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CONTENTS
--------
Electric Scotland News
What's new on ElectricCanada.com
The Flag in the Wind
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Fighter for Justice
Through the Long Day
Tent Life in Tigerland
An Historical Account of the Ancient Culdees of Iona
Sir James Young Simpson
John's Poetry in the Dorric Language
The Sabbath School and Bible Teaching (New Book)
Nether Lochaber (New Book)
The World's Largest Kilt
Clan Wallace Society Newsletter
John's Scottish Sing-Along
Electric Scotland News
----------------------
I'm having split personalities of late what with working on Electric Scotland and then on Electric Canadian and then still helping out on SavannahJohnston.com and also StMonicas.ca which all reminds me that I promised myself to not do others folks web sites as I've more than enough work just running my own :-)
Having said that I've particularly enjoyed working on Savannah's site as this has become a fantastic community project and one that I have always wanted to do on Electric Scotland. You might remember the attempts at doing Gairloch and Loch Maree and then Lossiemouth. Neither of these went anywhere near to what I'd hoped to achieve with them.
With Savannah living and working in the areas of Riverdale and Laslieville in Toronto I'm hoping she can make a break through and actually make this work. The basics are there on her web site and the next phase of the operation is to create a leaflet which will be hand delivered to all the local business people asking them to get involved. I would say we're about two weeks away from getting those leaflets delivered. That will be the real test as if the local businesses respond as I would hope then she's made the vital break through. The next phase will be to do a leaflet delivery to the homes of all the local residents and hopefully they'll be intrigued enough to visit the site and then realise what a great local resource this is and visit frequently.
This weekend when I am over in Toronto for the Knights Templar investiture we're having a meeting to create the business leaflet. Hopefully by the end of that meeting we'll have all the points covered and then it can go to Savannah's marketing guru to create a knock out design for it. That should be finalised by the end of that week and then it can go to the printers. This is really the make or break time as if we get very little response then we're dead in the water unless Savannah can then make personal visits to everyone and that is very time consuming.
Should it be successful then it's onto creating the leaflet for the residents and getting that out to them. At that point I'm really done as there will be little else that I can contribute. I am going to setup a few forums for her in our Electric Scotland community to help give a dynamic element to her site and we'll also get that setup this weekend.
I have to say that this is a project that is close to my own heart as it is something I've wanted to see developed for over 20 years now. I also devoted some months of my life trying to get this kind of project off the ground all those years ago but perhaps it was too early at that stage.
I have done a video for the businesses in the area to explain the concept which you can view at the foot of http://www.savannahjohnston.com/poster.htm
Actually you can watch it here as well...
In actual fact if you're looking at creating a new business for yourself you might take the time to watch the video as this is something pretty well anyone could do for their own local area. Once it is off the ground you should be able to make some good money from advertising. It doesn't actually cost very much to get it going but it will be a lot of hard work and time to make it a success. So if you keep in touch with this project you'll have a template to use if it's a success.
Also as I write this Savannah just called to say she's just got news that she's passed her final and third realtor exam getting 88% which means she's now a fully qualified licensed Realtor which is great news. This last one was reckoned to be the most difficult of the three as it focusses on the maths side of things and all the calculations needed for a whole variety of issues. They say around 75% of Realors fail this on the first sitting but she passed with flying colours on her first attempt. She also told me she's been contacted by a local journalist about her web site which is also amazing news and bodes well for the future.
ABOUT THE STORIES
-----------------
Some of the stories in here are just parts of a larger story so do check out the site for the full versions. You can always find the link in our "What's New" section in our site menu and at http://www.electricscotland.com/whatsnew.htm
ElectricCanadian.com
--------------------
http://www.electriccanadian.com
Been working quite hard on this site and have lots of great information up this week...
St Monicas Anglican Church
The Poorest Anglican Church in Toronto where the Rector is also the Prior of St James Priory of the Knights Templar and also Chaplain to Mount Sinai Hospital.
Count Frontenac
By William D. Le Sueur (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Bishop Lavel
By A. Lebond de Brumath (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Champlain
By N E Dionne (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Canadian Savage Folk
The Native Tribes of Canada by John MacLean M.A. Ph. D. (1896)
The North West Passage
This is a series of videos from YouTube where Billy Connelly travelled the North West Passage.
