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25G Gaelic Society of Inverness.
This is tlio last referonco I find to tlic case in the records of
the Presbytery. Tlie poor old minister stuck to his charge till
April 17 20, when, after a stormy career of tifty-four years in the
parish, death gave the svinimons against which there is no ai>peal.
Let us hoj»e that the last four years of his life, during which the
records are quiet regarding him, were really a period of peace and
comfort to him. His death, however, did not bring about the
anticipated peace in the parish ; for, when the Rev. Lachlan Shaw
of Cawdor (the historian of the Province of Moray), went to declare
the church vacant on 22nd May 1726, he had to report to the
Presbytery " that he found great numbers, some in the churchyard,
others in the open tields, with the kirk door locked, the key
carried ofl', and could not be found ; while the people liehaved so
rudely that he could not worship in the churchyard without being
disturbed by them ; and so returned home." Long after his death
the memory of kind INIr Michael remained green in the parish ; and
it is only by his enthusiasm in the cause of Episcopacy, and his
gi-eat influence over his people, that we can account foi- the fact
that, contrary to the rule in other j)arts of the Highlands, from
his time until now Strathnairn has not been without a consider-
able number of native Gaelic-speaking Episcopalians within its
bounds
Mr Eraser not only " limned and painted," but he also made
a small venture in literature, by publishing a sermon on " Christ's
Kingdom." Of his six sons and five daughters, one son— Robert
— took to the sea, and on l)oard the war ship " Pearle " fought
for that King for whom his father refused to pray.
17TII March 1886.
On this date Dr Ogilvie Crant, Inverness, was elected an ordinary
member of the Society ; and after transacting some routine
business, Mr John Macdonald, supervisoi-, Dingwall, read the following
pajtf-r on
SMUG(4LTNG IN THE HIGHLANDS.
The oi'igin of distillation is surrounded by doubt and unceitainty,
like the origin of many other imjiortant inventions and
tliscoveries. Tradition ascrib(!s it to Osiris, the great god, and,
])eili;ips, the first King of Egypt, who is snid to have reclaimed
the l'^gy})tians fi-om barbarism, and to have tauglit tlie?ii agriculture
itnil vaiious arts and sciences. Wiiether tiie tradition be true or