Lhuyd’s original questionnaire

Part of the Letter to ‹the Revd› Mr James Fraser Minister of Kirkhill in the Aird near Invernes:

Dated at Falkirk in Sterlingshire Dec.18 1699.

———But it lies not in their way to be so immediately assisting in the undertaking I am engagd in; in regard, they are strangers to the old Scottish Language & customes, the comparing of which with the Welsh, Cornish, & Armorican is one part of my design. I therefore make bold to addresse my self to you for your kind assistance; & intreat you that besides you’r own trouble, you would prevail with some friend or two (in regard it may prove tedious) to contribute their helping hand. In return I can only promise that if hereafter it may lye in my way to be serviceable to your self or any friend, in my station at Oxford, I shall very faithfully observe your directions, and if I shall understand that any new book there may be acceptable to you, I shall study to expresse my Gratitude. Now the Requests I have chiefly to make (so far as they occur to my thoughts at present) are as follows. /fol. 26v/

• 1. An interpretation of the Nouns in Mr Ray’s Dictionariolum Trilingue; with the Addition of the Verbs & Adjectives in the vulgar Nomenclatura into the Northern Ersh would be very acceptable.

• 2. A catalogue of the towns, castles, villages, mountains, vales, Lochs & Rivers, within ten (or twenty) miles; with an interpretation of such of these names as are indubitably intelligible; and queries or conjectures about some of the others.

• 3. Some account of the Barrows or artificial mounts; of monumental stones, whether those inscrib’d with Letters, or other carving; or those plac’d in a circular order, or vast stones placed on the tops of others pitch’d in the Ground.

• 4. An account of the Amulets & charms &c. viz. Adderstones, Toadstones, Cock-knee-stones, snail-stones, mole-stones, Lêag, Elf Arrows & the like; with any other Relations that may fall under this Head. And as many of those curiosities as may be procur’d without much expence, are earnestly desir’d. /fol. 27/

• 5. Any Coin, Fibula, or other old brasse utensil; or small stones of any peculiar figure (whether natural or artificial) would be no lesse acceptable.