PIPING COMPETITIONS. 487 



gratuitous use of the theatre. His lordship, in the course 

 of his address to the audience and competitors, was fre- 

 quently cheered. 



At the competition of 1826 (June 19), which was the 

 last annual meeting, his Grace the Duke of Gordon (then 

 in his 84th year), President of the Highland Society of 

 Scotland, took his seat as Preses of the Committee of 

 Judges. His Grace invited his youthful compeer, the Duke 

 of Roxburghe, who was in an adjoining box, to a seat near 

 him. The young duke came dressed in the full costume of a 

 Highlander. The assembled Highlanders, who attended in 

 full dress for competition, appeared, on the rising of the cur- 

 tain, drawn up all round the stage, and amidst befitting and 

 admirable stage scenery. After the competitors had played 

 their several piobrachs, the judges having retired to decide 

 the prizes, an interlude of Highland reels to the music of 

 the bagpipe and orchestra alternately followed. On the 

 re-appearance of the judges, the Duke of Gordon, having 

 returned thanks to the audience, and also to Mrs Siddons 

 and Mr Murray for the gratuitous use of the theatre, his 

 Grace called upon John Gordon, piper to the Athole and 

 Weem Farmers' Club, to whom the first prize had been 

 unanimously awarded. On presenting him with the prize, 

 his Grace remarked the great pleasure he felt in having 

 the opportunity of presenting it to a clansman, and wished 

 he might not, for many a long year, ' be ever out of wind to 

 use it.' The venerable Duke accompanied the delivery of 

 each prize with a short and suitable address. From 1826 

 the competitions were held only triennially. 



At the competition held on the 25th of July 1832, the 

 venerable Sir John Sinclair (then on the verge of commenc- 

 ing the 80th year of his age) acted as Preses. The audience 

 were greatly interested in the ancient Chille Challum, or 

 sword dance, over two naked broadswords, by a fine lad 

 called John M'Kay. It was danced with a degree of pre- 

 cision and ease altogether extraordinary, considering the 

 intricacy of the figure and the rapidity of the motion, and 

 was most enthusiastically called for a second time. This 

 afforded the Right Hon. Chairman an opportunity to 



