Hew Morrison Collection > Sar-obair nam bard gaelach, or, The beauties of Gaelic poetry

EOBHON MAC-LACHUINN. 321
EOBHON MAC-LACHUINN.
EwEN Maclachlan was born at Torracalltuinn, on the farm of Coiruanan, in Loch-
aber, in the year 1775. Coiruanan was possessed by a family of the name of Mac-
lachlan for many generations. The forefathers of E. Maelachlan came originally from
Morven, first to Ardgour and thence to Lochaber, and appear to have been in general,
men possessed of superior natural gifts. His great grandfather was Dòmhnull-Bàn-Bàrd
contemporary with Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel. That bard's compositions are justly
admired, particularly his elegy on occasion of the death of that chief. The mother of
E. Maelachlan was a Mackenzie, descended from a branch of that clan, which had settled
in Lochaber many generations back. His father, Dòmhnull Mòr, a man of venerable pre-
sence and patriarchal bearing, was reckoned one of the most elegant speakers of the
Gaelic language in his day. He was distinguished by the extent and diversity of his
traditionary and legendary lore, as well as by the appropriate beauty and purity of the
language, in which he told his tale, or conveyed his sentiments to the admiring listeners,
who delighted to resort to his humble dwelling.
Though the father was himself illiterate, he was keenly alive to the benefits of educa-
tion. Besides the sulyect of our memoir, he had several sons and daughters. Two of
the former were afterwards respectable planters in the Island of Jamaica. In the village
of Fort- William, where his father now resided, the parochial school of Killmalie had been
situated since the middle of last century, and taught by superior teachers. At this school
the brothers of Ewen Maelachlan, as well as himself, got the rudiments of their educa-
tion, which, by their natural abilities and laudable ambition, all of them afterwards ex-
tended. Ewen was the youngest son of the family, except one. While he excelled his
very clever brothers in mental abilities, he M'as their inferior in bodily strength ; the
physical weakness of limb which disqualified him, in some measure, for the playful exer-
cises of his fellow-scholars, tended, among other causes, to direct his views to objects
and pursuits of a more exalted character.
His first teacher was the Rev. John Gordon, afterwards minister of Alvie ; after him,
Dr William Singers of Kirkpatrick-Juxta. He did not remain long under the tuition of
these gentlemen, and on account of his father's poverty, was but very indiff'erently sup-
plied with books. His progress, notwithstanding, was great for his years ; it indeed
excelled that of all others in the school, and in general, his class-fellows were glad to
grant him the perusal of their books, in consideration of his very efiicient help to them ia
learning their lessons.