servant Neil Macgechan. She of course soon overtook them, for they had better than seven miles to walk; but she rode on to Kingsborough's house, leaving Kingsborough to enjoy his guest, and to bring him up at his leisure. He was certainly no very tempting inmate, if we may credit Sir Alexander Macdonald's account of this matter, in a letter to the lord president, written to extenuate the conduct of his factor:-" He, the pretender," says the knight, "accosted him with telling him that his life was now in his hands, which he might dispose of—that he was in the utmost distress, having had no meat or sleep for two days and two nights. Sitting on a rock, beat upon by the rains, and when they ceased ate up by the flies-conjured him to show compassion but for one night, and he should be gone. This moving speech prevailed, and the visible distress, for he was meagre, ill-coloured, and overrun with the scab, so they went to Kingsborough's house, where he lay that night, and he furnished him a horse to carry him seven miles next day to Portree."* It was not possible indeed for him to stay longer with Kingsborough, for the boatmen on their return to Uist were laid hold of by the soldiers, and being threatened, confessed all, so that Charles' metamorphosis was already known over more than half the islands, and Kingsborough, receiving him as a woman, was fain next day to smuggle him off as a man. As there were no troops in Rasay, it was recommended by Kingsborough as a safe place, and a message was sent to Macleod of Rasay to solicit his assistance. Rasay was in the rebellion, and had not yet returned, but two of his sons came with a boat to Portree, and carried Charles into that island. They could give him no better accommodation, however, than the shelter of a cowhouse, which was all they had to themselves, a detachment of the king's army having been on the island but a short time before, which had burnt all the houses, and carried off the cattle, and, after remaining two days, he returned to Skye, where he spent a few days with the old laird of Mackinnon. Finding it impossible to save him from falling into the hands of his enemies any longer in the islands, Mackinnon, with four of his people, ferried him over to the mainland on the tenth of July, and landed him at a

* Culloden Papers, p. 92.

place called Bluarbach, on Glengary's lands in Knoidart. Mackinnon having parted with Charles on the twelfth, the latter sailed for Lochnevis, and on his voyage met with a party of the Macdonalds on their way from Skye to join the duke of Cumberland; but his attendants answering all the usual questions without hesitation, he was allowed to proceed without any interruption. He was no sooner out of sight of this party, however, than he landed, and travelling all that day and the following night through woods and over hills, arrived on the thirteenth at Moror, on Clanronald's estate, where he met with a hearty welcome from the laird of Moror, lieutenant-colonel Macdonald. The houses of Moror, however, being all destroyed by the duke of Cumberland, Charles could obtain no better accommodation than a hut, in which he rested one day, and on the night of the fourteenth, accompanied by captain Mackinnon and a guide, set out for Boradale, the place of his first landing, where he arrived before day, and was most cordially received by Angus Macdonald of that place. Here too the houses were all burnt, and every thing carried off by the king's forces, and a hut in a wood was all the convenience that could be obtained. With this accommodation, such as it was, Charles rested satisfied for three days, when he wrote a letter to Alexander Macdonald of Glenaladale, requesting his assistance. Scarcely had he sent off this letter, when he was informed that old Mackinnon was apprehended, and it was judged necessary, to prevent the same result to himself, to remove a few miles to the eastward, into an almost inaccessible cave, which was known to very few even of the inhabitants of the country, where he remained, accompanied by Angus Macdonald of Boradale, and his son Ronald, till the twentieth, when Glenaladale came to him.

On the twenty-first Angus Macdonald was informed, by a letter from his son-in-law, Angus M'Eachine, formerly surgeon to Glengary, that Charles' hiding place was reported in the country, and therefore advising, that he should be allowed to stay in the neighbourhood of Boradale no longer, at the same time making offer of a place in the Glen of Morar, where he might be accommodated with safety for some time, which place Ronald Macdonald was instantly despatched to examine. On the twenty-second, lieutenant John

