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MAC IAIN LUIM (JOHN LOM'S SON).
John Lom's son fought under Dundee at the
battle of Killiecrankie in 16S7. It is said that he
was a captain. He was killed in a duel by Donald
Donn Mac Fhir-Bhothfhiunntain, about 1690.
The duel was fought at High Bridge about eight
miles from Fort William. He was a good poet,
though of course not so famous as his father. In
fact, he had no time to become famous as he must
have been killed when comparatively a young
man. The following song was composed by him,
but owing to the fame of his father few of his
productions have been preserved :
—
" Latha Raon Ruari."
An Raon-Ruari so 'blia'nn
B' lionrahor ceann is colunn gu làr,
Mòran Ghàidheal is Ghall
Bh' air chall's an uilinn ri bàir.
'Nuair a thàinig an clann
'Nan deann an deireadh an la,
Cha b' e tilleadh gun chall
A shanntaich gillean mo ghràidh.
Bha an t-Alastair Ciar
Gu dian le 'bhrataichean ;
Ann an am del a sios
Cha b'mhiann leis f uireach 'nan deigh :
Cha bu chlaidheanih no sgiath
'Bu dion do'n ehuraidh 'bha troun ;
Co a chumadh ris strith,
'S an Righ mar spionnadh d' a sgeith ?
Is bha Dòmhnall nan Dun
Gu dlùth air uilinn a' bhàir ;
Bha 'chuid ghillean ri 'chtil,
'S cha seachnadh iad cùis le dàil :
Bha tir ghasda mo ruin
'G 'ur leanailt gu dliith mu'n sail,
Is mar bhuineadh da'n cliù,
Ri casgairt le lùths nan làmh.
There are other four verses of the above song
equally good, but as the air is not known to which
it was sung, it has not so much interest at the
present day.
DOMHNULL DONN (BROWN DONALD).
Donald MacDonald, poet and politician, commonly
called " Donald Donn," was of the house
of Bohnntin and Aberarder, a branch of the
MacDonalds of Keppoch, the second son of John
MacDonald, fourth of Bohnntin, and uncle to
Gilleasbuig of Keppoch. His mother Avas a
daughter of Cameron of Glenmailie. Donald was
not on friendly terms with his chief. Coll of
Keppoch, or " Iain Lom," whose son, as already
mentioned, he had killed in a duel. Like many
of his countrymen he was a " creachadair," or
raider, his exploits in which direction history fails
to record. There is, in fact, not very much known
about him. It seems that he was in love with a
daughter of the chief of the Grants, whose seat
was at Glenurquhart, but the Grants would not
hear of the match on account of his poverty,
though of high lineage. The poetand his lady-love
having planned an elopement, Donald to be at hand
hid himself in a cave on the north side of Lochness,
near " Reilig Ghorraidh." Here he was
to remain until Miss Grant was able to join him,
but Donald's secret and retreat were betrayed to
the brother of his love, and he was decoyed into a
house in the neighbourhood of the castle, by a
pretended message from Miss Grant. Donald,
thrown off his guard by the kindness and hospitality
of the lady's pretended confidant, was prevailed
on, not only to drink freely, but also to
sleeji in the barn. No sooner was he asleep than
his sword and target were removed by his
treacherous host, hence, when his foes came upon
him in the morning, he had no weapon but his
gun, which missed fire, so that he was literally
unarmed, on which he composed " Mile mallachd
gu bràth air a' ghunna mar arm," &c. Donald
expected that his clan would interfere and pay
his eirig f fine, but the bad terms he was on
with his chief, and Iain Lom, prevented that.
The night before his execution while in prison, he
composed the beautiful song :
'S truagh a Righ ! Mo nighean Donn,
Nach robh mi thall 'am Muile leat.
Far am faighinn iasg is sithionn fheidh,
'S cha bhiodh, a chiall, oirnn uireasaibh.
According to tradition Donald's sister was
present at his execution, and the head articulated,
after being struck oft", the words, " A Cheit tog
an ceann," " Kate, take up the head." So far as
I am aware only a few of his other songs have
been preserved. DonaldDonn was a handsome man,
a brave warrior, a good poet, and an excellent
harper. He was executed in 169L
His allusion to Mull in " 'S truagh a Righ,"
etc., was probably on account of his having
planned his elopement for that locality ; he
would be safer on an island than on the mainland.
MacLean Sinclair says that he had a son by a
girl in Sutherlandshire— "An nighean donn a
bha 'n Cataobh "—and a daughter by another
girl, and that the latter paid him a visit while in
prison, and that it was to her he addressed the
—
* See Ma,cLean Sinclair's Bards, 1411 to 1715.
of tiie Druids and was determined by the quality, or
birth of the individual. One hundred and forty cows
was the " eirig " of an Earl ; one hundred that of an
Earl's son or thane ; and sixteen of a villain or plebeian.
Tacitus tells us that the same custom prevailed among
the ancient Germans — " Luitur homicidium certo
armentorum ac pecorum numero, pars civitati pars
propinquis."