66 Notes and Sketches. 



In the reign of William III., there had been an armed 

 watch established, and severe measures taken to put 

 down this system. But for a time this had been given 

 up, and in 1724 Government established six companies 

 of native soldiery, consisting of 480 men of the clans 

 believed to be loyal, to prevent these cattle robberies 

 and suppress the disgraceful impost. The men were 

 dressed in plain dark-coloured tartan : and hence were 

 called the Reicudan Dhu or Black Watch. And such 

 was the -origin of a regiment since then highly distin- 

 guished in many a well-fought field the gallant 42nd 

 Highlanders. They were formed into a regular regiment 

 in 1735 for foreign service; and a consequence of the 

 removal of the companies from their special posts as the 

 Black Watch was the revival of the old practice of cattle 

 lifting, which had been pretty effectually kept down by 

 them. The caterans in 1743 came down again into 

 Badenoch, into JSTairnshire, and Banffshire, " harrying" 

 as they could, and not scrupling even to kill those who 

 resisted the driving off of their cattle. And in the fol- 

 lowing year Macpherson of Cluny had to raise a body 

 of armed retainers, and take active measures to put 

 down the determined incursions of the Highland rob- 

 bers. Down to 1 745, though the Highlanders may have 

 confined their raids to nearer home, there does not seem 

 to have been much abatement of the practice of cattle 

 lifting. Mr. Graham of Gartmore, writing about the 

 close of the Rebellion, says : " It may be safely affirmed 

 that the horses, cows, sheep, and goats yearly stolen in 

 that country [the Highlands generally] are in value 

 equal to .5000, and that the expenses lost in the fruit- 

 less endeavours to recover them will not be less than 

 X2000 ; that the extraordinary expense of keeping 

 herds and servants to look more narrowly after cattle 

 on account of stealing, otherwise not necessary, is 

 <! 0,000. There is paid in black mail or watch money, 

 openly or privately, .5000 ; and there is a yearly loss 

 by under-stocking the grounds, by reason of thefts, of 



