136 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



for the benefit of the poorer classes of Highlanders, to be 

 published by the Society for Propagating Christian Know- 

 ledge. On 27th June 1806, there was voted a sum of ^^30 

 to Alex. Robertson, schoolmaster, Kirkmichael, Perthshire, 

 for the manuscript of a Gaelic Dictionary, proposed to be 

 published by him, but w hich the Society had obtained from 

 him as an aid to one on a more extensive scale it had in 

 view to publish. On 13th January 1807, ^^105 were voted 

 to the Rev. Alexander Campbell, minister of Portree, Skye, 

 for a collection of Gaelic poetry, &c., as recommended by 

 the directors, to be paid upon the delivery of the poems, 

 authenticated to the satisfaction of the directors. On 22nd 

 May of same year, ;i^2i were voted to Archibald Fletcher, 

 schoolmaster, Greenock, for his manuscript of vocables for 

 a Gaelic dictionary; and a like sum was voted on i8th 

 December 1807 to Dr Graham, Aberfoylc, for a copy of his 

 work on the authenticity of the poems of Ossian. In 1809, 

 a sum of ;^5 was given to John Turner, Glasgow, for four 

 ancient Celtic MSS. he had obtained in Ireland. In 181 1, 

 there was voted to the Rev. Alexander Stewart, Dingwall, 

 a sum of ;^2i, for a copy of the second or approved edition 

 of a Celtic grammar, to be published by him. 



With the aid of these MSS. and other material, the 

 Society felt emboldened to begin, in 18 14, the compilation 

 of a Dictionary of the Gaelic language. The general 

 conduct of the work was entrusted to the Rev. Dr John 

 Macleod, minister of Dundonald. In the details of some 

 of its departments he was assisted by Mr Ewan Maclachlan, 

 Aberdeen ; the Rev. Dr Alexander Irvine, Little Dunkeld ; 

 and the Rev. Alexander Macdonald, Crieff. In its progress 

 through the press, it was superintended and corrected by 

 the Rev. Mackintosh Mackay, minister of Laggan. The 

 work occupied fourteen years in preparation. In the 

 first volume of the second series of the Society's Transac- 

 tions, it is noticed that the dictionary was almost ready for 

 publication. Allusion is made to the prevalence of the 

 Celtic language in early times, and to the fact that it had 

 * found a refuge in the Highlands of Scotland as a sanctuary 

 in which it might expire.' The Society was congratulated 



