Ossian Collection > Report of the Committee of the Highland Society of Scotland, appointed to inquire into the nature and authenticity of the poems of Ossian

PÒF.MS OF ÒSSIÀH. $9
time with his early acquaintance the Reverend Mr
Gallic, then miffionary at Badenoch, a gentleman
extremely converfant with the Gaelic language ; of
Whofe affiftance, together with that of Mr Macpheiv
fon of Strathmalhie, in Badenoch, fince dead, he a-
vailed himfelf, in collating the different editions or
copies of the poems he had collected, and in traiif-
feting difficult paflages and obfolete 'words, which,
from their fuperior knowledge of the original lan-
guage, they were well qualified to afford him *.-
Of one of the gentlemen firft named, Mr Gallie,
miniller of Kincardine in Rofsfhire, (who is unfor-
tunately dead fmce the commencement of its inqui-
ries), the Committee heard by accident. His mo-
il efty, one of his many acknowledged merits, and
very indifferent health, had kept him at home, in
an
* When he undertook this journey, Mr Macpherfon feems to
hive been but. an indifferent proficient in the Gaelic language?'
which, though one of his native tongues, (for Highlanders of
any rank or education always fpoke both it and the Englifh),
his ftuidies at the Uni^erfity, and residence in a family in which
it was altogether unknown, had probably made him lefs perfeft
in than he might othenvife have been. ( A ludicrous inftance of
his inaccuracy in the Gaelic will be found, as related with great.
vaivete, in the declaration of Mi- Ewan Macpherfon ( Appendix j
No. 6. p. 94.) Under the fame No» of the Appendix the Com-
mittee fubjoins tile declaration of Malcolm Macpherfon, giving
an account of the fervices rendered by a brother of his, to his
namefake Mr James Macpherfon, when employed in collecting
ancient MSS. in the Ifle of Sky, and particularly defcribing a
MS. book ghen to Mr Macpherfon at that period by his bro-
ther.