Farewell thou silent beam! let the light of Ossian's soul arise! and it does arise in its strength. I behold my departed friends, their gathering is on Lora, as in the days of other years.

Songs of Selma, p. 205.

Who roars along dark Lora's heath? who, but Carthon, king of swords. Carthon, p. 94.

Clessamor! said the king of Morven, where is the spear of thy strength, wilt thou behold Connal bound, thy friend, at the stream of Lora? Ibid. p. 88.

Darkness dwells in Balclutha, the shadows of grief in Crathmo, but raise my remembrance on the banks of Lora. Ibid. p. 93.

Tha tannas caol, is faoin, is fuar,
Mall ag aomadh mu uaigh an tseoid;

Na trein, a Mhalamhin nam buadh,

Aig iomall nan stuadh fo 'n tòrr.

Carthon, p. 148, ver. 21, &c.

Translation,

There is a ghost, slender, feeble, and pale,

Slowly bending over the hero's grave;

The brave, O Malvina of virtues,

Are there at the border of the waves under the heap.

Aelegir aggin ag in ess

Fer bi wat treishi is gneive
Is currir fay wrayt gi moyeir

Fane oyr in nonnoyr mi Reich.

See Report of the Committee, p. 98.

Gaelic Orthography.

Dh'anlaicear aguinn aig an eas
Am fear bu mhath treis, a's gniomh,

A's chuirear fa bhrai gach meoir
Fainn' oir an onair mo Righ.

English.

We buried by the waterfall

The man of great might and deeds,
And placed high on each finger

A ring of gold in honour of my king.

Should the diligent traveller find a perfect correspondence between the above scenes, and the description given of them in the poems ascribed to Ossian, he will not, it is hoped, attempt to deprive the ancient bard of his just merit; for should he suppose Macpherson to have been the author of these poems, he must first prove, that he either had seen the scenes they describe, or had been possessed of a power of describing with equal accuracy what he had never seen. The former he cannot prove; for it is well known that Macpherson had never visited that part of Argyleshire, which contains the scenes above narrated. The latter carries with it an idea of absurdity. Those therefore, who endeavour to fix the origin of the poems of Ossian to any modern period, or ascribe their original merit to any modern bard, can do it from no other reason

than prejudice, or ignorance. It is presumed, that the above short description of Selma, &c. will excite a degree of curiosity, and serve as a leading mark to those, who may have leisure, and inclination to investigate what time has so much involved in obscurity.

Description of the Fingalian River Cona, &c. and the Banks of the River Ete, the Residence of Usnoch and his three Sons, whose story is given in Ossian's Poem of Darthula. By the Rev. Donald Macnicoll, Minister of the United Parishes of Lismore and Appin, County of Argyle.*

THE rivers Creren, Co, or Conn (the Fingalian Cona, a beautiful romantic river), the river of Coinich in Kingerloch, with those of Durror, Bailechelish, Larvel, and Laroch are the most considerable. There are foxes, badgers, and otters in Appin. In the lower parts of Appin, particularly on the Marquis of Tweedale's and Mr. Campbell of Aird's properties, there are roes in great abundance; not the she of the hart, as some of our English dictionaries falsely denominate them; for the roes have their bucks and does, as the deer have their harts and hinds. In the higher parts of Appin, a few red or mountain deer frequently appear, when they are scared or frightened from the neighbouring forest of Buachail, &c. A few deer occasionally appear in Kingerloch; but the sheep will soon banish them, as they cannot endure to pasture with them; nor are the roes fond of it. The squirrel is now become very rare, if not totally extinct, in this part of the Highlands. On the banks of the river Ete, the Fingalian Usnoch, and his three renowned sons, Naos, or Naois, Ailli, and Ardan were born, as set forth by Mr. See Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol. I. p. 485.

Macpherson. This is a piece of traditionary history well known in these countries."

Description of Inis-Connel and Inish-Eraith: the last Island is the Scene of DAURA, who was betrayed by ERATH, as recorded in Ossian's Songs of Selma: also the Scene of Cathluina, an ancient Celtic Poem of that name, translated by Dr. Smith, and "LAOI FRAOCH," or the Death of Fraoch. By the Rev. William Campbell, Minister of the Parishes of Kilchrenan and Lochavich, County of Argyle.*

"LOCHOW, with its numerous creeks and islands, covered with wood to the water edge, with many copious streams descending from the hills, forming numberless beautiful cascades, presents to the view objects well worth attention. Twelve of these islands belong to this parish. Surrounded by a cluster of other islands, lies the beautiful one of Inis-connel, with its castle. This castle, a majestic view of great antiquity, now covered over with ivy, was for several centuries the chief residence of the family of Argyle, and appears, from the nature, strength, and size of the building, to have been occupied by a powerful chieftain, whose sway and extent of territory we learn from record and tradition, to have been immense. Near Inis-connel lies Inish-Eraith, mentioned by Dr. Smith of Campbeltown, in his Au

See Stat. Account of Scotland, Vol. VI. p. 267. Kilchrenan sig nifies, in the Celtic, the burying place of Chrenan, the tutelar saint of the parish.