532 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



members of the same body, and are distinguished for their 

 accuracy and professional talents. Messrs Mackenzie & 

 Smith act as Examiners in Book-keeping and Accounts 

 under the Society's Charter of 1856. 



Principal Clerks and Recorders. 



Mr Colin Menzies, of the Custom House, who had 

 from an early period given assistance in keeping the records 

 of the Society, was, in March 1784, appointed recorder and 

 principal clerk. He performed the duties till his removal 

 to an office in the Customs at Greenock. 



Mr Alexander Maclachlan was nominated in Mr 

 Menzies' place at the General Meeting on loth January 

 1786. He appears to have died about the end of 1792, 

 after seven years' service. 



Mr Lewis Gordon succeeded Mr Maclachlan in 

 1792, and held the office of recorder and principal clerk till 

 he was promoted to the office of depute secretary in 1795. 



Mr David Watson, writer, was, on loth April 1795, 

 appointed successor to Mr Lewis Gordon as recorder and 

 clerk; and he discharged these duties till 1815, when 

 Mr Charles Gordon was elected assistant depute secretary 

 and collector, as well as principal clerk and recorder. On 

 Mr Watson's retirement, in consequence of his other 

 avocations, he was presented by the Society with a piece 

 of plate of the value of twenty guineas, with a suitable 

 inscription engrav-ed thereon. 



From this period till the appointment of the present 

 Clerk, the nomination was exercised by the Secretary, and 

 not by the Directors. The names of the various parties 

 who performed the duties are consequently not in the 

 Society's records, as they were paid not by the Society 

 direct, but by the Secretary, who received an allowance for 

 that purpose. 



Mr Thomas Duncan, the present Clerk, entered the 

 Society's service on 22nd March 1841. He got his nomina- 

 tion from Sir Charles Gordon ; and on Sir Charles' death he 

 received a special appointment direct from the Board of 

 Directors, they having resolved to retain the nomination in 



