An Sàil an laoich nach tlàth ’s an trod—
’S e ri sior chall na fala
Le lot a’ bhior air a bhonn.”
In this old lay as sung in the outer isles these would mean the spot which an old Mull man pointed to as sàil.[34]
If you are sceptical I hold to my creed of the people. But creed or no creed I want to get the tradition as it exists and I would not give a snuff for “cooked” tradition.
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1871.
Conan House, Dingwall.
My Dear Sir,
I promised yesterday at Portree to send you my version of the fairy song, and asked you to return yours. You must remember that I never tried to write it from Gaelic, and that I never tried to write it from rapid dictation till last month. Correct my spelling, but mind that I took the sounds from ear, so preserve all that you can without reference to dictionary words. Don’t be hard upon a clansman who is doing his best.