Re: A Dance called America

Dear Laurel,

It is a good job that the people of Scotland had such a fine genetic pool to begin with !

Regards,

David Sinclair-Sherratt

----- Original Message -----

From: Spirit One Email

To: sinclair@mids.org

Sent: 21 February 2000 18:20

Subject: Re: A Dance called America

Sinclair,

    I was just talking to Don about the phenomena of the Scott's mark on history this morning.   I believe that this can be seen among the Jews that escaped from Germany and all the other places before that. I read that the descendants of these Jews became a remarkable race through the selection process.   Those that were smartest and had that spirit of preservation got out of Germany right away thus preserving very intelligent people.

    Could the same be said for the Scotts? Those that were smarter and strongest were the ones that survived the British, etc. by snatching up whatever opportunity came to leave and make their mark in life. This would have drained much from the genetic pool of Scotland perhaps.

   As ever,

Laurel

----- Original Message -----

From: Privateers

To: Sinclair Mailing List

Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 3:15 AM

Subject: A Dance called America

I've just been reading an intriguing book called the "A Dance called America" subtitled "The Scottish Highlands The United States and Canada" By James Hunter, Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 1994, reprint 1999. ISBN 181558 807 8.

The book was subsidised and has such intriguing chapter titles such as "A hearty and intrepid race of men", "Such of them as did not die while going across the ocean" and "Stand fast Craigellachie".

The book starts with the American Revolutionary Battle of Moore's Creek, in which the author claims a Highland army defended Moore's Creek Bridge. The book weaves in stories of Flora MacDonald, of Drumossie Moore fame, and her husband. They speak of the Gaelic speaking communities and the book shows powerful Scottish influences on American Canadian history. I wonder from such a small and poor nation on the fringe of Europe, what race of men could place such an imprimatur on the face of the world, be it real or imagined. Fierce Australian miners, battle for American Independence, significant roles on forging the confederation of Canada, the West Indies scattered with Scots from Shirley Heights to Guyana and places I am sure have not come to our attention. The principal road to Hong Kong, built by Sinclairs, called Sinclair, is an amazing legacy from a nation whose population hardly ever exceeded five million.

Sinclair