SCOTLAND.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 608, 11 February 1852, Page 3

SCOTLAND.

The Gathering of the High la yd Clans. — The gathering of clans in olden times was a u great fact" in the national history of Scotland. From the time the Earl of Marr raised the standaul of rebellion in 1715, almost within gun-shot of where Victoria now has her Highland home, down to the fatal battle of Culloden, the Highland clans were mustered in strong force when the signal was passed through the glens. Nowadays we have a " gathering" once a year in the "country of Marr," but the signal to rally is the olive branch, and the clansmen muster to show off their Highland dress, and disport themselves in haimless Highland games. The gathering of 1851 was a grand affair. Yesterday week, at early dawn, crowds of pedestrians were to be seen wending their way to Castleton, most of them wearing the Highland diess. By nine o'clock all sorts of conveyances, from the ricketty cart to the splendid barouche, weie aniving in the village, and groups of the people were congiegated at different points, some dancing to the music of the bagpipe, and some trying their hands at the caber or the stone. About noon the Duff Highlanders passed through the village, splendidly dressed in their clan tartans, and handsomely accoutred for the sports of the day. They were followed by the Duke of Leeds' retainers, a fine body of men, headed by their Duke as their chief, in splendid costume. Then came the men of Atholl, the Queen's body guard in Scotland, led on by the Duke of Atholl, and marching with music and banners. The clan Faiquharson mustered strongly, and in their elegant taitans were greatly admired. They were headed by their chief, Mr. Farquharson, of Invercauld. The place chosen for the games was a spacious lawn in the park, in front of the old castle of Marr — once the hunting lodge of Malcolm Canmore. Here the clans formed into three sides of a square, each clan having its standard bearer in position and its piper ready for the dance. The rear of the clans was flanked by the carriages of the aristocracy who are now in the district, and multitudes of the people who had gathered to witness the games. At one o'clock the teirnce of the castle presented a brilliant display of beauty and fashion. The Queen and Prince Albeit sent a donation of £"25 towards the pnzes for the games, but the Court being in mourning, did not honor the gathering with a visit. The games began about two o'clock, and for two hours the Highlanders distinguished themselves by strength of arm and agility of limb. A stone of 14 Ib 3. weight was bowled as many yards with ease ; a hammer of 16 lbs. weight was thrown 69 feet 11 inches ; a pole or tree, 15 feet high by 6 inches in diameter, called the " caber,' 1 was poised with little effort and was tossed right end over end ; reels, Sralhspeys, the sword and other dances, were danced as none but the Highlanders here can dance them, and a foot race of 1,400 yards was contested by a dozen of Gillies, the winner going over the ground in five and a half minutes. Formerly the foot race was upon a steep hill, but the Queen having, with her usual consideration, suggested that this was rather a dangerous game, the stewards abandoned it for a race in the park, which was a most exciting scene. The games being nearly over, a large party had luncheon in the Castle, which was tastefully decked with evergreens, monograms of the Queen and Prince Albert being interwoven with festoons of heather-bell, the thistle) and the rose. Here also a ball was held at night, where the peer and the peasant mingled in joyous harmony; and thus concluded the gathering of the clans in the " country of Marr" for the year 1851. Commercial Law of England and Scotland. — A deputation has been appointed by a society in London to proceed to Scotland for the purpose of communicating with the public bodies here, as to the best means of assimilating the commercial law of England and Scotland, and the inconveniences occasioned by the difference in the law of the two countries, especially relating to the warranty of goods, and the procedure for the recovery of debts ; and it is thought the Scotch system of summary diligence should be adopted in England. Death of one of Burns' Heroines. — A Glasgow contemporary records the death of one of the six "jMauchline belles," on whom Burns confers the fame of his verse. Mrs. Fmdlay, relict of Mr. Robert Findlay, of the Excise, Greenock, was one of the very few persons, surviving to our times, who intimately knew the peasant bard in the first flush of his genius and manhood, and by whom her name and charms have been wedded to immortal verse. When we consider that 65 years have elapsed since Burns wrote the lines in which this lady is noticed, and that the six Mauchline belles were then in the pride of opening womanhood, it is surprising that two of them, who have often listened to the living accents of the inspired peasant, still survive. The fate in life of the six belles was as follows: — Miss Helen Miller, the first named became the wife of Burns's friend, Dr. Mackenzie, a medical gentleman in Mauchline, latterly in Irvine ; Miss Maryland we have already spoken of; Miss Jenn Smith was married to Mr. Candlish, a successful teacher in Edinburgh, and became the mother of the eminent divine ; Miss Belsy (Miller) became the wife of Mr. Templeton, in Mauchline ; and Miss Morton mairied Mr. Paterson, cloth merchant, in the same village. Of the fate and history of " Bonnie Jenn" (Armour) we need not speak. The survivors are Mrs. Patterson and Mrs Candlisb. — Scottish Pres\. Thd Widow or tut Ettuick Siiipherd. — Every one must be gratified with the mark of respect shown to the talents of our countryman, Professor Wilson, the celebrated Christopher North of Blaclu-oocVs Magazine, by the recent bestowal of a pension on him by her Majesty. It is, however, not generally known, that the widow of the Ettrick Shepherd has but very slender means of support since the death of her husband, and that these means have been still further reduced by the expenses consequent upon the education of her family, so that her income of late years, irrespective of souices on which she could not rely, and of which in pait she had been deprived, has been quita inadequate for her comfortable suppoit. We believe that tins requires only to be known in the right quarter to be remedied, and we trust that Scotland, vrhioh has been so often taunted with having allowed her groat national poet, Burns, to starve, will not be reproached nlso with having neglected the family of him who has always been considered Burns' most eminent successor. — Edinburgh Advet ther. Paisley Fnrc Cnuncii of PnESKYTi.nY. — Drinking Toa3is. — At the meeting of the Free Chuich Presbyteiy of Paisley on Wednesday week, Dr. M'Farlan pioposed the motion of which ho had given notice at a previous meeting, to the effect : — " That the drinking of healths or toasts in connection with religious ortU-

