resemblance between the river Tyne and Tinmore, rushed to the conclusion that he had made a discovery.

THE DATE OF BATTLE.

The second mistake which I shall briefly notice is the date of this battle (fixed on the recent Government survey maps). I can easily conceive how the surveyors have dated these battles the eleventh instead of the tenth century.

Having had some conversation on this subject with Mr. Lyon, R.E., the head of the Surveying Department in that locality, in 1863, I clearly understood that he placed much reliance on the account supplied in 1790-91 by the Rev. John MacKinnon, parish minister of Kilmodan, to Sir John Sinclair, for his ecclesiastical statistics. I have no doubt that Mr. Lyon recommended this evidence to his superiors, and that the dates inferred had been adopted accordingly.

Mr. MacKinnon's statement on this event is as follows:"The most ancient name of this parish is Gleann-du-uisg, signifying the glen of black water. Afterwards a battle was fought by Meckan, the son of Magnus, king of Norway, and the Albuins or Gail, when it is said the Norwegians were slaughtered on each side of the river Ruail, which runs through the middle of the Glen; and their bodies being thrown into the river gave the colour of blood to it. Hence the parish got the name of Glendaruel, and the river the name of Ruel, which signifies The Glen-of-red-blood." "

With two exceptions, the above description is still exactly the tradition in the locality. These exceptions are the names Meckan and Norwegians. The Norwegians are not known by that name to the natives of Cowal. The only name by which the northern invaders are known, whether Danes or Norwegians, is by that of Lochannaich, which means either; and as to Magnus, king of Norway, on whose name really hangs this date, he is

well known in history, having subdued the Orkney Islands about the end of the eleventh century.-(Chal. Cal., Vol. I., p. 342).—Also, the Hebrides, and made some plundering expeditions to Ireland—(Ib., Vol. I., pp. 615-616)-but that he invaded the mainland of Argyleshire is without any foundation, not even Kintyre, which latter it is alleged he had secured by treaty from Malcolm Canmore in the following manner:-That all the islands he could sail round about were to be his own, and in order to include the peninsula of Kintyre with the rest of the islands, he caused his galley to be dragged across the isthmus at Tarbert, while he sat at the helm. Chalmers says, regarding this affair: "The tale is altogether unworthy of any writer who regards fact more than fiction."-Cal., Vol. I., p. 605, f.n.)

As to Meckan, the son of Magnus, who is thus immortalised in the history of Cowal, his name never appears in any document prior to Mr. MacKinnon's statistics. It appears to be a local topographical blunder. The name of the place is spoken of under two forms in the Gaelic language, namely, Uamh-bhara-mheacan, and Rudh-bhar-a-mheacan. Bar-a-mheacan is made up of two Gaelic words-bar, the top a conical hill or any eminence; and meacan, the root of a tree or that of an esculent plant. On the face of this conical hill there is a rude stone cist. When the name is associated with this grave it takes the form of uaigh-bhar-a-mheacan, or the grave on the conical hill abounding with roots. This is literally the case at the present day. Around the hill or promontory the roots of the trees are beautifully interlaced over the surface of the rocks. Such topographical errors are not rare in this locality: Lochruel, which derives its name from the famous battle in question is printed on Government charts as Lochridden-a silly translation which is neither Gaelic nor English. Again, we have Ellan Greg, Allan Greg, and Ealan Gheirig, a place famous in history, being the rendezvous of Argyle when he invaded Scotland in 1685.

The real name of the island is Eilean Dearg, or Red Island, in contradistinction to the Black Island of Caladh, on the opposite side of the loch. But the name of old, being associated with its castle, was Caisteal-an-Eilean-Dheirg, or The Castle of the Red Island.* Eilean-Dheirg was stupidly converted into Ellan Greg. I have no doubt the name Meckan was produced in the same way, hence the mistake of founding the date of the battle on his name.

SUBSTITUTION OF PERSONS FOR PLACES.

The third and grand mistake, and that in which antiquarians have generally erred, is in their supposing that the battle fields in Cowal derive their names from some of the leaders of this invasion.

