Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897
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174
THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
X. — Lachlan Macbean, 12th of his family, born
16th February, 1833. Mr. Macbean married
on the 10th June, 1862, Miss Jane Macbean
Moore, and he, like his father, had thirteen
children. Duncan Moore, his second child,
born 19th March, 186-1, is his heir, and will
ultimately succeed to, and represent the old
and respected family of Tomatin.
There are many eminent Macbeans spread
over the North and abroad. Take Sir James
Macbean, a native of Inverness; the Macbeans
of Ardclach, of whom sprung the late worthy
and learned Mr Eneas Macbean. W.S , friend
and intimate of Sir Walter Scott; the Macbeans,
long Consuls at Leghorn, afterwards in Rome,
at whose hospitable board were for years to be
found the elite of Scottish gentry, and casual
sojourners, and which after the lapse of thirty
years I gladly recall. Space alone prevents
adding more.
The next tribe to be dealt with, ere I leave
Strathnairn and Strathdearn, is that of Mac-
phail and the family of Inverairnie, to be
followed by Macqueen.
(Til be continued.)
THE QUEEN OF THE HEBRIDES.
By W. C. Mackenzie, London.
c^in\,Y this imposing title is Lewis, the princi-
yH^, pal island of the Hebrides, locally, if
==^ not generally, known. The word
"Lewis" is probably derived from a combina-
tion of 'Liot,' or 'Leod,' and ' hus ' = Leodhus,
signifying, in Norse, "the house of the people."
Martin gives it a Celtic origin, but present day
antiquarians are agreed that the name is non-
Celtic. To be strictly accurate, Lewis is not an
island at all, for Harris, "where the tweeds
come from," must be reckoned with, in entitling
it to that distinction. " Lewis- with- Harris " is
the correct designation of the combined island-
territory. As Parliamentary divisions, how-
ever, Lewis and Harris are distinct; for while
the former is part — and an important part — of
Ross and Cromarty, the latter, like Skye, forms
a portion of the constituency of Inverness-shire.
The area of Lewis is 404,000 acres, and its
population approximates 30,000, of which
number nearly seven-eighths are crofters, or
fishermen, or both. Stornoway is the capital
of the island. Like Lewis, the name is supposed
to be of Norse origin, meaning ' the Governor's
Bay'— (from Srn,inai=a Governor). It is a
clean and well built town, overlooking a
charming bay, which constitutes one of the
finest harbours in Scotland. From small
beginnings, in which the Fife adventurers, to
whom James VI. gifted the island, played a
leading part, the town has grown to be the
chief commercial and political centre of the
West Highlands. Its inhabitants have, by
their enterprise and intelligence, achieved
results in the development, more particularly,
of the fishing industry, of which they may well
be proud.
The herring fishery is prosecuted most
vigorously during the months of May and
June, when boats from all parts of Scotland
unite with the native wherries in forming a
fleet of nearly a thousand sail, each manned by
a crew of, generally, seven men. During the
season, the population of Stornoway is therefore
of a very heterogeneous description. On a
Saturday night, the streets of the town are
crowded with fishermen, and the Highland
accent of the Lewismen and Argyllshiremen
may be heard contrasting strangely with the
broad Doric of Buckie and Wick ; whilst an
occasional conversation in Gaelic lends further
variety to the babel of sounds. Even the
south of England accent is not wanting, for
representatives of English " fresh buyers " and
"kipperers" find their way to the remote
island, and share in the scaly spoils of the
Minch. Years ago, it was no uncommon thing
to find smacks from the Channel Islands
berthed at the quay, laden inwards with salt or
other fishing accessories, and outwards with
barrels of cured herrings, destined for the
Continental markets. But steam has taken the
wind out of the sails of these trim craft, and
the berths that once knew them now know
them no more.
One of the most pleasing sights imaginable
is to watch the herring fleet proceeding sea-
wards on a fine June evening. The beauty of
the scene is enhanced by the glorious sunsets
of those regions, deepening into the mysterious
twilight which softens every point of the lands-
cape. The fishermen, however, are more intent
upon the prospects of a good haul than upon
the charms of nature which surround them.
The season is short, and they must make the
most of it, for their " wives, and mithers, and
bairns" at home must be fed somehow.
Dependent as they are upon a capricious sea
and upon weather no less changeable, it is but
natural that the fishermen should have an
anxious time. In former years, the crews hired
themselves to the curers for the season at a
fixed rate per cran (a "cran " is four baskets);
and the bounty which they received at the
commencement of the season tended to mitigate
the disappointments of small catches. Now,
however, they have to take their chance of the
THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
X. — Lachlan Macbean, 12th of his family, born
16th February, 1833. Mr. Macbean married
on the 10th June, 1862, Miss Jane Macbean
Moore, and he, like his father, had thirteen
children. Duncan Moore, his second child,
born 19th March, 186-1, is his heir, and will
ultimately succeed to, and represent the old
and respected family of Tomatin.
