Blair Collection > Caraid nan Gàidheal

OF THE AUTHOR. XXIX
heart was in the Highlands ; or, as I once heard
Lord Cockburn say of him, " If his heart was seen,
1 am sure it would be dressed in a kilt ! " There
were many Highlanders in Campsie, and he had as
often as possible a Gaelic service for their benefit.
Among many valuable " presentations " in the pos-
session of his family, each testifying to the kind
and grateful sense entertained of his labours by the
donors, there is one from the Highlanders of Campsie.
It was also during this period of his ministry
that he engaged in those literary labours in behalf
of his countrymen, some of which are pubhshed in
this volume. The first which he undertook was
the Gaehc " Collection," for the use of Highland
schools. And what more valuable contribution
could a wise and good man give to his country than
a schoolbook in every respect thoroughly adapted
to meet the educational wants of each succeeding
rising generation of its people ?
Then followed the " Mountain Sketch-book," and
those GaeUc monthly periodicals, which mark a new
and important era in modern Celtic literature. There
was "The Gaelic Messenger" (Teachdm're Gaelach)^
begun in 1830, which was continued for two years ;
followed in 1840 by " The Traveller of the Glens "
( Cuairtear nan Gleann), which lasted three years. A
third, "The Mountain Visitor," was undertaken in
1848 by his son-in-law, the Rev. Archd. Clerk, now
minister of Kilmallie, to which my father contributed
several articles. The first magazine was suggested
by his dear friend, Dr. Baird, well called "the High-
lander's friend," wlio drew out the prospectus, and
the plan on which he thought it should be carried
on, which was intended not so much to satisfy as to
stimulate the Highland mind, through tlie Gaelic lan-