I shall here again refer to the order of battle. The Annals of Ulster, in B.M., says: "The Gentiles divided themselves into four battles, or battalions, viz., one by Godfrey O'Ivar, another by two Earls, the third by the young lords, and the fourth by Rannall MacBiolach, who lay in ambuscade, that the Scots did not see; but the Scots overthrew the three battalions, they saw that they had a great slaughter of them round Otter and Gragava." Some antiquarians have supposed that the above nameless earls must have been called Otter and Gragava, consequently they have called them so, rendering this link of history a perfect enigma.

Dr. Skene, in what he calls a collated copy of the Annals of Ulster, has the names of Otter and Gragabai introduced into the text. (Chronicles of the Picts and Scots.) His version begins thus: "The Galls of Lochdacaech expelled from Erin, namely, Ranald, king of Dubhgalls, and the two earls, Otter and Gragabai, &c." This explanation has evidently been foisted into

Appendix B.

the text, and that by a late scribe, who did not understand the subject, as I shall briefly show.

Firstly. The Galls were not not expelled from Erin, but deliberately prepared to invade Scotland, and this on a large scale. Skene's version further on shows this. It says: "That the men of Alban, with the assistance of the northern Saxons, had time to make a corresponding preparation to resist them."

Secondly. Reginald by nationality was a Fingal or Dane, and not a Dubhgall or Norwegian; and since the accession of his dynasty to pre-eminence in 853, the Norwegians, though united with were subject to the Danes till 948.

Thirdly. It may be inquired if each of the four divisions was severally led as alleged by Reginald, Godfrey, Otter, and Gragabai. What became of the division commanded by the young lords or chieftains. The Annals of Ulster assert that these chieftains commanded the third division. The order was, "the Gentiles divided themselves into four battles:

One by Godfrey O'Ivar.

Another by the two Earls.

The third by the young lords.

The fourth by Rannal MacBiolach."

Fourthly. Skene, in his version, gives the paragraph in Irish Gaelic, which reads thus: "Roinis re ferib Alban fors na tri catha ad concadar corolsat ar n-dimar do na Gentib im Ottir acus im Gragabai," which he translates:-The three battalions which they saw were routed by the men of Alban, and there was a great slaughter of the Gentiles round Otter and Gragabai. I have submitted this passage to a competent Irish scholar, who has no doubt whatever that "im Ottir acus im Gragabai" were intended for places and not persons. Admitting this we have a simple · key that opens the door to solve this tangled problem.

I shall immediately endeavour to show that the Otter and Gragava referred to are none else than the districts of Otter on

Lochfyneside and the farm of Garvie or Garbh-amhain in Glendaruel, the places where the men of Alban encountered the Danes. Otter, variously spelled Oitir, Ottir, and Ottar, is a name derived from its peculiar sandbank, whereas Garvie or Garbh-amhain is descriptive of its rocky river, and is spelled in old Annals, Gragava, Cracava, Gragabai, Gragaban, &c., all of which are imitations of the sound.

Section III.

I shall now submit local evidence-both the traditions and landmarks in the district of Cowal-bearing on these memorable battles, which corroborates the evidence of the Irish Annals.

The Danish invaders, on leaving Lochdacaech, formed their fleet into four divisions; Godfrey, the brother of Reginald, led the van, followed respectively by the divisions of the jarls and chieftains, while Reginald himself brought up the rear or reserve, and conducted the expedition to the fatal shore of Lochfyne in Cowal. (Chalmers' Cal., Vol. I., p. 386, f.n.)

It appears that Constantine was well aware where the invaders intended to land, for the Annals of Ulster says: "The men of Alban, with the assistance of the northern Saxons prepared before them." The most direct way for Constantine and his allies to march against the foe was through Menteith and Lennox to the upper parts of Glendaruel. This line of march had its difficulties, but it had its safeguards also. Constantine was well aware of the superiority of the Danish fleet over his own (if he had any), and it was his wisdom to avoid it, and he knew also, if he and his allies were defeated, they could fall back on their natural defiles, where the enemy could not follow them. with impunity. Constantine appears to have fixed his head