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RHYMES ON PLACES. 41
no fire whatever at the house, and when they came back to
resume their operations, they found the water falling* over
the linn in full force. Being now convinced that a power
above that of mortals was opposed to their researches, the
laird and his people g'ave up the attempt. Such is the tra-
ditionary story ; whether founded in any actual occurrence,
or a mere fiction of the peasants' brain, cannot be ascer-
tained ; but it is curious that a later and perfectly well-
authenticated effort to recover the treasure was interrupted
by a natural occurrence in some respects similar. It was
about the beginning of the present century that one of the
existing tenants of the estate, then a lad, agreed with a
companion to go at midnight, on a summer's eve, and en-
deavour to recover the treasure. They had formed a dam,
baled out the water, and were about to dig" for the kettle,
when a voice of distress, high overhead, called aloud for
one to assist with a cart of hay which had been overturned.
They left their work, and ran up to the road, where they
found that such an accident had actually taken place. After
giving their assistance, they returned, and found the dam
g-one, and the rivulet pouring into the linn as usual, thus
impressing their minds, as in the former instance, with
a conviction that all attempts to regain the treasure would
be vain.
The anecdotes of money-digging" may be concluded
with a story highly characteristic of Scottish cunning'
and Irish simplicity. On the farm of Clerkston, in the
parish of Lesmahag'ow, there had existed since creation an
immense stone, which, being- deej)ly bedded in the middle
of a good field, at a great distance from any other rocks,
was productive of infinite inconvenience to the husband-
man, and defrauded the proprietor of a considerable portion
of territory. Beneath this stone, it was believed by the
country people of the last generation that there was secreted
a vast treasure, in the shape of 'a kettleful, a bootful,
and a bull-hidef ul ' of gold, all which got the ordinary
name of 'Katie Neevie's hoord.' The credibility of this
tradition was attested by a rhyme to the following effect : —
Between Dillerliill and Crossfoord,
There lies Katie Neevie's hoord.
Many efforts had been made, according to the gossips, to
no fire whatever at the house, and when they came back to
resume their operations, they found the water falling* over
the linn in full force. Being now convinced that a power
above that of mortals was opposed to their researches, the
laird and his people g'ave up the attempt. Such is the tra-
ditionary story ; whether founded in any actual occurrence,
or a mere fiction of the peasants' brain, cannot be ascer-
tained ; but it is curious that a later and perfectly well-
authenticated effort to recover the treasure was interrupted
by a natural occurrence in some respects similar. It was
about the beginning of the present century that one of the
existing tenants of the estate, then a lad, agreed with a
companion to go at midnight, on a summer's eve, and en-
deavour to recover the treasure. They had formed a dam,
baled out the water, and were about to dig" for the kettle,
when a voice of distress, high overhead, called aloud for
one to assist with a cart of hay which had been overturned.
They left their work, and ran up to the road, where they
found that such an accident had actually taken place. After
giving their assistance, they returned, and found the dam
g-one, and the rivulet pouring into the linn as usual, thus
impressing their minds, as in the former instance, with
a conviction that all attempts to regain the treasure would
be vain.
The anecdotes of money-digging" may be concluded
with a story highly characteristic of Scottish cunning'
and Irish simplicity. On the farm of Clerkston, in the
parish of Lesmahag'ow, there had existed since creation an
immense stone, which, being- deej)ly bedded in the middle
of a good field, at a great distance from any other rocks,
was productive of infinite inconvenience to the husband-
man, and defrauded the proprietor of a considerable portion
of territory. Beneath this stone, it was believed by the
country people of the last generation that there was secreted
a vast treasure, in the shape of 'a kettleful, a bootful,
and a bull-hidef ul ' of gold, all which got the ordinary
name of 'Katie Neevie's hoord.' The credibility of this
tradition was attested by a rhyme to the following effect : —
Between Dillerliill and Crossfoord,
There lies Katie Neevie's hoord.
Many efforts had been made, according to the gossips, to
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Early Gaelic Book Collections > J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular rhymes of Scotland > (49) |
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Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/81375182 |
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Description | Volumes from a collection of 610 books rich in Highland folklore, Ossianic literature and other Celtic subjects. Many of the books annotated by John Francis Campbell of Islay, who assembled the collection. |
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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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