The Yukon Territory
Its History and Resources
You can get to all of this from thw what's new page at http://www.electriccanadian.com/whatsnew.htm
The Makers of Canada series covers some 21 volumes and so I've started at volume 1 and am marking them in order as the work was produced on a chronological basis. As I already had several of these on the Electric Scotland site I just copied these over. So the new ones are more to do with the French occupation of Canada as they were of course the first to settle here after the First Nations tribes.
You'll note I've also added "Canadian Savage Folk" which does give some excellent information on the First Nation Tribes.
I do plan to mix working on the Makers of Canada with other information but have one more to go to cover the balance of the French occupation and then will work on some other aspect for a wee break and then return to it until I get all 21 volumes up.
Electric Scotland Community
---------------------------
http://www.electricsotland.org
Noted a wee discussion about why Scotland should create a "Scotland Day" which was quite interesting.
THE FLAG IN THE WIND
--------------------
This weeks issue is now available compiled by Jim Lynch. As always Jim produces some thought provoking articles and the Synsopsis articles are equally interesting.
You can get to the Flag at http://www.scotsindependent.org
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
----------------------------------------
And of the Border Raids, Forays and Conflicts by John Parker Lawson (1839). This is a new publication we're starting on which is in 4 volumes. We intend to post up 2 or 3 stories each week until complete.
Added this week...
The MacDougalls
Highland Regiments in Germany
Troubles of Carrick
You can read these at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Fighter for Justice
---------------------------------------------
An Appreciation of his Social and Religious Outlook by Ian M. Fraser (2002).
Added another chapter to this account...
Religious Attitudes
You can get to this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/graham/
Through the Long Day
--------------------
Or Memorials of a Literary Life during half a century by Charles MacKay LL.D. (1887)
This week have added...
Chapter VIII.—The Scott Monument at Edinburgh
You can get to all this at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/mackay/
Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier
-------------------------------------
Now onto the second book in this two book set.
We are now up to Chapter XVIII and here is how chapter XVII starts...
Besides indigo planting proper, there is another large branch of industry in North Bhaugulpore and along the Nepaul frontier there, and in Purneah, namely, the growing of indigo seed for the Bengal planters. The system of advances and the mode of cultivation is much the same as that followed in indigo planting proper. The seed is sown in June or July, is weeded and tended all through the rains, and cut in December. The planters advance about four-rupees a beegah to the ryot, who cuts his seed plant, and brings it into the factory threshing-ground, where it is beaten out, cleaned, weighed, and packed in bags. When the seed has been threshed out and cleaned, it is weighed, and the ryot or cultivator gets four rupees for every maund —a maund being eighty pounds avoirdupois. The previous advance is deducted. The rent or loan account is adjusted, and the balance made over in cash.
Others grow the seed on their own account, without taking advances, and bring it to the factory for sale. If prices are ruling high, they may get much more than four rupees per maund for it, and they adopt all kinds of ingenious devices to adulterate the seed, and increase its weight. They mix dust with it, seeds of weeds, even grains of wheat, and mustard, pea, and other seeds. In buying seed, therefore, one has to be very careful, to reject all that looks bad, or that may have been adulterated. They will even get old useless seed, the refuse stock of former years, and, mixing this with leaves of the neem tree and some turmeric powder, give it a gloss that makes it look like fresh seed.
"When you suspect that the seed has been tampered with in this manner, you wet some of it, and rub it on a piece of fresh clean linen, so as to bring off the dye. Where the attempt has been flagrant, you are sometimes tempted to take the law into your own hands, and administer a little of the castigation which the cheating rascal so richly deserves. In other cases it is necessary to submit the seed to a microscopic examination. If any old, worn seeds are detected, you reject the sample unhesitatingly. Even when the seed appears quite good, you subject it to yet another test. Take one or two hundred seeds, and, putting them on a damp piece of the pith of a plantain tree, mixed with a little earth, set them in a warm place, and in two days you will be able to tell what percentage has germinated, and what is incapable of germination. If the percentage is good, the seed may be considered as fairly up to the sample, and it is purchased. There are native seed buyers, who try to get as much into their hands as they can and rig the market. There are also European buyers, and there is a keen rivalry in all the bazaars.
