at Edinburgh, by Dr. Burton, and the latter was received at Leith in a similar manner by Bishop Forbes. 66 66 The anecdotes preserved by the more humble attendants of the unfortunate prince are extremely interesting, and expressed too in the most simple language. Ned Burke, a native of the isle of Sky, had a share in the fight of Culloden, as well as in the honour of conducting his commander off the ground, and indicating to him a place of safety. When Charles was at Killdun house, intelligence was conveyed to Stornaway, "upon which a "drum beat, and upwards of a hundred men convened to appre"hend us. However, the Mackenzies proved very favourable and "easy; for they could have taken us, if they had pleased. We were then only four in number besides the prince, and we had only four hired men for rowing the barge. Upon the alarm "Ned Burke advised that they should take to the mountains, but "the prince said, How long is it, Ned, since you turned cowardly? I shall be sure of the best of them ere taken, which, "I hope, shall never be in life.'" Some time after, they went to South Uist, and took refuge in the mountains of Coradale, where they stayed three weeks. One day the prince seeing a deer ran straight to him, fired off hand, and killed him. Edward Burke brought home the deer and made ready some collops; then comes a poor boy, who, without asking questions, put his hand among the meat, which the cook (Edward Burke) perceiving, gave him a whop with the back of his hand. Charles, observing this, said “O man, you do not remember the Scripture, which commands us "to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. You ought rather to give him meat than a stripe.' The prince then ordered some clothes for the boy, and said he would pay for them; which was done accordingly. The prince added more, saying, "I could "not see a Christian perish for want of food and raiment, had I "the power to support them!"-"Now," says Ned Burke, gentlemen and ladies, who read this, believe it to be a true and genuine short account of hardships that happened, and what "the author saw; but for brevity's sake I have not made mention "of many wants the prince suffered, the many ill-dressed diets he got, the many bad beds he lay in, with all which he cheerfully and patiently put up." 66 66 Donald Macleod, though not originally attached to the rebel army, proved in the end not less devoted to his cause than was honest Burke. Being well acquainted with the coast and accustomed to navigate the small craft in which the Hebrideans convey themselves from one island to another, Donald was selected as a useful attendant on the steps of the fugitive prince. He was desired to go to Boradale a few days after the defeat at Culloden, and when he arrived there the first man he saw was Charles Edward in a wood, all alone. The latter, making towards the Celt, asked him if he were Donald Macleod of Guatergill in Sky? "Yes," said Donald, "I am the same man, may it please your majesty, at your service. What is your pleasure with me?" "Then," said the prince, "you see, Donald, I am in distress; "I therefore throw myself into your bosom, and let you do with 66 me what you like. I hear you are an honest man and fit to be 66 "trusted." When Donald gave this part of his narrative to Bishop Forbes, he wept sore; the tears came running down his cheeks, and he said: "Wha de'il could help greeting when speaking on such a sad subject?" He was not aware of the more elegant terms in which the Roman poet expressed a similar sentiment: "Quis talia fando Myrmidonum, Dolopumve, aut duri miles Ulyssei In reply to Charles the intelligent boatman spoke as follows; affording another proof that the wisdom and courage of that era shone forth with the greatest lustre in the persons of the lowly: "Alas, may it please your Excellency, what can I do for you? for "I am but a poor auld man and can do very little for myself!"— "Why," said the prince, " the service I am to put you upon, I "know, you can perform very well. It is, that you go with letters "from me to Sir Alexander Macdonald and the Laird of Mac"leod. I desire, therefore, to know if you will undertake this "piece of service; for I am really convinced that these gentle"men, for all that they have done, will do all in their power to protect me." Upon hearing this, Donald was struck with surprize, and plainly told the prince that he would do anything but that. It was a task he would not undertake, if he should hang him for refusing. "What!" said Donald, " does not your Ex"cellency know that these men have played the rogue to you al 66 together! And will you trust them for all that. Na you maunna "do't." Then Donald informed the prince that Sir Alexander Macdonald and the Laird of Macleod were actually in search of him at the head of their militia, and not more than ten miles distant. It was then resolved to put to sea; for which purpose Donald took care to buy a pot for boiling porridge, or the like, when they should happen to land; and a poor firlot of meal was all the provision he could make out to carry along with them." There were in the boat, besides Charles himself, the Captains O'Sulli van, O'Neil, and Macdonald, a clergyman of the Church of Rome, and Donald Macleod, who acted as master and pilot. The rowers were eight in number, among whom was Murdoch Macleod, the son of Donald, who, though only fifteen years of age, chose to bear a part in the troubles and dangers of the period. He was placed at the grammar school of Inverness; but no sooner had he learned that a battle was about to be fought, than, providing himself with a claymore, dirk, and pistol, he left his books and took his chance in the field of Culloden. After the defeat he found means to trace the footsteps of the prince, and followed him from glen to mountain; " and this was the way," said Donald, " that I met with my poor boy." 66 They had not