Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

in the Scottijb IJles. 30 1
Highlands. Then the females retired, and the
old and young warriors fat down in order from the
Chieftain, according to their proximity in blood
to him. The harp was then touched, the fong
was raifed, and the SUga-Crechin^ or the drinking
(hell, went round.
It is a great queflion with the prefent High-
landers, what liquors were drunk at the feafts
of their predecefTors. They find them frequently
mentioned in their old Tongs under various names ;
but it is univerfally allowed that they were of an
intoxicating kind. We are told by Diofcorides,
that the ancient Britons drank a flrong liquor made
of barley, which they called Ciirmi. This furely
was the drink ufed by the Albanian Britons, and
old Hebridian Scots -, for in their language, to
this day, every great feaft is called Curme^ as in
their apprehenfion drink is the very life of fuch
entertainment. Some have imagined that the Ufjic-
bai, the favourite liquor of the modern Highland-
ers, is the fame with the Curmi of their forefa-
thers ; and there can be no flrong objedion to
this opinion. The Gauls ufed their Cervifia * ;
the Germans their Humnr ex Hiirdeo ; and all thefe
liquors are evidently of the fame oiigiu, and made
of perhaps the fame materials. But hcv.'sver that
may have been, it is certain that the Illandcrs
were furniOied with ftrong drink in a very early
period ; nor were they fparing of it at their pub-
Jick entertainments, whether of a feflal or funereal
kind. Whenever the gueft was placed in his feat,
he was obliged, by the fadiion of the land, to
drink off a draught of xh€\x IVater of Life ^ out
PJin. Nat. Hift. lib. xxii. cap. 35.
of