INSTANCES OF LONGEVITY. 105 



home, a distance of about twelve miles of dreary hill, where 

 he arrived early in the morning ; but the fright had nearly 

 cost him his life, for he fell into a fever, and it was many 

 weeks before he recovered. 



" This Macpherson of Braekally was commonly called 

 Callum Beg, or Little Malcolm ; and there is reason to 

 believe that he was one of those who fought in the famous 

 battle of the Inch of Perth, in the reign of Robert the 

 Third. 



" An affecting circumstance happened in this district 

 many years ago. Two children of tender age wandered 

 from a neighbouring shieling in search of berries and wild 

 flowers, and such pastime as innocent and happy souls 

 delight in : they never returned to their lonely dwelling ; 

 but after an anxious search, and a lapse of many days, 

 were found dead, and locked in each other's arms. The 

 place is still called Laggan-na-cloine-a-Caouch, or, the 

 Hollow of the Affectionate Children. 



" To recur to the deer, I must tell you, that it is con- 

 fidently asserted that a white hind continued to be seen 

 in Benalder for two hundred years ; and there is at this 

 present time a hind which was marked twenty years ago : 

 she is well known to the shepherds, from the circumstance 

 of both ears being cut off, which gives her an appearance 

 too remarkable to be mistaken. There was also a large 

 hart, well known in the forest for a period of thirty years ; 

 he was said to carry eighteen branches. He has dis- 

 appeared, however, during the last three years ; but it has 

 not been ascertained what has become of him, whether he 

 has been killed, died a natural death, or has changed his 

 ground. There is now also a hart, which has been remarked 

 for many years ; he has a very peculiar formation of antlers, 

 and it is well ascertained that he was shot through the body 

 seven years ago, and is now perfectly recovered. I mention 

 this chiefly to prove, from other evidence than my own, that 

 a deer that has been wounded, has ever afterwards his horns 

 deformed.* 



" My story, I fear, has been a tedious one, but happily for 



* Vide p. 29. Chap. I. on the Nature and Habits of Red Deer. 

 8 



