The Placer herald., 1860-02-18
Good Old Times in Scotland


in Scotland, like "wakes" i, Ireland, used at
one time to furnish occasion for hilarious
feasting, uproarious wassaI, and much un-
seemliness and profanity. In the former
country we are told that:
From the time the corpse was dressed till
it was laid in the grave, and sometimes for
days after that, drinking never ceased. The
grief by that time must have got very
''maudlin" The custom of those days i'm
peratvely demanded four or five rounds of
whiskev, and sometimes even more than this,
with bread and cheese and other eatabes in
proportion, even from the widow and the
fatherless in our peasant homes. A funeral
procession was frequently a very muddled
and struggling and staggering affair. The
hearse would sometimes leave the company
altogether, the horses setting off at galop,
with the driver dead drunk on the box.
On one occasion, when this was the case,
the coffin was pitched from the hearse going
down a hill! at full speed, and such was the
bleared condition of the funeral party, that
not one of them knew that such catastro.
phe had happened; and when they arrived at
the churchyard they found the hearse minus
its burden but no one could tell where it
was. 1t was only part of the procession,
however. that arrived at their destination,
for boy, now an old man, who happened
to be on the road at the time has told us in
sportsman's phrase, that he found several
lying here and there winged" on the road
side
The dying injunction of Highland SER
geant was, that every one who attended his
funeral was to be sure to get drunk before
reaching certain stream half way to- the
churchyard. 1t is needless to add that the
Injunction was most faithfully carried out.
The closing orgies were such, however, that
even the sergeant, with all bis martial char
acter and love of whiskey, could not have
anticipated. The party quarreed before
reaching the grave but on entering the bu-
rial ground the quarrel rose to its height.
Clanship, and family pride, and rivalry adj
ded fuel to the flames which whisky had
kinded, and some of the bones Of a former
occupant that lay scattered abou: the graves
mouth were used as weapons in the bloody
fray.
In certain part of the North Highlands
there was famous stone up to very recent
period, called the Mcleod Stone, as the only
men in that quarter who could move it were
few who bore that name. This stone was
great eyesore to the McKenzies, some OF
whom could bulge it a single hairs breadth
All funeral parties rested at this stone, when
the short kegs of wbiskey were again pro-
duced. If any of the McKenzies were pres
ent. the McLeod's moved the stone, and OF
course, there was quarrel. A funeral party
drew up here as usual, some years ago, but
it was found that the stone of contention
was broken to pieces An old shrewd black
smith, one of the McKenzies, dreadng re.
newal of hostiities, applied his forehammer
to it on the night before the funeral.
In the Highlands it was no uncommon
thing at burial to have several rounds in
or about the house before starting, several
on the road, when the burying was at dis,
tance another pull at the bottle in the
churcbyard, and few more applications on
returning to the house. When an innova-
ton was made upon these unseemly practices
by proposal to diminish the number Of
rounds at funerals, an old Highlandman, who
had not only been accustomed to hard drink
inc on such occasions, but also the bagpipes
left in high dudgeon, mutterlng. they may
bury the deid that like, or the deid may bury
their nansell; but I'll hae naethine tae dae
wi cauld dry burial"
Sheridan beautifully said: ''Woman gov
ern us. let us render them perfect; the more
they are unenlightened, so much more shal
we be. On the cultivation Of the mind
woman, depends the wisdom of men. 1t il
bv women that nature writes on the hearts