Macdonald being sent to the sea coast, returned with the report of a vessel, which he took to be one of the enemy's tenders, which alarmed the pretender so much, that he resolved on quitting his grotto without waiting for Ronald Macdonald's report. He accordingly set out, accompanied by Angus Maodonald of Boradale, John Macdonald, Angus' son, and major Macdonald of Glenaladale, and at Corrybeine Cabir was met by M'Eachine, who had invited him to the Glen of Morar, and who now informed him, that Clanronald had come within a few miles of them, waiting to conduct him to a safe place of his own providing. Considering himself too far on his way to Glen Morar to see Clanronald that night, the pretender pursued his journey, supposing he would have time enough to see him next day. In the meantime Angus Macdonald, who had been sent on before, found on his coming to Morar, that general Campbell, with several men-of-war, had just anchored in Lochnevis, at the very place where Charles landed on his coming from Skye, and, having set two men to watch the motions of general Campbell, took his way back on the morning of the twenty-third, without waiting for any necessaries, bringing intelligence that captain Scott, with his party, was come from Glengary's Morar to the lower part of Arisaig, whereby Clanronald's country was wholly surrounded by the government troops. Charles, of course, had nothing left for him to do but to escape from that country-if escape was yet possible-without a moment's delay. Accordingly, parting with Angus Macdonald, and his son-in-law M'Eachine, he set out, accompanied only by Glenaladale, and his brother John Macdonald, and John Macdonald, junior, of Boradale, that they might the more easily pass the guards that lay in the way, and by twelve o'clock were at the top of Scoorvuy, a hill in the utmost bounds of Arisaig, whence, when they had taken some refreshment, Glenaladale's brother was sent to Glenfinnin to collect intelligence, and order two men, whom he had there stationed, to meet them by ten o'clock at night on the top of Swerink Corrichan, a hill above Lochairkaig, in the country of Lochiel. Charles, Glenaladale, and lieutenant John Macdonald, taking the route for the same place, came about two o'clock to the top of a hill, where, observing some cattle in motion, the former,

and the latter of these gentlemen, concealed themselves, while Glenaladale went forward to inquire into the cause, and found it to be a number of his own tenants driving their cattle out of the reach of the troops, who, to the number of six or seven hundred, were come to the head of Lochairkaig on purpose to enclose Charles, whom they were well assured was now in Clanronald's country, through which they were making the most minute search. This was intelligence of the most alarming description, but it probably saved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, who were just before them. Glenaladale instantly sent one of his tenants to Glenfinnin, from which they were only about a mile distant, to recall his brother, and bring along the two men whom he had stationed there for a guard; he sent also another of his tenants for Donald Cameron of Glenpean to a neighbouring hill, whither he had retired with his effects upon the approach of the soldiers, from whom he expected to learn the situation of the troops at Fort Augustus, and by whose prudence and knowledge of the country he hoped to be guided past the guards that were now stationed around them in all directions.

Waiting here for the return of these messengers, one of Glenaladale's tenants' wives, lamenting the fate of her master, milked some of her cows, and brought him the milk, being all the refreshment it was in her power to furnish, and even this kindness in his present circumstances he would gladly have declined. Charles, on her approach, covered his head with a handkerchief, and passed for one of Glenaladale's servants, who was ill with a headache-the woman was politely dismissed, and a small portion of the milk saved for his special refreshment. The messenger sent to Glenfinnin soon returned having found none of the persons he was sent for; but he brought the alarming intelligence, that upwards of one hundred of the Argyleshire militia were already at the foot of the hill upon which they now stood. The messenger sent for Donald Cameron had not yet returned, but there was no time to be lost, so they set out about sunset, travelling with the utmost expedition till about eleven at night, when, passing between two hills, they perceived a man coming down one of the hills towards them, upon which Charles and lieutenant Macdonald

concealed themselves, while Glenaladale stepped boldly forward to see whether the man was a friend or a foe, and to his great joy found him to be their much longed for guide, Donald Cameron of Glenpean, who was immediately introduced to Charles, gave him a particular account of the situation of the king's troops, and, undertaking to guide him safely through all the guards that surrounded him, they pursued their way by roads almost impassable even in daylight, and about four o'clock in the morning, of the twenty-fourth of July, reached the summit of Mammyn Callum, a hill in Lochairkaig, whence they had a perfect view of the enemy's camp, from which they were scarcely a mile distant. Informed by their guide that this hill had been narrowly searched the preceding day, they concluded that there was little danger of the search being this day repeated; so, looking out for the fittest place for that purpose, the whole party lay down to take a little sleep. After sleeping two hours, Glenpean, Glenaladale, and his companion the lieutenant, got up to keep watch over Charles, and about ten o'clock were joined by Glenaladale's brother, who had been sent to Glenfinnin, and missing to meet them at the appointed place, had come hither in search of them. This gave them a very sensible pleasure, as they had given him up for lost. On the top of this hill they all continued till nine in the evening, when they again set out to the southward, and about one in the morning of the twenty-fifth came to Corinangaull, on the confines of that place of Glengary's country called Knoidart, and that part of Lochiel's called Lochairkaig. Here their guide expected to meet some of the Lochairkaig people, who he knew had fled to this place with their cattle, and from whom he expected a supply of provisions, of which they were in great want, having nothing but a little butter and some oatmeal, which they could not prepare, not daring to kindle a fire, as they were never out of sight of their pursuers, who had formed a chain in a direct line from the head of Lochiel to the head of Lochruin, dividing Knoidart from that part of Macleod's country called Glenelg, each little camp being within a mile of the other, and the sentinels placed so as to be within call of each other, patroles going between the sentinels every quarter of an hour to see that they were doing their duty. In this situation they were