733 



HIGHLANDS. 



billed to union and friendship in the clan, the easier 

 wtTb the members excited to violence by injuries 

 from without their limits, as there was no general 

 government to look to for protection. A necessary 

 consequence of the isolation of each clan was, that 

 each concluded marriages chiefly within itself; and 

 thus a general relationship really grew up. Many 

 of the members, therefore, had the same name with the 

 chief, so that a feeling of kindred and mutual attach- 

 ment existed. Towards all, the chief stood in the 

 light of a superior, commander, and judge. He could 

 call upon the young men to accompany him in the 

 chase or to fight under his banner. The whole sys- 

 tem of the clans rested essentially upon the power 

 which custom gave the chief in virtue of primogeni- 

 ture. The obligations of the members of the clan to 

 the chief were indissoluble by any relation into which 

 they might enter. The chief was generally, yet not 

 always, proprietor of the whole territory ef the clan, 

 or of the greater part, yet not with absolute right of 

 possession. A certain portion of the best part of the 

 territory was allotted to him as his special property. 

 The rest of the land was distributed, for longer or 

 shorter periods, among that class of the clan which 

 consisted of the farmers. These were the near rela- 

 tions of the chief, or the descendants of a distant and 

 common chief. To these brothers, nephews, cousins, 

 the chief gave land on condition that he might resume 

 it at pleasure, or on lease for a short time, or (which 

 was the general mode) as a kind of mortgage re- 

 deemable on the payment of a fixed sum. After two 

 generations, these portions of land were generally 

 resumed in order to be conferred on nearer relations, 

 upon which the descendants of the former possessors 

 retunied to the class of the common members of the 

 clan. This change of property was so common, that 

 the ordinary class were confirmed by it in their 

 belief of their original relationship with the chief, 

 as, in each generation, some families joined them, 

 whose ancestors had belonged to the kindred of the 

 chief. Sometimes, however, the young relations 

 received land in perpetual possession, or acquired 

 property by inheritance, marriage, or other means. 

 In such cases, they retained their original rank, and 

 generally each stood at the head of a subdivision of 

 a clan, which considered him as its immediate head, 

 though they always remained dependent on the 

 chief of the clan, and generally even tributary. The 

 largest clans often had several of such subdivisions. 

 The chieftains of the branches and their subjects had 

 sometimes a particular name, called bur sloine, or 

 genealogic surname, which originated from the 

 baptismal name or surname of him who had estab- 

 lished the clan. Where there existed no such sub- 

 chiefs, the feoffees above described stood nearest to 

 the chief. They were honoured as noble, and called 

 themselves Duinhe Wassal. A feather upon the 

 cap designated their rank. These again parcelled 

 their portions into smaller farms, which they let to 

 people of the common class for a rent. Generally 

 these stood in the same dependence upon their im- 

 mediate lord as the latter upon the general chief. 



When the population in these narrow and sterile 

 valleys increased, the means of support soon became 

 scarce. The strict separation of the clans, and the 

 hereditary enmities not unfrequently existing between 

 them, prevented emigration to the neighbouring 

 valleys, and, still more, to the lower country. The 

 consequence of too great a population was indolence. 

 The younger sons of the more distinguished part of 

 the clan, who joined the common people reluctantly, 

 showed a contempt for peaceful occupations, and 

 collected the most courageous youths of the tribe, 

 wth whom they went on predatory expeditions 

 {called creachs) against the Lowlands and hostile 



clans. As the chief wealth of the country consisted 

 in cattle, hostilities were generally commenced by 

 driving away cattle. There existed, also, a class of 

 bold adventurers, called cearnachs, employed on 

 expeditions of uncommon peril, or by which uncom- 

 mon honour was to be gained. In later times, 

 however, their profession was considered less hon- 

 ourable, and consisted in gathering tribute from the 

 lower country, or payment for protection against 

 depredation, called blackmail. One means of sup- 

 port for the younger sons of the chiefs, was the 

 military service in France and Spain; and, after the 

 banishment of the house of Stuart, to which the 

 Highlanders were faithful, it became still more com- 

 mon to follow foreign colours. Thus they always 

 remained acquainted with war, and the fame of the 

 deeds of their countrymen in foreign countries 

 nourished their martial spirit at home. A warlike 

 disposition and contempt of labour was found even 

 among the lowest classes. The labour of the field 

 was left mostly to old people and women, whilst the 

 vigorous men spent their time in idleness, in hunt- 

 ing, or in active sports. Mechanics stood in higher 

 esteem than mere farmers. Weaving was a labour 

 for women, but the men only were tailors. 1'he 

 smith who made arms, or at least mended them, was 

 particularly esteemed, and belonged to the household 

 of a chief ; yet most of the arms used were sent from 

 the Lowlands. The chief generally lived surrounded 

 by his dependants. His castle was the place where 

 rewards were distributed, and the most envied dis- 

 tinctions were bestowed. The chief did not distin- 

 guish himself by the splendour of his dress or house- 

 hold, but merely by a more numerous household and 

 more guests. What he received from his dependants, 

 was again consumed for their liberal entertainment. 

 Every member of the clan was welcome in the castle, 

 and was, according to his rank, treated with a civility 

 and delicacy, of which elsewhere little is known. 

 This treatment elevated the clan in their own esteem, 

 and drew still tighter the ties between them and their 

 chief, whose power, though mildly exercised, was, 

 according to its nature, absolute. The laws which 

 he administered were simple. Esteem of his autho- 

 rity, and gratitude for his protection, were natural 

 consequences of his patriarchal government. Hence 

 the unshaken fidelity of the clans, of which the 

 Scottish history affords so many splendid instances, 

 particularly in the civil wars of 1715 and 1745. 

 Sometimes there was a deviation from this constitu- 

 tion of the clans ; and even the right of inheritance, 

 on which the whole institution was founded, was 

 disregarded in particular cases. There are also 

 examples of deposing unworthy chiefs ; and, during 

 the troubles after the revolution (1688), a chieftain 

 was deserted by his whole clan, because he wished 

 to lead it against the banners of the house of Stuart ; 

 and thus loyalty triumphed over the strong bond of 

 vassalage. 



In the earliest times, the Highland chiefs owed 

 allegiance to the native princes, by whom the 

 Scottish kings were acknowledged as sovereigns 

 merely in name. Among these native princes were 

 the powerful lords of the Isles, who flourished from 

 very ancient times to the reign of James V. They 

 ruled over all the Western Islands (the Hebrides), 

 from Hay north, and over the western part of the 

 county of Inverness, and, as powerful allies, exerted 

 an influence over the greater part of the Highlands. 

 The earls of Athol, of Mar, of Lennox, and Bother 

 powerful lords, governed the remainder. These 

 islands first became dependent upon the Scottish 

 crown in the commencement of the 15th century; 

 nevertheless, the divisions which afterwards took 

 place among the clans, did not contribute much to 



