CHAPTER VI. 



The Wild White Cattle in Ancient Scotland — Former Wildness of the Country 

 — Purity and Trustworthiness of Highland Traditions — Traces of White 

 Cattle in Local Names — Allusions in Sir Walter Scott's Works — " Dun- 

 craggan's Milk-white Bull " — Description hy Boethius of the Wild Bull — 

 The Turnbull Legend — Boethius confirmed by other Testimony on the most 

 disputed Points — Bellenden and Leslie regarding the Bull's " Mane " — 

 Localities mentioned by Bishop Leslie — Clear Distinction drawn by him be- 

 tween the Wild White Cattle and the Kyloe Breed — Discoveries of Bones 

 of the Urus in Scotland — Their comparatively small Size — Desirability 

 of further Investigation by Geologists. 



We cross the Cheviots and enter Scotland — in every age 

 the land of the hold, the noble, and the free. Its 

 northern and western mountains held those Picts and 

 Dalriadian Scots, who, amalgamating, have produced 

 the modern Highlanders, apt descendants of their 

 fathers — the men who, when Germany was subdued 

 and Helvetia enslaved, were the last " champions of 

 freedom ; " * who resisted the serried masses of the 

 Roman legions ; preserved intact their own mountain 

 homes ; and eventually, assuming the offensive, helped 

 to drive Rome and its Imperators out of Britain. Such, 

 in ancient time, was proud and free Caledonia ; such 

 she was in long later ages, when from her southern 

 provinces, so happily incorporated with her northern, 

 the Wallace first sprang up ; and then the Bruce, 

 the Douglas, and a host of other heroes, who, 



* Tacitus : " Agricola," chap, xxx., §. 4. Galgacus, when addressing 

 the Caledonian troops at the foot of the Grampians, says : — " Nos ter- 

 rarum ac libertatis extremos recessus ipse ac sinus famse in hunc diem 

 defendit." 



