The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

192 The HigJiland Monthly.
The technical character of his Gaelic work tried the
patience of the victims of his criticisms as well as of his
public audiences. Shortly after the Celtic Chair was given
to its present possessor, Dr Cameron delivered a lecture to
the Edinburgh University Celtic Society, which is one of
the largest and most influential of students' societies. His
subject was " Eclipsis," an important feature of Irish and,
to some extent, of Scotch Gaelic. Professor Mackinnon
was in the Chair, and Dr Cameron told his audience that
" Professor Mackinnon's appointment was no disappoint-
ment to him." The lecture was considerably on its way,
and Dr Cameron was for some time out of touch with his
audience, which failed to follow the technicalities of his
subject, and which, like his ordinary Sunday audience,
could not set themselves to sleep. A student audience is
no easy matter to handle at the best. The present audience
was clearly getting out of hand ; the premonitory "ruffing"
and shuffling of feet began, and continued until the lecturer
reached a crisis in his demonstration, where he triumph-
antly declared his results. A burst of applause— ironical
in reality—followed ; and Mr Cameron, mistaking the signs
of impatience for signs of approval, said, with beaming and
charming simplicity, " If you don't quite understand that
point, I will just go over it again." A burst of combined
Homeric and Nineteenth Century laughing followed this
naive statement ; the audience fairly " rolled" with amusement.
The lecturer, however, finished midst great good
humour.
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