The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-30

ries or hollows, or here and there mes
tied by the side CT mountain lochs and
rivers, where the removals" and clear
ances," like some wild mountain tempest,
annililating all their homes, that the crofteT
Of old. the crofter Of song and sto:y ana
tourists tales. may yet be- found. lie Is
grave and silent in his loneliness; but about
this child Of The mist fingers nearly all that
remains of Highland tradition. folklore, l,9l ana
picturesQueness of environment. The SIN
gle, lonely, isolated croft is too dreary 1or
winsomeneSs. But you will now and then
come upon an old 'clachan," where three or
foor, or perhaps half dozen, crofts nestle
in corrie together, are huddied under the
friendly protection of some PERCEPTIONS crag,
or are grouped like brown gypsy tents be-
meath the strong arms OF prlmeyal trees;
and here lie and customs are in many re-
spects very primitive Indeed.
The ''auld clachan," aside from so uni
versally being the hamlet-home of the
crofter, it is worthy of attention on Its own
account. The word is occasionally mis-
nomer among Scottish people themselves,
RS applied to any ancient and picturesque
hamlet of hali-score or so quaint old
houses. Clachan has more ancient aud
honorable Specification. 1t is pure Gaelic
word meaning "a circle of stones" The
clachan was the fame or place OF worship OF
the pagan Caledonians. When Christianity
was introduced The missionaries from Iona
sacred clachan. In time little cbapels, and
finally churches, followed. Houses grew up
around these, and then the tiny church.
place or hamlet itself took the name
of the spot where the old pagan rites
were once celebrated. 1t is interesting, too,
TO note Sow exactly identical is the Gaelic of
the erofter Highlander of to-day with that
of his heather ancestors OF 15o0 or POGO
years ago. Instead of asking his neighbor
IN Gaelic. Are You going TO church TO-
day ?" he will ask,
"ARE You GOING TO THE sToNEs?"
lam bhsil thu'dol DON clachan)? The
quaintest bits OF primitive architecture IN
all Scotland are to be found in these quaint
old nests. The pagan clachan is gone; the
chapels and churches-fGr they were Of the
sort iconoclast Cromwell did not like--were
long ago RACED to the ground. But if you
have the archaeological Instinct you can md
bits Of crosses, cinerary urns and saclihcial
stones huilt into house-walis, just as you viii
find at Bowness 0n-SOlWay, Roman affairs
and firsl-century Roman inscriptions iguo-
bly, set in pig-Sties and byres. \ vltrihed
fort Will often be discovered near at hand.
Huge crOmiechs ana menhirs, marking
pagan burial places, are never far away.
And there is always within, or just without,
that cleft of rock whence has trickled for
centuries tine crystal stream which in Co
lumb's days was ever blessed and sacred.
Because the clachan and croft have almost
always been inseparably connected there is
little wonder that tile crcfter ciings lovingly
TO these weird cid places; that his manner
has become subdued and grave from endless
feeding upon the Gaelic lyric OF mystic
past; or that the forgivable superstitions
and wraiths which cling about these eerie
+ spots have wrought very many fantastic
fancies within the warp and wo0f of his
spiritual nature.
There is little romance abont the crofter'S
everyday and home life. II he can make
his rent partially from his land, he tills it in
the hard old primitive way, with the rudest
OF tools: and IN Skye, the llebrideS, IN re-
mote parts of the North and here IN Shet-
land the crooked wooden spade, or earth
fork, is still to be seen. Ii he cannot he is
forced to leave tie croft to the care OF his
wife and children and turn fisherman.
Often his vile ana grown daughter leave
the croft and join the herring-curers' crews
on the coast for several months OF the sum-
mer His subsistence gained from the croft
Is always precaIi0uS; and were it not that
his wants are few he could not live at all.
His principal crops are oats and potatoes; but
often the variable nature of the climate rem
ders steady return doubtful. Often the oats
fail to rip0n. Again, when they mature, the
little crop is frequently destroyed by rain.
Potatoes of late years occasionally blight or
rot. When both the oats and potatoes fail,
actual famine comes. BY the greatest vigil
lance enough grass may be cured for the
long winter supply for the few animals; but
bright spot in all the crOfter's life, the great,
open Fireplace of his calm. Alter the cows
are MIXED in tie morning, the younger
children. accompanied by the collie dog, set
out 10 herd them, for the crofts are seldom
Enclosed. Old coats Or jackets are thrown
over their shoulders, and they listlessly
move about like bevy of automatic scare
crows, keeping the cattle or sheep within
bounds the whole day long.
DREARY, LONESOME BUSINESS THIS,
In the old days or in these days, but of late
some of the soddenness of this life is being
relieved by the books good folk have put in
the youthful herders' hands, and the winter
school is gradually opening new world to
their eager, childish eyes.
1t is customary where there are only one
or two beaststo ''tether" them with chain
or rope. The horse or ''sheitie." if the
crofter has one, is also "hobbIed" Some
times half dozen sheep VIII be tethered by
day and put into the sheep-cot at night
Such croft sheep are universally called pets.
The world has heard OF the famous pet
deer-stalker W. l.. Winans, who controls
game preserve of over 100000 acres, ana the
shoemaker of Kintail. 1hs shnemakcr's
only lamb strayed from the highway, tres
passed on the great mans acres, was
bounced upon ami slaughtered by a game
keeper; and finally caused an action at law
that agitated the whole of Great Britain and
became the subject of many an eloquent
outburst in and out of the House of Com
mons. The crOfter's home is often sod hut
with a sod thatch. More frequently it con-
siSts OF four low walls OF apparently un-
cemented stones, with tEatch of straw or
fir-brancheS and straw, held in its place by
stones anchored from the caves By straw
ropes. The structure usually incioses but
one room. There is low, wide door, per-
hapS window or two, but in some cases
only "boal," or square aperture for adj
hitting light and air, will be found. 4 bunk
answers for a bed for the old folks. The
children are disposed OF in the lott. A few
rude benches or square blocks of stone near
the fireplace answer for seats. A spinning
wheel, here and there hand-loom, more
or less fishing-gear, some iron pots, a
little earthenware, and often the square
wooden drnking-cupS, or "mether5 of
the ancient Gaels VIII be found. few Of
the more fortunate crofters may possess a
but and ben" house, that is. house with
two rooms, when "ganein' but" or ben"
is the aristOcratic possibility. The crofter's
food almost universally comprises p0rridge
and milk, and perhaps bread and tea, for
breakfast. At dinner he may have ban
mock Of rye with an egg. The supper will
be the breakfast repeated without tea
and potatoes. He is a total stranger to fruit,
as We know it, though there are sometimes
few wild mounta n berries to be got. He
is utterly devoid of amasements. The old
Highland games have entirely disappeared
IN the Highlands. In the old days the
"celidh" pronounced galley or gossip
ing party, occupied the lcng winter even
lngs. ltlingers still where the elergy's sharp
eyes do not too often come; and in it are
whisperngly preserved all the old tales of
sweeter folklore Of this tender-hearted.
long-sufferiug. hospitable, hopeless people.
Copy1fglt.+ EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
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