Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 1

INTRODUCTION. XXUl
■would-be-collector sees before him a strapping lad
dressed in the garb of a west country fisherman — a
rough blue bonnet, jacket, and trousers. He steps out
and ranges up alongside. The Highlander glances from
under his bushy eyebrows, and sees with his sharp grey
eyes that tlie new comer is a stranger ; he looks rather
like a Saxon ; Highland curiosity is strong, and he longs
to ask whence he comes ; but politeness is stronger,
and it would be uncivil to begin cjuestioning at once.
So with a nervous kick of one foot, and a quick shy
glance, the fisherman jerks out, •' It's a fine day."
" Tha n' latha briagh " (The day is fine) rej^lies the
stranger ; and as he speaks, the whole face and manner
of his companion change as if by magic ; doubt and
hesitation, suspicion and curiosity, become simple won-
der ; his eyes and his heart open wide at the sound of
Ms native tongue, and he exclaims, " You have Gaelic !"
" You will take my excuse by your leave, but what
part of the Gaeldom are you from ? " And then having
found out all that is to be discovered, the ice being
Ijroken, and confidence established, it oozes out gradu-
ally that the fisherman knoAvs a story, and after much
persuasion he tells it, while he rows the gentleman who
can talk Gaelic across a Highland loch. At parting, he
adds that he has only told it to please a " Gael," and
that he would not have said one word to a Gall
(stranger). But the man who is fluent in his boat, is
shy and awkward when set dowTi to repeat his story for
transcribing, and it is only when set with one of liis
neighbours whom he knows, that his story is got on
paj)er.
Or it may be an old dame in a tall white mutch
with a broad black silk band, a red cloak, and clean
wliite apron. She is 70, and can walk ten miles ;
she has known all the neicdibourincr families for