Clobhsaidh--G., clobhsa, small passage; islands with small channels between.

Eilean na Comhnuidh-G., habitation, an island having a dwelling in it.

Eilean a Mhadaidh-G., madadh, dog; Manx, moddey.
Eilean Ard-G., high island.

PLACE NAMES.

Achlyness-G., Achadh, field, linne, pool, and eas, cascade, the field of the cascade pool; Wel., llyn; Arm., lin; Ir., linn; Gr., limen, a pool.

Ach-lochan-G., Achadh, and lochan, lakes, field near the lakes. Achreisgill--G., Achadh, and riasgail, marshy, moory, heathy, the moory field.

Ach-Fary-G., Achadh, and faire, height, field of the height. Ardmore-G., the great height.

Bad-cal-G., bad, boat, and cala, harbour. There are three places of this name in the parish, similarly situated, one north side of the Inchard, one on the Laxford, the other on a bay; each is situated on an arm of water jutting into the land in the form of a harbour; or Bad, grove, call, hazel-the hazel grove.

Badnabay-G., bad, grove, beith, birch; birch grove.

Balchreick-G., baile, township, and cnuic, hillocks; the township of the hillocks; or baile and craig, rocks.

Blair More-G., blàr, field, plain, moor, and mor, big; the big plain, or big moor.

Droman-G., dim. of droma, ridge; Manx, dreem; Wel., trum; Gr., drom-os, ridge.

Druimnaguie G., druim, or droma, ridge; and gaoith, gen. of gaoth, wind; windy ridge.

Du-ard-Black height; Duart, in Mull.

Eilear-a-Mhill-Eileir, lonely place among the hills.

Findle-More-G., fionn, fair, and dail, dale, field; the big fair field or dale; Manx, dayll; Ir., dail; Wel., dol; Corn., dal; Arm., dol; Ice. or Norse, dal.

Gualen-G., gualainn, the shoulders, in reference to the aspect of the mountains near the place.

Feinag More G., feannag, a ridge of land; the big ridge of land.

Inch-Egra-G., innis, flat-land, seighear; O.G., falconer, and rath, a circle, a fort, a plain or cleared spot; the flat-land of the falconer's fort or round house.

Kinlochbervie-Ceann, head, loch, lake, bervie, corrupted from na bà buidhe, head of the lake of the yellow kine.

Old Shore-G., corruption of Ashir, or Fas-thir, which see. Polin-G., corruption of Pollan, dim. of poll, a pond, a pool, or marsh, giving the name to the locality. Manx, poyll, pool, puddle. Wel., pwll, pool. Corn., pol. Arm., pol, pool.

Portlevorchy-G., port, ferry, haven, levorchy, to Murdoch, or Murdoch's, Murdoch's port. On this coast is a place called Acarachd Mhic Mhurchaidh Oige, signifying the anchorage of young Murdoch's sons, where the Lewis Murdoch Macleods were wont to cast anchor and land. G., acair, anchor, acairachd, anchorage; Manx, aker; Wel., angor; Corn., ankar; Arm., enhor; Fr., aucre; Ital., ancora; Gr., agkur-a, anchor.

Rhiconich-G., rhi, or ruigh, slope, or declivity, coinnich, meet, the meeting of the slopes or declivities at the end of Loch Inchard,. or coinich, moss, the mossy slopes; Rhi enters largely into Highland topography, especially in Sutherland; it appears frequently in Welsh, meaning slope; as rhiw; Manx, roie, run.

Rhi-voult--G., rhi, slope, voult, corrupted, from mhuilt, gen. pl. of muilt, wether the slope of the wether sheep, correctly Rhi-amhuilt; Wel., mollt, pl. myllt; Lat., mult, a fine, a penalty. Fines and penalties in the earlier stages of society were frequently inflicted in kind. A certain number of sheep was the

fine, hence the word mulct. Satisfaction for injuries used to be arranged by a fine of so many sheep. It was common among the Romans, see Aulus Gellius, book 11th, chap. 1; see Grant's "Thoughts on the Gael.”

Scourie N., Skorrie, bird, and ey as used in local names, ea, ey, Chels-ea, Cherts-ey, place of birds, places where birds resorted to. Near Scourie Bay are Scourie and Scourie More, within two miles of Handa Island, whose cliffs are inhabited by birds innumerable. Skerricha-G., sgeir, a rock, and achadh, a field-the field of the rock. N., sker, an isolated rock in the sea.

Sandwood-W., see the lake names, anciently "Sand wat." Tarbat―G., Tarbert, a neck of land (O'Reilly), tar-bàt, a place where boats are drawn across an isthmus, from tar, root of tarruing, draw, and bad, boat.

Eddrachilis parish has few antiquities. There are Pictish or Norse towers at Kylesku and Scourie, Druidical stones at Badnabay.

11th DECEMBER, 1889.

The paper for this evening was contributed by the Rev. Adam Gunn, Durness, entitled "Unpublished Literary Remains of the Reay Country.' Mr Gunn's paper was as follows :

وو

UNPUBLISHED LITERARY REMAINS OF THE REAY

COUNTRY.

With the single exception of Rob Donn, the writer is not aware that the labours of any Reay country bard ever acquired general currency. It is not, however, to be supposed that this arose from lack of material. The Reay country was always rich in song. The conditions for producing a pastoral literature were nowhere more favourable than here; and, owing to the close and friendly relations between chiefs and clansmen of the Mackay country, it would have been difficult to find in the land a more cultured peasantry than this region could furnish some two hundred years ago. The principles of the Reformation were adopted at an early date, and were nowhere carried out with greater thoroughness. The clansmen, under the leadership of Hugh Mackay, their chief, embraced to a man the reformed faith; and ever since his day the

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