The Reporter.

Southern Cross, Volume 8, Issue 20, 18 August 1900, Page 11

The Reporter.

HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF SOUTHLAND FOURTH ANNUAL GATHERING.

The story is told that some English tourists who were domiciled in a Highland inn complained to the landlord that his barometer was defective, seeing that although the weather was atrocious rain, hail, thunder and lightning—it pointed steadily to “ Pair.” Donal was puzzled for a moment, and then made answer — “ She’s a good glass, but she’ll no be moved by trifles.” The same might be said, with a good deal of truth, of Highlanders generally ; but given sufficient reason, and none will more readily kindle into enthusiasm. , The sufficient reason, in the case of Southland, is furnished by the annual gathering of the Highland Society of Southland, which never fails to draw Highlanders from town and countryside. The fourth of the series, held in Ashley’s Hall on Friday evening, 10th inst., was no exception—it was brilliantly successful. The Caledonian Pipe Band, under Pipe-Major K. Cameron, played the gathering into the hall, and afterwards opened the formal programme with “ The Campbells are coming,” and several other selections. As one looked over the closely packed seats it was seen that not only the Campbells, but the bearers of many other names of historic interest, with a good sprinkling of Sassenach sympathisers, had assembled to do honour to the occasion. Mr Allan Carmichael, Chief of the Society, presided, and first of all disposed of a sheaf of apologies for inability to be present from the Hon. J. G. Ward, Mr J. A. Hanan, the Rev. Dean Burke, Professor McKenzie (Wellington), the Rev.' Father O’Neill, the Rev. Geo. Lindsay, the Dunedin Burns Club, the Waitaki Celtic Society, Inspector Macdonell (Greymouth), and others. The chairman then delivered a short address, in which he described Highlanders as a roving people. It was marvellous, considering the smallness of the area of their birthplace, how many of them were found in all parts of the world. This was partly due to the fact that the Highlands were not noted for their fertility, and would not support a dense population except under conditions of hardship. Short though the chairman’s speech was, it furnished the keynote for one of the happiest addresses of the evening—that of Mr W. G-. Mehaffey, who said that while in one sense it was true that the Highlands were not fertile, in another it was not true. The Highlands furnished many of the men who had made their mark in almost every part of the civilised word. In that sense the Highlands were anything but a sterile region. The point thus made was loudly applauded, and then the speaker, with a judicious mingling of jest and earnest, descanted on the way in which Highlanders in the colonies were in the habit of adding farm to farm, of securing the management of big estates, and generally of having a big say in the world’s doings, the speaker retiring amid roars of laughter when he depicted a Highlander in full blast being found at the North Pole, with a supply of mountain dew in the immediate

vicinity. The Rev. Gibson Smith, who was also in humorous vein, said that the fact that so many natives of Scotland were found away from home had been accounted for in this way —■ that the rest of the world couldn’t get on without them. He also made a confession. At the last gathering, feeling his lack of the Gaelic very much, he had made a Latin quotation do duty instead, and next day a lady accosted him thqs —“ Dear me, Mr Smith, I never knew that you could speak Gaelic ’!’ Passing to a graver phase of the subject, the speaker voiced some of the feelings of sadness and longing engendered by thoughts of the old land. Mr R. Gilmour, after speaking of

the service that could be done by the Society in giving an impetus to patriotic and national feeling, referred to the young people of the community and the necessity for morality as the foundation of individual and national well-being. We bad, he remarked incidentally, some magnificent specimens of the race here, and the girls far out-stripped the boys due largely to the fact that they did not indulge in cigarettes and late hours. The Rev. J. A. Luxford had a most congenial theme—a sketch of the career of General Hector McDonald. His early life, with its hardships, his career in the army, his bravery and resource in India, the Soudan, and South Africa were sympathetically outlined, lightened with occasional flashes of humour. When the rev. gentleman ceased, some of his hearers, like Oliver Twist and his companions, would fain have had “ more ” —as one old Highlander put it —“ Man, I could hae listened tae him for oors.” The Rev. D. C. Bates had the most comprehensive topic of the evening—- *‘ Imperial Federation, ” which the Highlanders engaged in South Africa have done so much to make possible, and quoted facts and figures to show that that inspiring ideal was near at hand. He concluded fittingly with Tennyson’s lines; — “ Britain’s myriad voices call— Sons, be welded each and all Into one Imperial whole ; One life, one fleet, one flag, one throne. Britons hold your own : God guard us all.” Chieftain Munro, of the Otago Gaelic Society, expressed his pleasure at being present, and the Rev. Mr McKay (representative of the Clan McKay Society, Scotland), delivered an address to his brother Highlanders in • Gaelic. One of the Society’s bards (Mr A. McArthur) contributed two songs in Gaelic, and another of the bards (Mr A. Kinross) recited the following original verses :

New Zealand! Queen of southern sea, Our fair young land where all are free ; In thee we have a pleasant home, And never seek from thee-to roam. Yet deep within our inmost heart, Dear Scotland ever has a part; And where we drew our earliest breath Will still be loved till called by death. We meet to hear the Gaelic tongue, By warriors used, by poets sung; We come to see the tartans wave, Prized emblems of the clansmen brave, To hear the bagpipes’ martial strains That warm the blood in Highland veins, To mingle in each stirring dance, When cheered by beauty’s kindly glance Old customs still to us are dear, The glorious past we still revere. Throughout the year has passed away Our Highland lads in many a fray. Showed how to fight and how to die ; In heroes’ graves full many lie. And when the Empire gave the call -

To save her sons from Dutchmen’s thrall, From north and south, fro,- east and west, Each colony sent forth its b, The British Empire to maintain, And all a freeman’s rights retain. Success to all our lads who fight For country, liberty and right, And honour to the brave who fell ; Their deeds historians long shall tell. May all enjoy themselves this night, May hearts be warm, and eyes be bright ; And may we use with wisdom true The glorious Highland mountain dew.

The musical side of the programme was admirable, including as it did songs by Mrs Blue (who made her first appearance since her return from Melbourne), Miss S. Murray, and Messrs J. Murray and J. Porteous, and a violin solo by Mr W. Ferguson. Mr A. Stewart executed the sword dance, and Sergt-Piper G. Anderson, Sergt-Drummer H. Geddes, PipeGorporal W. Jenkins, and Piper Charles Wilson (all of the Pipe Band!, danced the Highland Fling. The singing of Auld Lang Syne and a verse of the Rational Anthem closed the concert programme, and shortly after 11 p.m. the floor was filled with the swaying figures of lovers of the dance. With the music of the Pipe Band for the Grand March, and that of Mesdames Wood and Blue for the dances, the dancers were happily situated —small wonder then that they danced till five o’clock on Saturday morning. The Stewards

—Pipe-Major K, Cameron, DrtiraMajor James Macgregor, and Mr A. McKellar—were well placed, and are to be congratulated, with the officebearers generally, on the success achieved in every department of the gathering of 1900.