You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ife/chap16.htm
The other chapters can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/tentlife/
An Historical Account of the Ancient Culdees of Iona
----------------------------------------------------
And of their settlements in Scotland, England and Ireland by John Jamieson D.D. (1811)
Added another chapter...
Chapter VIII
Of the Culdees of Brechin.— Whether they merely constituted the Episcopal Chapter —Of those at Dunblane.—Of the supposed Foundation at Muthel.— Of that of Monimusk.—Culdees at Portmoak,—Scone,—Kirkcaldy,—Culross,— Mailros.
These can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/bible/culdees/index.htm
Sir James Young Simpson
-----------------------
And Chloroform (1811 - 1870) by H. Laing Gordon (1897)
We are now up to Chapter X
Chapter VI starts...
FROM his earliest student days the desire had ever been present in Simpson's mind to see some means devised for preventing the sufferings endured by patients on the operating table, without, as he put it, "interfering with the free and healthy play of the natural functions." It is difficult for us at the close of the nineteenth century to understand, without an effort of the imagination, the strong incentives which he had for such a wish. Even to-day, when operations are conducted without the infliction of pain, young students are not unfrequently overcome by the sight and the thought of what is in front of them. At the commencement of a winter session the theatre is crowded with those students who are entering upon surgical study, and with others, not so far advanced, who have come to get a preliminary peep at the practice of this fascinatingly interesting art. Many of these at first succumb and faint even before the surgeon has begun his work, and sometimes are only persuaded to pursue their studies by the encouragement of kindly teachers.
Simpson also went through this trying experience, but it must have been a greater struggle to him to persist. The surroundings of the surgeon at the commencement of the century were vastly more repugnant to a youth of sensitive nature than to-day. The operating theatre then has been compared to a butcher's shambles; cleanliness was not considered necessary, and little attention was paid to the feelings of the patient. He was held down by three or four pairs of powerful arms as the surgeon boldly and rapidly did his work, despite the screams, stopping, perhaps, only to roughly abuse the patient for some agonised movement which had interfered with the course of action. The poor wretch saw the instruments handed one by one by the assistant, and heard the surgeon's calm directions and his remarks on the case. The barbarous practice of arresting bleeding by the application of red-hot irons to the surface of the wound had indeed ceased three centuries before, when that humane reformer, Pare, for his foot on the stair; for his step in the room for the production of his dreaded instruments ; for his few grave words, and his last preparations before beginning. And then he surrendered his liberty and, revolting at the necessity, submitted to be held or bound, and helplessly gave himself up to the cruel knife.".
You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...on_james06.htm
The other chapters can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...pson_james.htm
John's Poetry in the Dorric Language
------------------------------------
John sent in a new poem, Aff Tae Fecht Fur Freedom. at http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel412.htm
You can also read many of his other poems at http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerels.htm
The Sabbath School and Bible Teaching
-------------------------------------
By James Inglis (1852)
As many of you know I've been undertaking research of significant Scots to try and understand what was special about them that allowed them to do so many amazing things. I've been looking for clues really to see if there were any factors that they had in common.
Well I've decided that one factor is that they all had a good knowledge of the Bible and all attended Sunday school. And so due to this I found this book which promised to go into some depth about how Sunday schools were run. I hope with posting this up that we'll find some special elements that will give us a clue as to why this form of teaching seems to have been so remarkable in the development of the Scots.
We have several chapters up now which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...ath_school.htm
Nether Lochaber
---------------
The Natural History, Legends and Folk-Lore of the West Highlands by Rev. Alexander Stewart FSA Scot, (1883)
The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from "Nether Lochaber" in the Inverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr. Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.
At one time it was the Author's intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if it interfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with their prima cava directness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.
In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the "West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.
Nether Lochabeb,
June 1883.
