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^56fUE CELTIC MAGAZINfi.RET^rXANTS OF GAELIC POETEY.No. II.John Mackenzie, iu his large and interesting compilation— "The Beautiesof Gaelic Poetry," has scarcely done justice to Lachlan ]\Iacpherson ofStrathmashie, in assigning so small a space to his poems. Altogether Mackenziehas only published four Avhich he attributes to jMr IMacpherson.The first of these, an elegy on Cluny Macpherson, the faithful friend andcompanion of Prince Charles Edward, he errs, we believe, in ascribing toStrathmashie. The reputed author of it was 3Iac Dhonnchaidh, a nativeof Badenoch, who composed several pieces of some poetical merit, one ofthem |an elegy on Strathmashie himself. The style of the compositionfavours the traditional report as regards the authorship.Besides the poems published in Mackenzie's collection, and three orfour to which he refers in a foot-note, but which he has not published,there are several others of ^Mr ]\Iacphcrson's compositions which havecome down to us by oral recitation, some of them of considerable length,and all of them bearing tlie impress of genuine poetry. Among these isthe one we now subjoin.Loch Laggan was within a few miles of the poet's residence. Thatfine inland fresh-water lake had then, as it still has, abundance of naturalwood growing on the adjacent hills along its sides, both north and south.Desirous to have a quantity of timber conveyed along the lake IMacphersonemployed men to construct a raft or float for the purpose. Anuntoward accident, connected with the preparation of the raft, gaveoccasion to the humorous poem, the contents of which arc substantiallyas follows :The raft in course of being constructed, is suddenly driven away fromthe shore by a gust of wind, having one of Strathmashie's men upon it atthe time. The poet, taken by surprise, endeavours to reach the raft, butis held back by Malcolm, one of his men, who dissuades him from thedangerous attemjit, declaring that tlie loss of one man by drowning is(piite enough. Another man asks for a horse that he may go out on theloch, having hold of the horse's tail, in pursuit of the mariner who is afloat.Malcolm, to whom application is made, refuses the loan of his horse, a piebaldanimal, for the proposed enterprise. The people residing in theneighbourhood having been apprised of the occurrence, some of themexpress their concern for him who is afloat ; others imagining that a tradingvessel had found its way to the lake, hope to be supplied with certaincommodities of which they are in need. Towards the evening tradesmen,with a variety of tools in their possession, are cmploye