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  Chapter XIV.—Witchcraft and Magic. Rudha Chailleach—Witchcraft and magic still believed in—Jessie the cripple, a witch—Depriving milk of its fruit—Kenlochewe case in presbytery records—Kenneth Mackenzie, the maighstair sgoil, punishes the witch at Strath—His cows recover—Recent cases—The sian—Description of it—Duncan M'Rae—His song—Entrusted with a keg of gold for Prince Charlie—Hides the keg in the Fedan Mor—Renders it invisible by the sian—The wife of the Cibear Mor sees the keg—The cave at Meallan a Ghamhna—The cave and weapons concealed by the sian—Seen by several women recently—Another similar case on Loch Maree—Alastair Mor an t' Sealgair—Runs the blockade by means of the sian—His variations of the sian—Other examples of Alastair's and his father's powers—The wind made favourable by magic 163   Chapter XV.—Visions and Second-sight. Distinction between visions and second-sight—Old Alastair's vision of Hector Roy and his bodyguard—A young man sees a ghost—Two men see a woman in a house—Spectre seen before a shoot—Two kinds of second-sight—Jessie the cripple—Ducked as a witch—Her vision of a shepherd, his dog and sheep, fulfilled—The smith's son sees a crowd on Poolewe bridge—His vision fulfilled—The great storm on Loch Ewe—Great sight at Mellon Udrigil—Fleet of ships and boats filled with red coats—Visions of soldiers in red uniforms near Inveran—These visions compared with similar sights elsewhere 169   Chapter XVI.—Bards and Pipers. Ancient bards an illustrious class—Ossian's poems—Office of bard or seannachie—Bards of recent date—Ceilidh—Antiquity of bagpipes—Office of piper in old days—In the present day—Love of pipe music in Gairloch—Some old Gairloch bards—Ruaridh Breac—The English bard—Duncan M'Rae—Roderick Campbell, piper and fiddler—The Piobaire Ban—List of living Gairloch pipers 173   Chapter XVII.—Hereditary Pipers of the Gairloch Family. The Mackays—Rorie Mackay, piper to John Roy Mackenzie—Alastair Breac, and his son and grandson—His brother Donald—John Mackay, the blind piper—Taught by the M'Crimmons—Piper to the two first baronets of Gairloch—His compositions—Anecdotes of his life with the M'Crimmons—His songs and poems—Angus Mackay—Piper to Sir Alexander, third baronet—Moladh Mairi—John Mackay, piper to Sir Hector—Emigrates to America—A splendid piper—His offspring 177   Chapter XVIII.—William Mackenzie and Malcolm Maclean. William Mackenzie a catechist—His song to Balone's sister—His song lampooning a wedding party—His consequent dismissal—Malcolm Maclean a notorious bacchanalian—His beautiful daughter—His wife's resignation illustrated by an anecdote—Translation by Professor Blackie of his song to his daughter 180   Chapter XIX.—William Ross, the Gairloch Bard. William Ross, a grandson of the "Blind piper"—His youth—His travels—Appointed schoolmaster of Gairloch—Dies young—Monument over his grave—Estimate of his poetry 183   Chapter XX.—Alexander Campbell, Bard To Sir Hector. Alastair Buidhe's ancestry and youth—Appointed ground-officer and bard to Sir Hector—Instructed to remove the roof from a defaulting tenant's house—His prudent artifice approved by Sir Hector—Dr Mackenzie's recollections of Alastair as bard—His bad health, and death—His character—His friendship with William Ross—His descendants—His poetry highly appreciated 185   Chapter XXI.—Alexander Grant, the Great Bard of Slaggan. Sandy Grant's ancestry—His enormous stature and strength—His appearance, portrait, and poetry—Reputed to have second-sight—Anecdote—Sandy Grant discovers cheeses stolen in Loch Carron—His descendants 187   Chapter XXII.—John Mackenzie of the "Beauties." John's ancestry and youth—His mechanical skill—An accident disables him—Collects Gaelic poems—Devotes himself to literary work—List of books he translated—Known as a poet and piper—Anecdote of his humour—Buys a ship and her cargo—Gives up the bargain—Monument to his memory 189   Chapter XXIII.—Living Gairloch Bards. Alexander Mackenzie, of Oban—Duncan Mackenzie, the Kenlochewe bard—Short memoir—His poetry—His epithalamium on the marriage of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie—Translation of it by Professor Blackie—Alexander Cameron, the Tournaig bard—His song in praise of Tournaig—English translation by Mr W. C. Good—Alexander Bain—His elegy on the late Dr Kennedy—English translation 192