136 NETHER LOCHABER. 



Britain with the son of a Scottish Duke, who now owns the lands 

 which belonged to the Macleans, by whom the " Florida," carrying 

 those very guns, was destroyed. Thus does " the whirligig of 

 time bring about its revenges." Some years ago we were shown 

 by a gentleman in Glasgow a large ebony-stocked pistol, beau- 

 tifully carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and silver, which 

 was said to have been secured from the wreck of the " Florida." 

 We recollect that the corroded state of the barrel and lock 

 abundantly satisfied us at the time that, whether it had belonged 

 to the " Florida " or not, it had at all events long lain in 

 water, and more probably, from the peculiar form of corrosion, 

 in salt water than in fresh. As to the dollar, we have only 

 further to state that its owner now thinks more of it than 

 ever : our suggestion as to its very probable connection with 

 the Spanish Armada having largely enhanced its value in his 

 estimation. Its mere intrinsic value as a bit of silver would, 

 we think, be fully and fairly appraised at something like twenty 

 pence sterling. 



We were the other day accidentally brought into contact with a 

 curious superstition, which, although not peculiar to this district, 

 but common, we believe, over all the Highlands, was yet quite new 

 to us. We were sailing past the beautiful island of St. Mungo, in 

 Loch Leven, the burial-place for many centuries of the people of 

 Nether Lochaber and Glencoe, when the following conversation 

 took place between ourselves and an old man who managed the 

 sails while we steered. It was all in Gaelic, of course, but we give 

 the substance in English : — " You were at the funeral on the island 

 the other day, sir % " interrogatively observed our companion. " I 



was, indeed," we replied. "John ," he continued, naming 



the deceased, " was a very decent man." " He was a fine old 

 Highlander, shrewd and intelligent," we replied, "and, what is 

 more, I believe a very good man." "Donald ," naming a 