In many respects this is a book to dip into when your relaxed and look to be entertained and educated at the same time. Lots of wee poems are included along with comments on the weather. And so I hope you'll enjoy this book as we get it up.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...aber/index.htm
The World's Largest Kilt
------------------------
Our thanks to Bruce MacIntyre for sending us this information which can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...rgest_kilt.htm
Clan Wallace Society Newsletter
-------------------------------
Got in the Fall 2011 newsletter which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...lace/index.htm
John's Scottish Sing-Along
--------------------------
John sent us in another song for us to listen to, The Heart Of Loch Lomond, which you can get to at http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...ng/page123.htm
Other songs in this series can be found at http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...long/index.htm
And finally...
Angus Broon of Glasgow , Scotland , comes to the little lady of the house exclaiming, "Maggie, cud ya be sewin on a wee button that's come off of me fly? I can't button me pants."
"Oh Angus, I've got me hands in the dishpan, go up the stairs and see if Mrs. MacDonald could be helpin ya with it."
About 5 minutes later, there's a terrible crash, a bang, a bit of yelling and the sound of a body falling down the stairs.
Walking back in the door with a blackened eye and a bloody nose comes Angus. The little lady looks at him and says, "My god, what happened to ya? Did you ask her like I told you?"
"Aye," says Angus. "I asked her to sew on the wee button, an she did, everything was goin' fine but when she bent doon to bite off the wee thread, Mr MacDonald walked in."
And that's it for now and hope you all have a good weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com
--------
Electric Scotland News
What's new on ElectricCanada.com
The Flag in the Wind
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Fighter for Justice
Through the Long Day
Tent Life in Tigerland
An Historical Account of the Ancient Culdees of Iona
Sir James Young Simpson
John's Poetry in the Dorric Language
The Sabbath School and Bible Teaching (New Book)
Nether Lochaber (New Book)
The World's Largest Kilt
Clan Wallace Society Newsletter
John's Scottish Sing-Along
Electric Scotland News
----------------------
I'm having split personalities of late what with working on Electric Scotland and then on Electric Canadian and then still helping out on SavannahJohnston.com and also StMonicas.ca which all reminds me that I promised myself to not do others folks web sites as I've more than enough work just running my own :-)
Having said that I've particularly enjoyed working on Savannah's site as this has become a fantastic community project and one that I have always wanted to do on Electric Scotland. You might remember the attempts at doing Gairloch and Loch Maree and then Lossiemouth. Neither of these went anywhere near to what I'd hoped to achieve with them.
With Savannah living and working in the areas of Riverdale and Laslieville in Toronto I'm hoping she can make a break through and actually make this work. The basics are there on her web site and the next phase of the operation is to create a leaflet which will be hand delivered to all the local business people asking them to get involved. I would say we're about two weeks away from getting those leaflets delivered. That will be the real test as if the local businesses respond as I would hope then she's made the vital break through. The next phase will be to do a leaflet delivery to the homes of all the local residents and hopefully they'll be intrigued enough to visit the site and then realise what a great local resource this is and visit frequently.
This weekend when I am over in Toronto for the Knights Templar investiture we're having a meeting to create the business leaflet. Hopefully by the end of that meeting we'll have all the points covered and then it can go to Savannah's marketing guru to create a knock out design for it. That should be finalised by the end of that week and then it can go to the printers. This is really the make or break time as if we get very little response then we're dead in the water unless Savannah can then make personal visits to everyone and that is very time consuming.
Should it be successful then it's onto creating the leaflet for the residents and getting that out to them. At that point I'm really done as there will be little else that I can contribute. I am going to setup a few forums for her in our Electric Scotland community to help give a dynamic element to her site and we'll also get that setup this weekend.
I have to say that this is a project that is close to my own heart as it is something I've wanted to see developed for over 20 years now. I also devoted some months of my life trying to get this kind of project off the ground all those years ago but perhaps it was too early at that stage.
I have done a video for the businesses in the area to explain the concept which you can view at the foot of http://www.savannahjohnston.com/poster.htm
Actually you can watch it here as well...
