J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

2 I 4 WEST HIGHLAXD TALES.
chrios ; mo chlogada cruadhacb ma m' cheann a dhion mo mhaise
mhullaich, a dhol an toiseaeh na h-iorguill, 's an iorguill a' dol "na
deireadh. Chuir mi orm mo luireach thorantach, shitli thorantacb,
chorra-ghleusda, gun fhotas, na gun os, ghormghlas, ghormghlan,
laudar, lebthar, Lochlannach, fhada. aotrom, inntinneach ; 's cha d'
f hag mi fear innsidli sgeoil na chumadh tuairisgeul ; mar am biodh
fear air leitli-chois ann, 's fear air leith-liiimh, 's ged a bhiodh deich
teangannan 'nan ceann, 's ann aig innseadh an uiic fein is uilc chaich
a bbitheadb iad.
Thug mi learn mo bbean 's chuir mi 'san luing i. Thog mi na tri
siiiil bhreaca, bhaidealach an aodann nan cranna fade, fulannach,
fiughaidb. 'S e bu cbebl dhomh plubarsaich easgann, 's beiceardaich
f haoileann ; a bbe'isd a bu mhotha aig itbeadb na beisd a bu lugba,
's a bheisd a bu lugba a' deanadh mar a db' fbaodadb i. An
fhaochag cbrom, cbiar a bba 'n grunnd an aigean bbeireadb i haig
air a beul mbr. Ghearradb i cuinlean coirce romh a toiseacb le
feobhas an stiuraidb. Cha bu stad 's cha b' fhois dhomh, 's mi "ga
caitheadb, gus an d' rainig mi baile-mbr m' athair ceile. Sin agad a'
chiad oidhche a flmair mise le lu' bhean a Mhnrchaidh, 's am b ion
gantacb ged nach bu mhail learn duine sam bith a bhitb 'g amharc
urra. " Gu dearljh cha b' iongantach," ursa Murchadh. Chaidh
Murchadb an oidhche sin a laidhe, 's f huair e e fein an la'r na mhair-
each ann an t'ur Cliinn a Choire ann an Eirinn, far an robh athair
agus a sheanair ; 's am fiadh, 's an gadbar, is athair, 's a' bhrathair
a stigh air thoiseach tir.
This tale was taken down in May 1859, from the recitation
of Donald Shaw, then aged sixty-eight, a pauper, living at
Ballygrant in Islay, who was in the 42d Highlanders at
Waterloo. He served in the army about three years. He said
that he had learned it from one Duncan MacMillan, a Colonsay
man, well advanced in years, about fifty years ago. On the 6tli
of July, Hector MacLean wrote :— " Shaw died a few days ago,
and so far :is 1 can ascertain, there is none in Islay, Jura, or
Colonsay, that can recite the same tale now."
I have oi'ly met with one man who knew it by this name ;
MacPhie, at the Sound of Benbecula, a very old man, who gave
me the outline of it. Some of the language is exceedingly
difficult ; some words none of us can make out ; and MacPhie's
version, and most of his stories, were full of such language .
The tale then is found in Islay and South Uist, and traced to