48 HIGHLAXD AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



improvement of the Highlands by establishing towns and 

 villages ; by facilitating communication through different 

 parts of the Highlands of Scotland ; by roads and bridges, 

 advancing agriculture, and extending fisheries, introducing 

 useful trades and manufactures ; and by an exertion to 

 unite the efforts of the proprietors, and call the attention of 

 Government towards the encouragement and prosecution of 

 these beneficial purposes.' Finally, it was resolved that 'The 

 Society shall also pay a proper attention to the preservation 

 of the language, poetry, and music of the Highlands.' 



We shall subsequently notice the efforts of the Society 

 in the promotion of trade and manufactures, and in con- 

 nection with the Gaelic language, poetry, and music ; 

 but it may be fitting to mention here that among the 

 offices created at the time of the institution of the Society, 

 or shortly thereafter, there were a bard, a piper, and a Profes- 

 sor of the Gaelic language. Ossian speaks of a Prince who 

 kept a hundred bards, but the Highland Society could at no 

 time boast of more than one. The first mention of a bard in 

 the Society's proceedings is at a Meeting of Directors in 

 Dec. 1784, when the bard, Duncan MTntyre by name, sung a 

 poetical Gaelic composition or song on the restitution of 

 the forfeited estates and Highland dress. MTntyre was 

 born at Glenorchy on the 20th March 1724, and died at 

 Edinburgh on the 14th May 181 2. Some of his admirers 

 have erected a monument to his memory in Greyfriars 

 churchyard. The name of the next bard of which 

 there is any mention was Alister or Alexander Cameron, 

 and at his death in 1789 it was resolved to hold a 

 comparative trial of the merits of the competitors, and 

 for that purpose each competitor was required to pre- 

 pare a poem on the exploits of the 42nd regiment — the 

 competitors to be ready to say on oath, if desired, that 

 they had received no assistance from any person with the 

 composition of the subjects of trial. This competition re- 

 sulted in the appointment of Donald Shaw. He held office 

 for about ten years, when, in December 1799, it was resolved 

 to discontinue the office as totally unnecessary. In 1784, 

 Mr Robert M'Farlane, Edinburgh, was proposed as a fit 



