DESTRUCTIVE AVALANCHE. 119 



" This man was commonly called Munack Mach-Jan, 

 or Murdoch the son of John ; his real name, however, 

 was Macpherson ; he had a son who took orders, and 

 obtained a living in Ireland ; and it is said that the late 

 celebrated R. B. Sheridan was descended from one of his 

 daughters. 



" The most extraordinary superstition prevalent was 

 that of the Liannan-spell, or fairy sweethearts; and all 

 inveterate deer-stalkers, who remained for nights, and 

 even weeks in the mountains, were understood to have 

 formed such connexions. In these cases the natural 

 wife was considered to be in great danger from the ma- 

 chinations of the fairy mistress. 



" I now come to the relation of a story better vouched 

 for, and of a melancholy nature, which happened in the 

 year 1800. Captain John Macpherson of Ballachroan, 

 with four attendants and several fine deer-hounds, was 

 killed by an avalanche in Gawick. The house in which 

 they slept (a strong one), was swept away from the very 

 foundation, and part of the roof carried to a considerable 

 distance. * This melancholy event took place at the dis- 

 tance of thirteen miles from the residence of the hunting 

 party. Their friends were naturally alarmed for their 

 safety, when the drifting storm of wind and snow had 

 closed up the roads and passes of the mountains ; and every 

 hour's delay in their return brought a new accession to 



* The following account is extracted from the Edinburgh Review 

 of this book, in April, 1840. My gratitude is due to the reviewer for 

 the very indulgent and flattering treatment I have met with at his 

 hands, both on this and on a subsequent occasion. AUTHOR. 



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