nsincus was inexpedient, and as such, condemned bv the wntings and example of the Apostle Paul, and should be discontinued within this Presbytery." In supporting this molion, the Rev. Doctor said it did not assume that the drinking of toasts was altogether unlawful, still less the chinking of intoxicating: liquois. lie founded his objections to thr> drinking 1 of healths upon passages in the Epistle of Paul to (he Romans and Coiinthians. Society required to be purged of this evil; for it was melancholy to think that there was not an event during life from the birth to the death, but that the drinking' of intoxicating liquois was part of the ceremony. The rites of Baptism and the Lord's Supper had too often been disgraced by scenes of drunkenness, and, under these circumstances, he considered they ought to unite in discouraging drinking usages among the people. Mr. M'lntyre seconded the motion. Tiie Rev. John Thomson could not coincide with this motion lie had no desire to advocate tho absurd and foolish piactice of drinking healths ; but at the same time he did not consider it a subject upon which the Presbytery ought to legislate. He did not consider the dinner was a part of the ordination, ceremony. There was no connexion between them, and it was going beyond the province of the Piesbytery to interfere in the matter. It would also interfere with the liberty of the members of Presbytery when called beyond their bounds, as it would then be necessary to leave the room. He moved an amendment, that the matter do not form part of Presbyterial proceedings ; that there was no greater reason for attempting authotitively to regulate the private conduct, or to interfere with the individual liberty of the members, in drinking toasts, than in any other particular ; and that the Presbytery should not entertain the motion. Tho amendment was not seconded. Several members of the Piesbytery having 1 objected to tbe phrase '* on the authority of the Apostle Paul," Dr. M'Farlan agreed to expunge it. The motion was then carried, Mr. Thompson dissenting. The first case tried in Scotland under tbe Mercantile Marine Act came before the SherifFCourtof Edinburgh on the 17th of September. Sixteen men and a boy were charged with disobedience and neglect of duty. They had formed part of the crew of the Herefordshire, which has brought home the 79th Regiment from Quebec. On a preceding voyage from Gibraltar to Barbadoes and thence to Quebec, they had made complaints about the provisions and the lime-juice, supplied to them ; two men were disobedient, and one was sentenced at Quebec to four months' imprisonment. The present prisoners complained of the lime-juice to the Magistrates there; but the complaint was dismissed. They then refused to work the ship ; and the master had to take fourteen new hands on board. He put tbo mutineers on bread and water, with meat twice a week, during the voyage, and did not ask them to work. The Sheriff now considered that the case against the prisoners was fully made out ; and sentenced the men to be incarcerated for eight weeks, and the boy for six.