The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-04 00:00:00

THE HIGHLANDERS AND THE BOAR

" The following tale has lately acquired interest,
from being skilfully employed' to point a moral' on
a great public question. It is an admirable story
besides. This edition, which appeared twenty
years ago, was attributed at the time to Sir Walter
Scott, who gave it to the Spy. It is more • likely
to have been written by the editor of that ingenious
miscellany, Mr. James Hogg.
" On the banks of the Albany river, which falls
into Hudson's Bay, there is, amongst others, a
small colony settled, which is mostly made up of
emigrants from the Highlands of Scotland. Though
•he soil of the valleys contiguous to the river is
exceedingly rich and fertile, yet the winter being
so long and severe, these people do not labour too
incessantly in agriculture, but depend, for the most
part, upon their skiill in hunting and fishing, for
their subsistence, there being commonly abundance
of both game and fish.
" Two young kinsmen, both illacdonalds, went
out one day into these boundless woods to hunt,
each of them armed with a well-charged gun in his
huid, and a skene-dhu, or Highland dirk, by his
side. They shaped their course towards a small
stream, which descends from the mountains to the
N.W. of the river; on the banks of which they
knew there were still a few wild swine remaining;
and of all other creatures, they wished most to meet
with one of them, little doubting but that they would
overcome even a pair of them, if chance would di-
rect them to their lurking places, though they were
reported to be so remarkable both for their strength
and ferocity. They were not at all successful,
having neglected the common game in searching for
these animals; and a little before sunset they re-
turned homeward, without having shot anything
save one wild turkey. But when they least ex-
pected it, to their infinite joy, they discovered a
deep ?it, or cavern, which contained a large litter
of fine half-grown pigs, and none of the old ones
with them. This was a prize indeed : so, without
losing a moment, Donald said to the other," Mark,
you pe te li•tles, man, creep you in and durk te
little sows, and I'll pe keeping vatch at te toor."
Mack complied without hesitation—gave ins gun
to Donald—unsheathed his skene dhu, and crept
into the cave head foremost; but of er he was all
out o sight save the brogues, he stopped short, and
called back—' But, Lord, Tonald, pe shoor to keep
ou te ould %NAAS.' Ton't you be fearing tat, man,'
said Donald.

" The cave was deep, but there was abundance
of room in the farther end, where Mack, with his
sharp skette-dhu, now commenced the work of
death. He was scarcely well begun, when Rica
perceived a monstrous wild boar advancing upon
him, roaring and grinding his tusks, while the fire of
rage gleamed from his eyes. Donald sa d not a
word for fear of alarming his friend, beside, the
savage was so hard upon him ere ever he was aware,
he scarcely had time for anything; so setting
self firm, and cocking his gun, he took his aim ; but,
that the shot might prove more certain death, he
suffered the boar to come wi hiti a few paces of him,
before he ventured to fire ; he at last drew the fatal
trigger, expecting to blow out his eyes, brains, and
all. Merciful Heaven !—the gun missed fie, or
flashed in the pan—l am not sure which. There
was no time to lose—Donald dashed the piece in the
animal's face, turned his back, and fled with preci-
pitation. The boar pursued him only for a short
space, for having heard the cries of his suffering
young ones, as he passed the mouth of the den, he
hastened back to their rescue. Most men would
have given all up for lost—it was not so
with Donald—Mack's life was at stake. As
soon as he observed the monster return from
pursuing him, Donald faced about and pursued
him in his turn; but, .having before this, from
the horror of being all torn to pieces, run rather too
far without looking back, the boar had by that over-
sight got considerably a-head of him. Donald
strained every nerve, uttered some piercing cries,
and even for all his haste did not forget to implore
assistance from Heaven. His prayer was short but
pithy-4 0 Lord I puir Mack ! puir Mack!' said
Donald, in a loud voice, while the tears gushed from
his eyes. In spite of all his efforts, the enraged
animal reached the mouth of the den before him,
and entered ! It was, however, too narrow for him
to walk in on all-fours; he was obliged to drag
himself in as Mack had done before, and, of course,
his hind legs lost their hold of the ground. At this
important crisis Donald overtook him, laid hold of
his large long tail, wrapped it around both his hands
set his feet to the bank, and held back in the utmost
desperation.
" Mack, who was all unconscious of what was
going on above ground, wondered what way be
came to be involved in utter darkness in a moment.

