Burt's Letters from the North of Scotland: With Facsimiles of the Original Engravings, Volume 2W. Paterson, 1876 - Highlands (Scotland) |
Common terms and phrases
Account Appearance arable Land asked Battle of Glenshiels believe Brogues called carried Cattle Chalders Chief chiefly Chieftain Clan Company Country Cows Custom Danger Declivity deep Distance Dress endeavoured England English esteemed Family Feet Fire Followers Foot Ford former Letter Garrons Gentlemen give Glen Glengary Ground happened heard Heath Height Hills Horses House Hovel Inhabitants Inverness Journey Kind Laird Lakes Land landers likewise Loch Lochy Lochaber Low-Country Lowland Lowland Scots Manner mentioned Miles Mountains Natives never Night Number Oatmeal observed Occasion Officer particular passed Place Plaid poor Precipice pretty Quelt Rain relating render Rent River River Ness Road Rocks rocky Scotland Scots second Sight seen Side Side the Tweed Sight Snow sometimes Space speaking Spot steep Stones Strangers Strath suppose Tenants Thing thought tion told Town Tribe Usky Water whole Wind Woman
Popular passages
Page 119 - Highlanders in opposition to the people of the low country, whom they despise as inferior to them in courage, and believe they have a right to plunder them whenever it is in their power. This last arises from a tradition that the Lowlands in old times were the possessions of their ancestors. The chief exercises an arbitrary authority over his vassals, determines all differences and disputes that happen among them, and levies taxes upon extraordinary occasions, such as the marriage of a daughter,...
Page 38 - The Summits of the Highest are mostly destitute of Earth ; and the huge naked Rocks, being just above the Heath, produce the disagreeable Appearance of a scabbed Head...
Page 195 - The Highland Dress consists of a Bonnet made of Thrum without a Brim, a short Coat, a Waistcoat, longer by five or six Inches, short Stockings, and Brogues, or Pumps without Heels. By the way, they cut Holes in their Brogues, though new made, to let out the Water, when they have far to go and Rivers to pass : this they do to preserve their Feet from galling. Few besides Gentlemen wear the Trowze, — that is, the Breeches and Stockings all of one piece, and drawn on together ; over this Habit they...
Page 118 - And, lastly, they have an adherence to one another as Highlanders in opposition to the people of the low country, whom they despise as inferior to them in courage, and believe they have a right to plunder them whenever it is in their power. This last arises from a tradition that the Lowlands in old times were the possessions of their ancestors. The chief exercises an arbitrary authority over his vassals, determines all differences and disputes that happen among them, and levies...
Page 117 - The Highlanders are divided into tribes or clans, under chiefs or chieftains, and each clan is again divided into branches from the main stock, who have chieftains over them. These are subdivided into smaller branches of fifty or sixty men, who deduce their original from their particular chieftains, and rely upon them as their more immediate protectors and defenders.
Page 41 - But of all the views, I think the most horrid is, to look at the hills from east to west, or vice versa, for then the eye penetrates far among them, and sees more particularly their stupendous bulk, frightful irregularity, and horrid gloom, made yet more sombrous by the shades and faint reflections they communicate one to another.
Page 120 - This Power of the Chiefs is not supported by Interest, as they are Landlords, but as lineally descended from the old Patriarchs, or Fathers of the Families...
Page 225 - By God himself, and as I shall answer to God at the great day, I shall speak the truth: if I do not, may I never thrive while I live; may I go to hell and be damned when I die; may my land bear neither grass nor corn; may my wife and bairns never prosper; may my cows, calves, sheep, and lambs, all perish...
Page 73 - But I had like to have forgot a mischance that happened to me the next morning ; for rising early, and getting out of my box pretty hastily, I unluckily set my foot in the chamberpot — a hole in the ground by the bed-side, which was made to serve for that use in case of occasion.
Page 59 - ... account, it might well be called fifteen. This, except about three quarters of a mile of heathy ground, pretty free from. stones and rocks, consisted of stony moors, almost impracticable for a horse with his rider, and likewise of rocky way, where we were obliged to dismount, and sometimes climb, and otherwhile slide down.