179*' * voyage to the Rehrides. 215: 



son of Fin gal, Oscar was the son of Ofsian son of the 

 king, and lost his sight before he died ; Fingal was 

 jealous of Dermid. He bid him measure the wild 

 l^oar. He ineasured it from snout to tail, along the 

 hair or bristles. Fingal bid him measure it against 

 the bristles. There was poison among the hair. — 

 Dermid died of it." 



Another, *' The king of Greece's daughter appear- 

 ed to Fingal op the hill of Crochin ain ; and told 

 him file was confined, or detained bj a man, a giant, 

 who had a head and tail like a cat. His name was 

 Talk, the son of Traine, (strength.) Fingal under- 

 took to rescue her, and turned out one thousand 

 warriors, whom Talk engaged singly and slew. Os- 

 car offers- him single combat. After much mtreatj, 

 Fingal consented to his grandson's engaging Talk the 



giant. Oscar killed him, released the ladj, who 



died of grief for tlie lofs of Fingal's thousand war- 

 j;iors." 



LeftNuntown, Clanr^nald's house, in the forenoon,, 

 and all returned to the vefsels. Clanranald, before 

 our departure, renewed his generous ofF^r of land for 

 a town at Loch Skipford, and for another at Cannay. 

 Benbecula is a pretty island, like the other parts of 

 Long Island, The best land is towards the western 

 ocean, with mofsy hills on the eastern side. 

 Memorandum. 

 To write to the society of antiquarians at Edin- 

 burgh, to have the traditionary poems of the bird 

 Macmuirifh preserved, especially respecting Fingal 

 and Ofsian. They exist only in the memory of this 

 bsrd, and of anotlier man in Nuntcv/n- Received a 