There are many eminent Macbeans spread
over the North and abroad. Take Sir James
Macbean, a native of Inverness; the Macbeans
of Ardclach, of whom sprung the late worthy
and learned Mr Eneas Macbean. W.S , friend
and intimate of Sir Walter Scott; the Macbeans,
long Consuls at Leghorn, afterwards in Rome,
at whose hospitable board were for years to be
found the elite of Scottish gentry, and casual
sojourners, and which after the lapse of thirty
years I gladly recall. Space alone prevents
adding more.
The next tribe to be dealt with, ere I leave
Strathnairn and Strathdearn, is that of Mac-
phail and the family of Inverairnie, to be
followed by Macqueen.
(Til be continued.)
THE QUEEN OF THE HEBRIDES.
By W. C. Mackenzie, London.
c^in\,Y this imposing title is Lewis, the princi-
yH^, pal island of the Hebrides, locally, if
==^ not generally, known. The word
"Lewis" is probably derived from a combina-
tion of 'Liot,' or 'Leod,' and ' hus ' = Leodhus,
signifying, in Norse, "the house of the people."
Martin gives it a Celtic origin, but present day
antiquarians are agreed that the name is non-
Celtic. To be strictly accurate, Lewis is not an
island at all, for Harris, "where the tweeds
come from," must be reckoned with, in entitling
it to that distinction. " Lewis- with- Harris " is
the correct designation of the combined island-
territory. As Parliamentary divisions, how-
ever, Lewis and Harris are distinct; for while
the former is part — and an important part — of
Ross and Cromarty, the latter, like Skye, forms
a portion of the constituency of Inverness-shire.
The area of Lewis is 404,000 acres, and its
population approximates 30,000, of which
number nearly seven-eighths are crofters, or
fishermen, or both. Stornoway is the capital
of the island. Like Lewis, the name is supposed
to be of Norse origin, meaning ' the Governor's
Bay'— (from Srn,inai=a Governor). It is a
clean and well built town, overlooking a
charming bay, which constitutes one of the
finest harbours in Scotland. From small
beginnings, in which the Fife adventurers, to
whom James VI. gifted the island, played a
leading part, the town has grown to be the
chief commercial and political centre of the
West Highlands. Its inhabitants have, by
their enterprise and intelligence, achieved
results in the development, more particularly,
of the fishing industry, of which they may well
be proud.
The herring fishery is prosecuted most
vigorously during the months of May and
June, when boats from all parts of Scotland
unite with the native wherries in forming a
fleet of nearly a thousand sail, each manned by
a crew of, generally, seven men. During the
season, the population of Stornoway is therefore
of a very heterogeneous description. On a
Saturday night, the streets of the town are
crowded with fishermen, and the Highland
accent of the Lewismen and Argyllshiremen
may be heard contrasting strangely with the
broad Doric of Buckie and Wick ; whilst an
occasional conversation in Gaelic lends further
variety to the babel of sounds. Even the
south of England accent is not wanting, for
representatives of English " fresh buyers " and
"kipperers" find their way to the remote
island, and share in the scaly spoils of the
Minch. Years ago, it was no uncommon thing
to find smacks from the Channel Islands
berthed at the quay, laden inwards with salt or
other fishing accessories, and outwards with
barrels of cured herrings, destined for the
Continental markets. But steam has taken the
wind out of the sails of these trim craft, and
the berths that once knew them now know
them no more.
One of the most pleasing sights imaginable
is to watch the herring fleet proceeding sea-
wards on a fine June evening. The beauty of
the scene is enhanced by the glorious sunsets
of those regions, deepening into the mysterious
twilight which softens every point of the lands-
cape. The fishermen, however, are more intent
upon the prospects of a good haul than upon
the charms of nature which surround them.
The season is short, and they must make the
most of it, for their " wives, and mithers, and
bairns" at home must be fed somehow.
Dependent as they are upon a capricious sea
and upon weather no less changeable, it is but
natural that the fishermen should have an
anxious time. In former years, the crews hired
themselves to the curers for the season at a
fixed rate per cran (a "cran " is four baskets);
and the bounty which they received at the
commencement of the season tended to mitigate
the disappointments of small catches. Now,
however, they have to take their chance of the
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Early Gaelic Book Collections > Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897 > (248) |
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Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/75853722 |
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Shelfmark | Blair.57 |
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Description | A selection of books from a collection of more than 500 titles, mostly on religious and literary topics. Also includes some material dealing with other Celtic languages and societies. Collection created towards the end of the 19th century by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray. |
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Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
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