Scope and Contents

Note under the heading 'Roin' on how the Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles] seals were divided up between Peighinn-mhor, Griminish, Peign'nne-moire, Scolpaig and Cill-a Pheadair [Peighinn Mhòr, Griminis, Peighinn Mhoire, Cille Pheadair/Kilpheder, all Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist]. Also how there would be about 37 pints of oil in some seals and that 'Cuilein Micheil' was a seal roasted on Lath-fheill-Micheil [Latha Feille Mìcheil or Michealmas].

Scope and Contents Note under the heading 'Roin' entitled 'Cousmal' [Causmal] collected from an unnamed old man in Scolpaig, Uist a Chinn Tuath [Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] in 1865, giving names for seals from Causmal according to who receives them so that the minister of Cille-mhoire's [Kilmuir] seals are 'cuilein Moire', the laird's 'cuilean maoirneac', the smith's 'cuilein goibhneac' and the Boidhreidh [Boraraigh/Boreray people] the 'biast Bhoireach' since Boreray is close to Haisgeir...

Scope and Contents

Poem beginning 'An Caolas ad Odrum, Far an caidil na roin' and accompanying note, which states that Caolas Odrum 'between the isle of Heisgeir and the isle of Sheilley, North Uist' [Theisgeir/Heisker and Siolaigh/Shillay, Uibhist a Tuath]. Carmichael also notes that 'Shielly' comes from 'Seal (roin) + ay' and 'Heisgeir from h-aoi isthmus and ey - an isle'.

Scope and Contents

Rhyme about sea creatures beginning 'Seac[hd] sgadain sa brad[ain] seac[hd] brad[ain] sa roin'. Text has been scored through as if the text has been transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents Story about a seal in the form of a woman which tells how a number of seals were caught on Taisgeir [Eilean Hasgeir/Haskeir Island] and a woman in Paible [Paibeil, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] was boiling the seal's bones when another woman came in. The first woman did not recognise her but offered her a seat but she stood staring at the pot. All of a sudden she started singing a song beginning 'Smeirig s an tir s smeirig san tir is, (Far) n ichear na daoine a rioc a bhidh'. After this she...

Scope and Contents Story about an old seal on Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles] collected from Doul Donnullach [Donald MacDonald], tailor, aged 75 years at Cladach-Chircebost, Uist a Chinne Tuath [Cladach Chirceboist/Claddach Kirkibost, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] on 6 July 1866. Donald went hunting on Heisker every year for seven years and his father had been every year for thirty years before that. There was one seal which was seen every yearfor forty years on Staca Mhic Iain Mhaoil and was never...

Scope and Contents Story about Mac Uistean under the heading 'Roin' and how when he was very old he could no longer go seal hunting on Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles]. Michaelmas Day, when seals were the key part of the feast, was very stomy and no one could go to Heisker seal hunting so MacUistean was agitated because there would be no slanruith to hang above the fire. That night, however after a ball in Griminnis [Griminis/Griminish, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] it got warm and the men went hunting...

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Story in which Mac Uistean was too old to go seal hunting on Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker] and in the stormy weather walked around the house repeating 'Slainri gun fheum an taobh taigh Mhic Uist[ean] an nochd Slanri & noc'. Also, a band of tinkers accustomed to seal-hunting had not had success for several seasons but after a ball on St Michael's Night they left and got 80 seals that night.

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Story about seals killed in An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye which reads 'Seal killed at Portree [Port Rìgh] blue like Hooded seal. Anoth[er] Skye man had a spliucan + he saw the seal had been Killed on an Afri[can] river.' Text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Story about Taogai MacCuinn [MacQueen] probably collected from Ranald MacDonald, sheep farmer, Tarasaigh/Taransay, that he lived in Trotarnish, Skye [Tròndairnis/Trotternish, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] and that it is from him that all the MacQueen families in Skye and Uibhist/Uist descend. He is described as having been litigious and once put in a plea about corn which was damaged and he got off the charge by saying that the damage was done by seals rolling on the corn.