Stars

Scope and Contents Manuscript volume entitled 'Catalogue of double stars, clusters and nebulae' by an unknown author. A substantial part appears to have been copied from William Henry Smyth's work Cycle of Celestial Objects. The volume contains:- Descriptions of the positions of stars, constellations, and celestial bodies (Auqarius, Andromeda, Antinous, Auroga etc.) during various nights in 1868 and 1869, not in chronological order (pp. 1-34).- An 'index of to map of the...

Scope and Contents Notes on stars including that Mainneag or Maidneag is the morning star, that 'Grioglachan gets its course on S[aint] Michael & loses it on new years night' and that 'An t-Iasgair' is the star of the East at night. There is also a short verse beginning 'Ni Ri Eangain 'sa 3 len'.

Scope and Contents Story about ghosts at Howmore cemetery [Tobha Mòr, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist] in which Catri[o]na ni[gh]ean Do[mh]n[a]il[l] Ghuirm volunteered to watch the cattle-fold at night while the man who should have been doing it went fishing at Loch Sgioport [Loch Skipport]. While there, she saw the graves open and people going in and out of them. A woman ghost approached her and Catriona barred her way with a cuigeal or distaff. The woman demanded to be let past saying that she was Mòr nighean Rìgh...

Scope and Contents Vocabulary note probably collected from Margaret MacDonald, aged 79 years, Malacleit/Malaclete, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist for Grigne describing it as a colony or a number and in some places stating that a sieve was called a grigne. What appears to be a verse reads 'Rionag an Righ, Rionag na madaine, Rionag a bhauch[aille], Nighean ri mheangain sa triuir leam sa cu sa gille sa cocair.'