In actual fact if you're looking at creating a new business for yourself you might take the time to watch the video as this is something pretty well anyone could do for their own local area. Once it is off the ground you should be able to make some good money from advertising. It doesn't actually cost very much to get it going but it will be a lot of hard work and time to make it a success. So if you keep in touch with this project you'll have a template to use if it's a success.
Also as I write this Savannah just called to say she's just got news that she's passed her final and third realtor exam getting 88% which means she's now a fully qualified licensed Realtor which is great news. This last one was reckoned to be the most difficult of the three as it focusses on the maths side of things and all the calculations needed for a whole variety of issues. They say around 75% of Realors fail this on the first sitting but she passed with flying colours on her first attempt. She also told me she's been contacted by a local journalist about her web site which is also amazing news and bodes well for the future.
ABOUT THE STORIES
-----------------
Some of the stories in here are just parts of a larger story so do check out the site for the full versions. You can always find the link in our "What's New" section in our site menu and at http://www.electricscotland.com/whatsnew.htm
ElectricCanadian.com
--------------------
http://www.electriccanadian.com
Been working quite hard on this site and have lots of great information up this week...
St Monicas Anglican Church
The Poorest Anglican Church in Toronto where the Rector is also the Prior of St James Priory of the Knights Templar and also Chaplain to Mount Sinai Hospital.
Count Frontenac
By William D. Le Sueur (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Bishop Lavel
By A. Lebond de Brumath (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Champlain
By N E Dionne (1909). A Maker of Canada.
Canadian Savage Folk
The Native Tribes of Canada by John MacLean M.A. Ph. D. (1896)
The North West Passage
This is a series of videos from YouTube where Billy Connelly travelled the North West Passage.
The Yukon Territory
Its History and Resources
You can get to all of this from thw what's new page at http://www.electriccanadian.com/whatsnew.htm
The Makers of Canada series covers some 21 volumes and so I've started at volume 1 and am marking them in order as the work was produced on a chronological basis. As I already had several of these on the Electric Scotland site I just copied these over. So the new ones are more to do with the French occupation of Canada as they were of course the first to settle here after the First Nations tribes.
You'll note I've also added "Canadian Savage Folk" which does give some excellent information on the First Nation Tribes.
I do plan to mix working on the Makers of Canada with other information but have one more to go to cover the balance of the French occupation and then will work on some other aspect for a wee break and then return to it until I get all 21 volumes up.
Electric Scotland Community
---------------------------
http://www.electricsotland.org
Noted a wee discussion about why Scotland should create a "Scotland Day" which was quite interesting.
THE FLAG IN THE WIND
--------------------
This weeks issue is now available compiled by Jim Lynch. As always Jim produces some thought provoking articles and the Synsopsis articles are equally interesting.
You can get to the Flag at http://www.scotsindependent.org
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
----------------------------------------
And of the Border Raids, Forays and Conflicts by John Parker Lawson (1839). This is a new publication we're starting on which is in 4 volumes. We intend to post up 2 or 3 stories each week until complete.
Added this week...
The MacDougalls
Highland Regiments in Germany
Troubles of Carrick
You can read these at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/wars/
R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Fighter for Justice
---------------------------------------------
An Appreciation of his Social and Religious Outlook by Ian M. Fraser (2002).
Added another chapter to this account...
Religious Attitudes
You can get to this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/graham/
Through the Long Day
--------------------
Or Memorials of a Literary Life during half a century by Charles MacKay LL.D. (1887)
This week have added...
Chapter VIII.—The Scott Monument at Edinburgh
You can get to all this at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/mackay/
Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier
-------------------------------------
Now onto the second book in this two book set.
We are now up to Chapter XVIII and here is how chapter XVII starts...
Besides indigo planting proper, there is another large branch of industry in North Bhaugulpore and along the Nepaul frontier there, and in Purneah, namely, the growing of indigo seed for the Bengal planters. The system of advances and the mode of cultivation is much the same as that followed in indigo planting proper. The seed is sown in June or July, is weeded and tended all through the rains, and cut in December. The planters advance about four-rupees a beegah to the ryot, who cuts his seed plant, and brings it into the factory threshing-ground, where it is beaten out, cleaned, weighed, and packed in bags. When the seed has been threshed out and cleaned, it is weighed, and the ryot or cultivator gets four rupees for every maund —a maund being eighty pounds avoirdupois. The previous advance is deducted. The rent or loan account is adjusted, and the balance made over in cash.
