The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER 243
panegyric of the defunct, every period being confirmed by a yell
of the coronach. The body was committed to the earth, the pipers
playing a pibroch all the time; and all the company standing un-
covered. The ceremony was closed with the discharge of pistols;
then we returned to the castle, resumed the bottle, and by midnight
there was not a sober person in the family, the females excepted.
The ’squire and I were, with some difficulty, permitted to retire
with our landlord in the evening; but our entertainer was a little
chagrined at our retreat; and afterwards seemed to think it a dis-
paragement to his family, that not above a hundred gallons of
whisky had been drank upon such a solemn occasion. This morning
we got up by four, to hunt the roebuck, and, in an half an hour,
found breakfast ready served in the hall. The hunters consisted of
Sir George Colquhoun and me, as strangers, (my uncle not chusing
to be of the party) of the laird in person, the laird’s brother, the laird’s
brother’s son, the laird’s sister’s son, the laird’s father’s brother’s son,
and all their foster brothers, who are counted parcel of the family:
but we were attended by an infinite number of Gaellys, or ragged
Highlanders, without shoes or stockings.
The following articles formed our morning’s repast: one kit of
boiled eggs; a second, full of butter; a third, full of cream; an
entire cheese, made of goat’s milk; a large earthen pot full of
honey; the best part of a ham; a cold venison pasty; a bushel of
oatmeal, made in thin cakes and bannocks, with a small wheaten
loaf in the middle for the strangers; a large stone bottle full of
whisky, another of brandy, and a kilderkin of ale. There was a laddle
chained to the cream kit, with curious wooden bickers to be filled
from this reservoir. The spirits were drank out of a silver quaff, and
the ale out of horns: great justice was done to the collation by the
guests in general; one of them in particular ate above two dozen
of hard eggs, with a proportionable quantity of bread, butter, and
honey; nor was one drop of liquor left upon the board. Finally, a
large roll of tobacco was presented by way of desert, and every
individual took a comfortable quid, to prevent the bad effects of
the morning air. We had a fine chace over the mountains, after a
roebuck, which we killed, and I got home time enough to drink tea
with Mrs. Campbell and our ’squire. To-morrow we shall set out
on our return for Cameron. We propose to cross the Frith of Clyde,
and take the towns of Greenock and Port-Glasgow in our way. This
circuit being finished, we shall turn our faces to the south, and