The San Francisco call., 1895-11-01
A HIGHLAND DANCE AT BALmoRAL.

After days successful deer shooting one OF
the sights of the season al Balmoral or Aber.
geldie Castle, but chiefly at the latter, is O
deer dance, wherein the deer do not dance, but
lie 1mpassive and dead enough. head and tail,
in numbers OF two, three or more, at the chief
entrance. After the royal dinner-and the
darker the night the better-long heavy
torches. called 'sownacks," )" made of splints OF
dry bog fir bound together with green brchen
withes, are lighted and held aloft by number
of stalwart Killed Highlanders, a piper or two,
splendidly radiant in tartan and silver, strike
up march, and the royal sportsmen, accom-
panied by all the princesses, ladies and gentle
men OF their suite, come into the lurid circle
to view the trophies of the day. After inspec-
tlon and remarks torch is handed
to each of the princes, invariably
dressed in full Highland costume, four or
more OF whom take their places at the
head OF a long line OF jagers keepers, foresters
ana glllles, each with flaming torch, to dance
a reel The piper manipulates q strathspey
ana reel from his drones and nhanter, and all
1oot the light fantastic Highland fling, with
Whoops and yells and wild hurrahs. To the
9ulek ppisations 1..a OF moneymusk and hulachan,
| tartan kits and plaids, brawny limbs and
leWeled belts and dirks, fleet and whirl in wild
yet measured confusion beneath the lines OF
| m smcinf1llating tame. But the powers OF muscle
| and lung soon flag on the duh gravelly surface
| that serves Tor dancing-fioor. A bonfire is
mace OF the ''Sownack' stumpS, amid chorus
| VI CIlceIS tUdI T6SOunu lar t0rOugl the dark
welk1n. Jinghng glasses are charged with the
strong wine" OF the country, and emptied to
toasts, by the dancers; then royalty seeks its
@eea;chamber, ped the great clock overhead chimes
| forth some hour near midnight, and the grand
| spectacular display is over-for a night.
All the royal family are fond OF dancing, and
among the "eyents" of their sojourn in the
Highlands, balls to which tenantry and SER
wants are all invited, have held prominent
| place. AS might be expected, life is gayer at
A6ergeldie than at Balmoral At these balls
| ct a
| one fiat is "dance, which the Highlanders are
not slow to do Their dancing is characterized
by much vigorous leaping, kicking, swinging,
| "woochs'
Another occasion of merrymaking that comes
win oirthdayllke regularity is the great Scot
| tlsh festal night OF Halloween, celebrated on
the 31st OF October of each year. The mystic
rites OF that evening, so graphically portrayed
py burns, are somewhat in abeyance at Bal
moral, but instead the Highland custom of
robblng wltch-spells of their terrors through
the cleansing agency of fire may here be wit
messed In all its pristine glory. Blazing ''sow-
nacks, carried round the castle literally in
hundreds after sunset, constitute the purifying
media, and form, especially at distance a
sight that must be seen to be fully appreci-
ated.
All these amusements are varied by the at
tendance OF tirst-class concert and dramatic
companies: There is no monotony. The tone
| ofeyeryth1ng said and done, grave as well as
gay, is decidedly healthy. Life goes ''merry as
marriage bell whose chimes bring to rec
objection the fact that Balmoral has ever
afforded idyllic facilities for courtship Be-
sides the Imperial Prince of Germany, here the
Grand Duke of Hesse and the Marquis of Lorne
Wooed and won their brides In each case
there was fer more wooing and fewer reasons
OF state" than sen timental outsiders are in the
habit OF believing.
Royalty in its free, unassuming and joyous
intercourse with the Highland character OF
proverbial independence meets with no coarse
ness OF feeling or action, no fGwning formali-
ties, no dissimulation and no distrust. The
social gap between the monarch and the peas
| ant is here bridged with a facility as graceful
as cordial, that might well be initiated by the
noble and commoner relsewhere.-From Queen
Victorias Highland Home" by ]. r, Hunter,
in Harpers Magazine for October.