328 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



the "ben-end," where the heads of the family and 

 any young children there may be sleep in the two 

 "box-beds" against the wall. Magnus's house, as 

 became an udaller's son, was provided with an addi- 

 tional small room. Dinner was a most substantial, 

 I should say ponderous affair. The good things con- 

 sisted of barley-broth, smoked mutton, pork ham, fresh 

 and smoked geese, all boiled — nothing was ever 

 roasted — oatmeal cakes, bearmeal bannocks, " burstin 

 briinies," and a few biscuits. Neither fish of any 

 kind nor potatoes were ever produced at a wedding. 

 (I should explain, for the benefit of the uninitiated 

 reader, that " burstin " is a kind of meal made from 

 oats or bear — the latter a coarse kind of barley — 

 highly dried in a kettle over the fire and ground very 

 fine in a handmill ; and " burstin briinies " are round 

 thick cakes made of this meal, with or without the 

 addition of butter, and baked on a gridiron over a 

 peat fire.) 



The arrangement of the guests was peculiar, but 

 strictly according to custom. Dinner was served to 

 those who had been at church in the but-end. About 

 the middle of the table on one side — for there was no 

 head or foot — sat the " married man," bridegroom, best- 

 man, and general company of young men; on the 

 opposite side sat the " married woman," bride, best-maid, 

 and general company of unmarried women. " The auld 

 folk " — as all the married guests were irreverently called 

 — had dinner in the ben-end, and all were served by 

 Magnus and his wife. Drams were occasionally 



