and, to my certain knowledge, they were so big and high, that the people made use of small ladders to reach their top: the like never seen or heard of in the Moray Frith. There were also two porpoises that ran up the river Ness, under the bridge, and reached the Isle-a mile above the townwhere they were killed. Some conjectured that the two big whales were an emblem of the King and Parliament pursuing one another; but, alas! these things portended no good. Another wonderful event happened above Beauly, three several evenings, two parties fighting, so that men saw the glistening of their swords, slashing at one another."

SCARCITY IN THE NORTH.

"1649. There were two severe summers in Scotland for dearth and scarcity, succeeding one another, and next to a famine, a just punishment with which God smites our sectarian schism. The boll of victual was at a high rate, £10 Scots to £12, and could scarcely be had, so much of it was transported beyond seas. The country was oppressed with quartering (of soldiers), especially the loyalists, termed Malignants. The Highlanders were well off; they had store of milk, their cattle thriving, all manner of store grass in plenty, their pastures fertile beyond belief, such abundance of sea and fresh water fish that almost men lived by it, such shoals of herrings in our Frith, that a hundred was sold for two farthings. The Lord Lovat's salmon fishings, on the water of Beauly, ran so thick, that all the salt in the country was called in to the corf-house to salt them; and, besides what was sold of salmon fresh, there were fifty last (a last is 4368 lbs.) salted and sold. One Paul Collison, merchant at Aberdeen, bought the Beauly salmon this year, and advanced nine thousand merks (£500 sterling: the present rent of the Beauly fishings is £1300), which money I saw

reckoned upon a table in the Lord Lovat's house at Inverness."

PORTRAITURE OF MONTROSE, A PRISONER.

THE following is a graphic and interesting sketch of a great man struggling, not only with adversity, but with ungenerous contumely and contempt :

"1650. We are now to set down the fatal preludium of one of the noblest generals the age saw in Britain, whose unexampled achievements might form a history; were its volumes far bigger than mine, it would yet be disproportionate to the due praise of this matchless hero. But now I set down that which I was myself eye-witness of. The 7th of May, at Lovat, Montrose sat upon a little shelty horse, without a saddle, but a bundle of rags and straw, and pieces of ropes for stirrups, his feet fastened under the horse's belly, and a bit halter for a bridle. He had on a ragged old dark reddish plaid, and a cap on his head; a muskateer on each side, and his fellow-prisoners on foot after him. Thus he was conducted through the country (from Caithness), and near Inverness, upon the road under Muirtown (where he desired to alight, and called for a draught of water, being then in the first crisis of a high fever), the crowd from the town came forth to gaze; the two ministers went thereupon to comfort him. At the end of the bridge, stepping forward, an old woman, Margaret M'George, exclaimed and brawled, saying— Montrose, look above. View these ruinous houses of mine, which you occasioned to be burned down, when you besieged Inverness;' yet he never altered his countenance, but with a majesty and state beseeming him, keeped a countenance high. At the cross was a table covered, and the Magistrates treated him with wines, which he would not taste till allayed with water. The stately prisoners, his officers, stood under a forestair,

and drank heartily; I remarked Colonel Hurry, a robust, tall, stately fellow, with a long cut in his cheek. All the way through the streets, he (Montrose) never lowered his aspect. The Provost, Duncan Forbes, taking leave of him at the town's end, said-'My Lord, I am sorry for your circumstances.' He replied I am sorry for being the object of your pity.'"

The writer then proceeds at some length, and in nearly the same strain as Wishart, in his memoirs, to describe Montrose's journey to Dundee, and afterwards to Edinburgh, where he was executed. He mentions that, at Keith, the Marquis heard sermon, being on Sunday, a tent being set up in the fields, and the minister " Master William Kinonmond" (who seems to have been a staunch Whig), preached from the words of Samuel the prophet, to Agag the king of the Amalekites—" And Samuel said, as thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." Montrose heard him patiently revile him for a long time, but the minister continuing to indulge in the same invective, he said "Rail on," and turned his back on him.

BLACK MONDAY.

"1652. There was a great and dreadful eclipse, March 29, which continued above two hours, from nine to elevena total eclipse, for which this was called the Black Monday. The stars were visible, and birds were frighted and fluttering-so astonishing, that those who were surprised by it on the roads, or at sea, thought that it was the day of judgment."

THE CITADEL OF INVERNESS.

In order to overawe the Highlanders, Cromwell erected a citadel in the capital of the Highlands, capable of con

taining above 1000 men. The garrison continued for about seven years, when it was withdrawn, after the Restoration, and the buildings were suffered to go to ruin. The form of the citadel, and the outer ramparts, may still be traced. A hemp manufactory is now carried on in part of the interior of this once busy and stirring scene. Dr Johnson remarks, that the English soldiers "seem to have incorporated afterwards with the inhabitants, and to have peopled the place with an English race, for the language of this town has long been considered peculiarly elegant." We doubt whether any number of common English soldiers could impart elegance of language to strangers; and the English accent observable here may be as much owing to the fact, that when the lower orders learn English it is at school, from books, the Gaelic being the native language. Johnson, however, is correct in his observation, that what the Romans did to other nations was, in a great degree, done by Cromwell to the Scots; he civilized them by conquest, and introduced, by useful violence, the arts of peace. This is confirmed by the following extract :—

"1655. The citadel of Inverness is now on a great length, almost finished. They had first built a long row of buildings, made of bricks and planks, upon the river side, to accommodate the regiment; and ramparts and bulwarks of earth in every street of the town; and also fortified the castle and the bridge, and the main court of guard at the cross. They bought a large plot of ground from the burghers, called carseland, where they built the citadel, founded May 1652, and now finished-a most stately scene! It was fivecornered, with bastions, with a wide trench, that an ordinary bark might sail in it at full tide; the breastwork, three storeys, built all of hewn stone limed within, and a brick wall; centinel houses of stone in each corner; a sally-port to the south, leading to the town; and on the north the great

N

entry or gate, called the port, with a strong drawbridge of oak, called the blue bridge, and a stately structure over the gate, well cut with the Commonwealth's arms, and the motto "Togam Tuentur Arma." This bridge was drawn every night, and a strong guard within. Ships or shallops sailing in or out, the bridge was heaved to give way. The entry from the bridge into the citadel was a stately vault about seventy feet long, with seats on each side, and a row of iron hooks for pikes and drums to hang on. In the centre of the citadel stood a great four-square building, all hewn stone, called the magazine and granary; in the third storey was the church, well furnished with a stately pulpit and seats, a wide bartisan at top, and a brave great clock with four large gilded dials and a curious ball. South-east stood the great English building, four storeys high, so called, being built by English masons; and south-west the Scotch building, of the same dimensions, built by Scotch masons. Northwest and north-east are lower storeys for ammunition, timber, lodgings for manufactories, stables, provision and brewing houses; and a great long tavern, with all manner of wines, viands, beer, ale, and cider, sold by one Master Benson; so that the whole regiment was accommodated within these walls. All their oak planks and beams were carried out of England in ships to Kessock Roads; all their fir logs and spars were sold them out of Hugh Fraser of Struy's woods: I saw that gentleman receive 30,000 merks at once for timber. Most of their best hewn stone was taken from Chanonry-the great cathedral and steeple, the bishop's castle were razed; also from the church and abbey of Kinloss and Beauly, the Grey Friars and St Mary's Chapel at Inverness, and many more; so that it was a sacrilegious structure, and, therefore, could not stand. At the digging of the trenches every man got a shilling sterling wages a day, so that all the country people flocked to that work, and