Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

LOCH BF.RNEUA. 269
Egyptian mummy. Which proves too much ; as Bello-
nius, who met droves of Gipseys in Egypt, says they
were strangers there, and not Egyptians. Yet Munster
asserts that they were renegado Christians from Egypt,
condemned to eternal wandering- for their apostacy.
Philip Bergoinas says they were Chaldeans; Bellonius,
Wallachians; Polydore Virgil, Syrians; ^Eneas Sylvius,
Tartars; and Ralph of Volaterra makes them Persians.
All this is probable, because it agrees so well. The names,
Zing'ari,Ziegenners,Cingari,Bohemiens, Siganos, Gitanos,
Heydenen, Egyptians, only serve to prove that there is no
want of opinions about their mysterious origin. If they
were driven out of India by Timur in 1409, what were
they doing till 1417: since Muratori, Munster, Crantz,
Ortelius, Gerebrard, and others, fix that date for their first
appearance. The two parts of the theory do not fit. As
to the Suders,the characters of the people do not even cor-
respond. But why prolong a hypothesis that no one cares
about, and no one less than you and I. When I value it
enough to write as long a book as Grellman's about it,
then you shall see " what you shall see."
I trust you are now satiated with Druidism ; and
having rendered Classernish the thesis of so long a dis-
cussion, I am willing to pass over what remains of it,
since it presents no further interest. I need only re-
mind you of what I noticed in speaking of Glen Elg, that
it contains the remains of one of the Pictish towers.
In returning by the southern border of this loch, we
attempted to get into Loch Roig, but were unable to find
the entrance, though we searched for it as you have
sometimes beat for a hare which you knew to be sitting.
This may give you an idea of the intricacy of these pas-
sages; which indeed can sometimes only be fouiid by
feeling the way along the line of the shore. Though, to
the southward of the two Bernera Islands, this sea is no