156 FIELD AND FERN. 



latter carries them on the average in thirty-six to 

 forty-two hours, but beasts get more knocked about 

 in the trucks; and the steam companies charge 

 1 a-head, and are their own insurers to the full 

 value of the cattle as well. Hardly any dead meat 

 leaves Aberdeen by the steamer, and the ave- 

 rage in 1861-63 was only 87 tons against 8,943 

 by rail. In the last-named year, 13,798 head of 

 cattle were sent off from Aberdeen southwards by 

 rail, and of these 9,623 went direct to London. 

 Caithness, Orkney, and Shetlands in that year ex- 

 ported no less than 8,740 cattle, 23,124 sheep, and 

 844 pigs ; and of the 6,000 odd from the two latter 

 places (which are said never to have any disease), 

 two-thirds were landed at Aberdeen, and the rest 

 went on to Grant on. 



But M'Combie and the polls were still unseen. 

 "The powerful, pushing, and prosperous race" of 

 M'Combies are first heard of in Glenshee and 

 Glenisla*. The name signifies "son of Thomas," 

 and the family is specially mentioned as Clan 

 M 'Thomas in the clan-roll. They were all men of 

 large stature ; and the " great M'Comie" kept the 

 Cateran in such check, that one of their number thus 

 announced his death : " Blessed be the Virgin Mary ! 

 the great M'Comie in the head of the lowlands is 

 dead, for as big and strong as he was." One of his 

 descendants, Donald M' Combie, settled in the North, 



* I am indebted for these particulars of the M'Combie family and Easter 

 Skene to a very interesting article in the BanffaUre Journal. 



