Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE OELTICJ MONTHLY.
tlceepted for £1,"200,000, and on this work he
is now engaged, assisted by a large staff of
engineers, several of whom are Highlanders.
In Malaya and Siam, finding the Malays
and Siamese utterly useless for the works of
construction, Mr. Campbell had to use Chinese,
a race of whom, up till then, he had only
comparatively little experience, but requiring
very diti'ereut management to the Jamaican or
Indian The Chinaman when trained is the
most industrious and effective labourer in the
world, but owing to his superstitious nature,
and his utilitarianism, he is most difficult to
train and manage. These difficulties are
increased owing to the peculiarities of his
language which is seldom mastered by the
ailult European. To manage any eastern
labourer a knowledge of his language is a first
necessity, so as to dispense with a go-between,
and give orders direct, and in the course of his
career Mr. Campbell has had to learn, besides
the languages already mentioned, Malay and
sufficient Siamese and Chinese to make himself
understood giviog simple orders.
In November of last year Mr. Campbell took
the King of Siam over 80 miles of the new line,
an account and photographs of the trip, which
was most successful, appeared afterwards in
the London illustrated papers
During all those years it may further be
said to Mr. Campbells credit that he never
forgot what was due to his name and his
country. His interest in Gaelic and other
Highland literature has always been keen; and
every object intended to benefit Sutherland
people has his warmest support. He is a
member of the Highland Society of London.
In 1SS7 Mr. Campbell was married to Lily,
third daughter of the late ilr. William Haynes,
of Wild woods, Hampstead Heath. .Mis. Camp-
bell comes of a clever family and is herself au
accomplished musician, and a painter in water-
colours of no mean credit, as her pleasing
sketches in many eastern lands abundantly
testify. She has accompanied her husband
everywhere — Formosa, the jungles of Malaya,
and Siam — encouraging him in his work,
brightening his home and making it a centre
where his statf always received Highland
hospitality. Mrs. Campbell plays Highland
music in a way seldom acquired by one not to
the manner born, and her " nichts wi Burns,"
at which were gathered together any Scotsmen
within reach, will long be remembered in
Kwala Lumpor and Bangkok.
At a reception in the Royal Palace, just
before she left Bangkok, the King was so
pleased with her playing for him, by special
request, that he there and then presented her
with a valuable decoration, and from many of
the Princes and Princesses she has had valuable
tokens of their esteem.
Mrs. Campbell, like her husband, is no mean
liuguist, and is thoroughly conversant with the
Malay language. For private circulation
amongst friends she has written an interesting
account of her year in Formosa, in which she
deals with the scenery, government and customs
of the country, giving her own personal
experiences and many illustrations.
One of Mrs. Campbell's brothers was Captain
Alfred Ernest Haynes of the Royal lOugineers,
who was unfortunately killed the other day,
after leading his men to victory at the storming
of Makoni's Kraal in Mashonaland Captain
Haynes had, for so young a man, as already
noticed in the newsjjapers, a distinguished
cai-eer, and his early soldier's death on the
field of battle is a loss to the service to which
he had so zealously devoted himself.
Hpipforrt John Mack.w.
TRADITIONS OF THE COLQUHOUN
COUNTRY.
By F. Mary Colvuhoun.
(^Continued from Vol. IV., pwje 225.)
Lady Helen Sutherland Colquuoun — Janet
Sinclair, Lady CoLQaHOUN — Ri:v. Dr.
JouN' Stuart, Transl.\tor ok the Biblk
INTO Gaelic — Dr. Stuaut and thu Luss
Inn-keeper — Incidents at the burials
of Sir Jambs and Lady Colquhoun.
^^i HAVE before me a copy of a letter from
■y'ly Lady Helen (Sutberlaml) Colqiihouii,
— which may be seen in the ' Cliiefs of
Oolquhoun and their Country," by Sir William
Fiasor (from whose volumes I have borrowed so
largely), dated Rossdhu, January .5tii, 1745,
speaking of a panic there on account of an
alleged raid of the Macgregora to the Luss
shores of Loch Lomond. The writing is very
curious, and the capital letters in the signature
like spider's webs !
Janet Sinclair— Lady Colquhoun.
This saintly lady was born on the 1 7th of
April, 1781, and was the younger daughter of
Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster, Bart., her mother
being Sarah Maitland, onlj child and heiress of