An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

)350 THE GAEL. January, 1874.shinnsear's na diobair a bhi mar iadaan."After complimenting the chairman on hisable speech, and remarking that he hadleft nothing for him to say, as lie hadgone over the whole world in his speech,and hung a Gael on every tree, he counselledthe sons of the Gael to act asworthj' descendants of their brave andvirtuous ancestors. (Applause.)Mr. Begg, in a racy speech, complimentedthe natives of Skye. He had beenfamiliar with Highlanders from his boyhood,and from his experiance both in thiscountry and in Canada, could bear testimonyto their honesty, enei-gy, perseverance,and strong religious principle.And among all classes of Highlandersthese distinguishing characteristics were,perhaps, most observable in the nativesof the isles, and in none more sothan the natives of the Isle of Skye.Time was when the people of the Highlandshad nothing to do but tight. Thattime had past away, and now they weredevoting their energies to other andnobler pursuits, and in every part of theworld were winning fame and fortune inthe advancement of trade and commerce.(Applause.) But the brave old spiritwhich had animated their forefathers,and which had been displayed on manya hard- fought field, was still as strong asever among the Highlanders. He complimentedthe committee of managementon the whole arrangements; from theappropriate and neat bill, calling thismeeting, adorned by a noble-lookingHighlander standing proudly amongstheather and thistles, with his hand onhis claymore, to all the details whichwere the best arranged and most satisfactoryit had ever been his jjleasure to meetwith, and concluded by wishing pi-osperityand happiness to all Highlanders,and especially to the "sons and daughtersof the Isle of Mist." (Applause.)Mr. D. M 'Donald moved a cordial voteof thanks to the Soiree Committee forthe admirable nature of their arrangements,which had contributed so muchto the pleasure and hai-mony of theirannual gathering.Mr. M 'Pherson, on behalf of the committee,thanked the meeting for thehearty maimer in whicli they had respondedto the vote of thanks. He wasafraid tliat the committee hardly deservedthe praise which had l)een so lil>erallyawarded them. It was the committee'soriginal attention to have held the presentgathering in the Queen's Itooms, butcircumstances, tu which it was unnecessaryto allude, had prevented the carryingout of that project, and they were shutup either to take the Crown Halls or haveno soiree. (Hear, hear. ) He would notenter into the numerous difficulties thecommittee had to contend against, butwould simply remark that they believedthey had a right to meet with their friendsbelonging to Skye, and the friends of thepeople of Skye in Glasgow, and as one ofthe Committee it had given him thegreatest satisfaction to behold a gatheringat once so numerous and so pleasant,although he was sorry that the accomodationwas so limited for the largecompany that had assembled. Mr.M 'Pherson then alluded in touching termsto the emotions which such a gatheringas they had had that night was calculatedto aM-aken. It recalled the home of theirchildhood—the loving father who hadbeen the guide and protector of theirinfancy and youth—the tender motherwho had nursed them on her knee, andthe numerous friends with whom theyhad been accustomed to associate, someof whom were still alive, and others whohad passed away from earth. ( Applause.After all there was no place like home.( Apjjlauso. ) He felt convinced that everynative of Skye would often turn a longingeye thitherward, and particularly whenthe shadows of the evening of life weredeepening around, their hearts wouldyearn to return to the island of theirbirth. (Loud applause.)Dr. ]\I 'Donald, in a able speech, proposeda vote of thanks to the Chairman.As thej' were all a'ware, Mr. Nicolson wasthe editor of the Gael, a magazinepublished in the Gaelic language. Mr.Nicolson had established the Gael firstin Canada, where it had been jjublishedfor sometime, but afterwards he hadremoved it to Glasgow about two yearsago, where it had been published since.jNIr. Nicolson, was a genuine fi-iend of theHighlands and Highlanders, and as suchdeserved their best thanks. (Cheers.)The Chairman, who on rising to replywas greeted Avitli much cheering andwaving of hats and handkerchiefs, brieflythanked the Committee of the natives ofSkye for the honour they had conferredon him, in asking him to jireside at thisannual gathering, and the meeting forthe enthusiastic manner in which theyhad i-eceived him, the attention they hadgiven, and the good order they had preservedthroughout the evening,The musical part of the programme waaadmiral)ly sustained by Miss Galbraith,Mr. W. T. Kushbury, Mr. James Houston,and Messrs. John M'Leod, John