Others grow the seed on their own account, without taking advances, and bring it to the factory for sale. If prices are ruling high, they may get much more than four rupees per maund for it, and they adopt all kinds of ingenious devices to adulterate the seed, and increase its weight. They mix dust with it, seeds of weeds, even grains of wheat, and mustard, pea, and other seeds. In buying seed, therefore, one has to be very careful, to reject all that looks bad, or that may have been adulterated. They will even get old useless seed, the refuse stock of former years, and, mixing this with leaves of the neem tree and some turmeric powder, give it a gloss that makes it look like fresh seed.
"When you suspect that the seed has been tampered with in this manner, you wet some of it, and rub it on a piece of fresh clean linen, so as to bring off the dye. Where the attempt has been flagrant, you are sometimes tempted to take the law into your own hands, and administer a little of the castigation which the cheating rascal so richly deserves. In other cases it is necessary to submit the seed to a microscopic examination. If any old, worn seeds are detected, you reject the sample unhesitatingly. Even when the seed appears quite good, you subject it to yet another test. Take one or two hundred seeds, and, putting them on a damp piece of the pith of a plantain tree, mixed with a little earth, set them in a warm place, and in two days you will be able to tell what percentage has germinated, and what is incapable of germination. If the percentage is good, the seed may be considered as fairly up to the sample, and it is purchased. There are native seed buyers, who try to get as much into their hands as they can and rig the market. There are also European buyers, and there is a keen rivalry in all the bazaars.
You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ife/chap16.htm
The other chapters can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/history/tentlife/
An Historical Account of the Ancient Culdees of Iona
----------------------------------------------------
And of their settlements in Scotland, England and Ireland by John Jamieson D.D. (1811)
Added another chapter...
Chapter VIII
Of the Culdees of Brechin.— Whether they merely constituted the Episcopal Chapter —Of those at Dunblane.—Of the supposed Foundation at Muthel.— Of that of Monimusk.—Culdees at Portmoak,—Scone,—Kirkcaldy,—Culross,— Mailros.
These can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/bible/culdees/index.htm
Sir James Young Simpson
-----------------------
And Chloroform (1811 - 1870) by H. Laing Gordon (1897)
We are now up to Chapter X
Chapter VI starts...
FROM his earliest student days the desire had ever been present in Simpson's mind to see some means devised for preventing the sufferings endured by patients on the operating table, without, as he put it, "interfering with the free and healthy play of the natural functions." It is difficult for us at the close of the nineteenth century to understand, without an effort of the imagination, the strong incentives which he had for such a wish. Even to-day, when operations are conducted without the infliction of pain, young students are not unfrequently overcome by the sight and the thought of what is in front of them. At the commencement of a winter session the theatre is crowded with those students who are entering upon surgical study, and with others, not so far advanced, who have come to get a preliminary peep at the practice of this fascinatingly interesting art. Many of these at first succumb and faint even before the surgeon has begun his work, and sometimes are only persuaded to pursue their studies by the encouragement of kindly teachers.
Simpson also went through this trying experience, but it must have been a greater struggle to him to persist. The surroundings of the surgeon at the commencement of the century were vastly more repugnant to a youth of sensitive nature than to-day. The operating theatre then has been compared to a butcher's shambles; cleanliness was not considered necessary, and little attention was paid to the feelings of the patient. He was held down by three or four pairs of powerful arms as the surgeon boldly and rapidly did his work, despite the screams, stopping, perhaps, only to roughly abuse the patient for some agonised movement which had interfered with the course of action. The poor wretch saw the instruments handed one by one by the assistant, and heard the surgeon's calm directions and his remarks on the case. The barbarous practice of arresting bleeding by the application of red-hot irons to the surface of the wound had indeed ceased three centuries before, when that humane reformer, Pare, for his foot on the stair; for his step in the room for the production of his dreaded instruments ; for his few grave words, and his last preparations before beginning. And then he surrendered his liberty and, revolting at the necessity, submitted to be held or bound, and helplessly gave himself up to the cruel knife.".
