Annotation:America (2)

Back to America (2)

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AMERICA [2]. Scottish, Country Dance Tune. A country dance witnessed by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell at Armadale in Skye in 1773 during their tour of Scotland and the Isles. Bowell records: "We had...in the evening a great dance. We made out five country squares without sitting down; and then we performed with much alacrity a dance which I suppose the emigration from Skye has occasioned. They call it 'America'. A brisk reel is played. The first couple begin, and each sets to one--then each to anther--then as they set to the next couple, the second and third couples are setting; and so it goes on till all are set a-going, setting and wheeling round each other, while each is making the tour of all in the dance. It shows how emigration catches till all are set afloat..." It is perhaps "Null thar nan eileanan" or "Over the Isles to America."

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