lie waited a little while, thinking that Donald was
only playing a trick upon him, but the most profound
obscurity still continuing, he at length bawled our,
' Tonald, man, Tonald—phat is that'll aye pe
stopping te light ?' Donald was too much engaged
and too breathless to think of making any reply to
Mack's impertinent question, till the latter having
waited in vain a considerable time for an answer, re-
peated it in a louder cry. Donal►l's famous laconic
answer, which, perhaps, never was, nor ever will be
equalled, has often been heard of—' Tonald, man,
Tonald—phat is it that'll aye pe stopping te light ?'
bel owed Mack. Should te tail braik you'll fin'
tat,' said Dunald, coolly.

" Donald continued the struggle, and soon began
to entertain hopes of ultimate success. When the
boar pulled to get in, Donald held back,and when he

struggle,! to get b4ck again, Donald set his shoulder
to his large buttock: and pushed him in, and in this
position he kept him until he got an opportunity of
giving him some deadly stab: with his skene-dhu,
behind the short ribs, which soon terminated his
existence.

" Our two young friends by this adventure rea-
ized a valuable prize, arid secured so much excel-

lent food that it took them several days to get it
conveyed home. During the long winter nights,
while the family were regaling themselves on the
name of the great wild boar, often was the above
►ale related, and as often applauded, and laughed at."

BURNING SPRINGS.—Ten miles south of
Fort Plain on the Erie Canal, 42 miles west of Shenec-
tady, there is a spring of water which has all the appear-
,nce of a stream of living fire, even by day-light. The
flumes are caused by the evolution from the water of large
quantities of sulphurated hydrogen gas, which instantly
ignites on coming into cont ict with the open air. There
is a similar spring on the Canada side of the Niagara.
STRUCTURE OF COAL.—At one of the late
monthly meetings of the Newcastle Natural History So-
ciety, Mr. Hutton read an excellent paper entitled " Ob.
serva'ions on Coll and the Evolutions of Gil in Coal
Mines," in which he showed that all the varieties of coal,
when reduced to thin slices, and examined by the aid of
the microscope, exhibit the remains of the fine tissue of
the vegetables of which they are composed. In the cannel
parrot and splint coals, which are all destitive of crystalline
"tructure, the vegetable texture exists throughout the
whole mass ; it also occurs. but in I as quantity, in fine
cutting coal. The third variety of bituminous coal (the
slate coal of Jameson), of which the bulk of many coal
fields consists, being formed of the two kinds already
named, in thin al ernate layers, of course exhibits the
characters of both. It was lurther shown that all bitu-
,„inous coals have interspersed in their mass elongated tubes,
which appear to have once been circular cavities, and to
have been altered in form by perp ndicular pressure. These
Are now filled with a beautiful transparent wine yellow
coloured r:sen, which is easily volatiAzA by heat. Be-
sides what are already mentioned, coal contains a system
of open cavities of a circular farm, having exh a small
oellet of carbon in the centre. These cavities occur in
groups, and have communication with each other ; and
in them it is conceived the mechanically-entangled gas
which is involved in our coal mines in such astonishing
tOree and quantity, and often with such fatal results, had
been imprisoned, in a highly condensed, perhaps even in
a liquid state, and from which it is released by the work-
ing of the mine. From an examination of the nature of
coal, and the circumstances under which it occurs, it
was inferred, not only that all coals were of vegetable
origin, but that the nifferences in their nature arise born
an original difference in the nature of the plants of which
they are composed.