You can read the rest of this chapter at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...on_james06.htm
The other chapters can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...pson_james.htm
John's Poetry in the Dorric Language
------------------------------------
John sent in a new poem, Aff Tae Fecht Fur Freedom. at http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerel412.htm
You can also read many of his other poems at http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/doggerels.htm
The Sabbath School and Bible Teaching
-------------------------------------
By James Inglis (1852)
As many of you know I've been undertaking research of significant Scots to try and understand what was special about them that allowed them to do so many amazing things. I've been looking for clues really to see if there were any factors that they had in common.
Well I've decided that one factor is that they all had a good knowledge of the Bible and all attended Sunday school. And so due to this I found this book which promised to go into some depth about how Sunday schools were run. I hope with posting this up that we'll find some special elements that will give us a clue as to why this form of teaching seems to have been so remarkable in the development of the Scots.
We have several chapters up now which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/bibl...ath_school.htm
Nether Lochaber
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The Natural History, Legends and Folk-Lore of the West Highlands by Rev. Alexander Stewart FSA Scot, (1883)
The contents of this volume made their first appearance in the shape of a series of papers from "Nether Lochaber" in the Inverness Courier, a well-known Northern Journal, long and ably conducted by the late Dr. Robert Carruthers. They are now presented to the public in book form, in the hope that they may meet with a friendly welcome from a still larger constituency than gave them kindly greeting in their original shape, as from fortnight to fortnight they appeared.
At one time it was the Author's intention to rewrite and rearrange all, or almost all, these papers, adding, altering, or expunging as might be considered best. On second thoughts, however—second thoughts, besides, approved of by many literary and scientific friends, in whose judgment and good taste the Author has the utmost confidence—it was resolved to let them retain very much the form in which they first attracted attention, in the belief that any good that could result from a rewriting and reconstructing of them would be dearly purchased if it interfered, as it was almost certain to interfere, with their prima cava directness of phrase and freshness of local colouring.
In a volume dealing so largely with the Folk-Lore of the "West Highlands and Hebrides, there are necessarily many Gaelic rhymes and phrases which at the first blink may tend to startle and repel the southern reader. These Gaelic quotations, however, the Author has taken care to translate into fairly equivalent English, so that even in this regard it is to be hoped the volume may prove equally acceptable to the Saxon, who is ignorant of the language of the mountains, as to the Celt, who knows and loves it as his mother tongue.
Nether Lochabeb,
June 1883.
In many respects this is a book to dip into when your relaxed and look to be entertained and educated at the same time. Lots of wee poems are included along with comments on the weather. And so I hope you'll enjoy this book as we get it up.
You can read this book at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...aber/index.htm
The World's Largest Kilt
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Our thanks to Bruce MacIntyre for sending us this information which can be read at http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...rgest_kilt.htm
Clan Wallace Society Newsletter
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Got in the Fall 2011 newsletter which you can read at http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...lace/index.htm
John's Scottish Sing-Along
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John sent us in another song for us to listen to, The Heart Of Loch Lomond, which you can get to at http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...ng/page123.htm
Other songs in this series can be found at http://www.electricscotland.com/poet...long/index.htm
And finally...
Angus Broon of Glasgow , Scotland , comes to the little lady of the house exclaiming, "Maggie, cud ya be sewin on a wee button that's come off of me fly? I can't button me pants."
"Oh Angus, I've got me hands in the dishpan, go up the stairs and see if Mrs. MacDonald could be helpin ya with it."
About 5 minutes later, there's a terrible crash, a bang, a bit of yelling and the sound of a body falling down the stairs.
Walking back in the door with a blackened eye and a bloody nose comes Angus. The little lady looks at him and says, "My god, what happened to ya? Did you ask her like I told you?"
"Aye," says Angus. "I asked her to sew on the wee button, an she did, everything was goin' fine but when she bent doon to bite off the wee thread, Mr MacDonald walked in."
And that's it for now and hope you all have a good weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com