rowed far from the shore when a violent tempest arose, accompanied with much thunder and lightning. When. the prince saw the gale increasing still more and more, he wanted much to be at land again; saying, "I had far rather face cannons " and muskets than be in such a storm as this." But Donald would not hear of that proposal at all, assuring the prince that it was impossible for them to return to the land again; for, as the wind was against them, the boat would be dashed upon rocks and go to pieces. He then asked Donald what he had a mind to do? The other replied, since we are here we have nothing for "it but, under God, to set out to sea directly. Is it not as good "for us to be drowned in clean water, as to be dashed in pieces "and drowned too?" "After this all was hush and silence; not one word more amongst them, expecting every moment to be overwhelmed with the violence of the waves, and to sink down to the bottom. To make the case still worse they had neither pump nor compass, nor lantern, along with them; and the night turned so pitch-dark that they knew not where they were for the most of the course. This made them afraid of being tossed upon some coast, where the militia were in arms to prevent the prince's escape. But," to use Donald's words, " as God would have it, by peep of day we discovered ourselves to be on the coast of the Long Island; and we made directly to the nearest land, which was Rushness, in the island Benbecula, where, with great difficulty, we got on shore and saved the boat. They had run nearly a hundred miles in eight hours. I asked Donald" (says Bishop Forbes) "if the prince was in health all the time he was with him. He replied that the prince would never own he was in bad health; though he and all that were with him had reason to think that during the whole time the prince was more or less under a bloody flux, but that he bore up most surprisingly, and never wanted spirits. Donald added, that the prince, for all the fatigue he underwent, never slept above three or four hours, at the most, at a time; and that, when he awoke in the morning, he was always sure to call for a chopin (quart) of water, which he drank off at a draught; and that he had a little bottle in his pocket out of which he used to take so many drops every morning and throughout the day, saying, if any thing should ail him, he hoped he should cure himself, for that he was something of a doctor. And, faith," said Donald, "he was, indeed, a bit of a doctor; for Ned Burke happening once to be unco ill of a colick, the prince said, Let him alone, I hope to cure him of that;' and accordingly he did so, for he gave him so many drops out of the little bottle, and Ned was soon as well as ever he had been." Charles and his companions were often reduced to great straits. He, O'Sullivan, and O'Neil, had but six shirts amongst them; and frequently "when they stripped to dry those that that were upon them, they found those they were to put on as wet as the ones they had just thrown off. Upon a desert island in which they took refuge, they discovered a quantity of good dried fish, of which they resolved to make the best fare they could. As they had plenty of brandy and sugar along with them, and found very good springs upon the island, they wanted much to have a little warm punch to cheer their hearts. They luckily stumbled upon an earthen pitcher which some fishermen had left, and this served their purpose very well for heating the water; but the second night, by some accident or other, the pitcher was broken to pieces, so that they were obliged to drink their punch cold.” Donald was asked if the prince ever gave any particular toast when they were taking a cup of grog, or any similar beverage. He replied that, on such occasions, his royal highness very often drank to the Black Eye; by which, said the pilot, he meant the second daughter of France, and I never heard him give any particular health but that alone. When he spoke of that lady, which he did frequently, he appeared to be more than ordinarily well pleased. When Donald was in like manner interrogated, whether he ever heard the prince mention that he had any trust to put in the King of France for assistance, he answered, that when Charles Edward spoke of the King of France he always expressed great affection, and declared that he firmly believed his majesty had his cause much at heart, and would, he hoped, do all in his power to promote it. When the prince at any time talked on this subject, he was wont, says Donald, to add these words: "" But, gentlemen, I can assure you, a king and his "council are two very different things." On the tenth of May, the fugitives left the cold remote islet on which they had passed four nights, with the intention of landing on Scalpay; but the sight of numerous cruisers, which were sent out to capture the son of the chevalier, compelled them oftener than once to shift their course. Next day they fell short of bread, but having some meal on board, the men, who were now very hungry, proceeded to make drammach or crowdy with salt water and to lick it up. No dish, perhaps, could be less inviting than oatmeal drenched with sea water; but the prince, observing to them that it was a kind of food he had never seen before, desired to taste it. His appetite, a good deal sharpened by fresh air and abstinence, was easily reconciled to the homely fare; he ate of it very heartily, and Donald remarks," that never any meat or drink came wrong to him; he could take a share of every thing, be it good, bad, or indifferent; and was always cheerful and contented in every condition." One day, coursing up and down Loch Boisdale, the communicative pilot asked the prince, if he were once come to his own, what he would do to Sir Alexander Macdonald and the Laird of Macleod for their unkind behaviour. "Oh, Donald," said the young aspirant to the British throne," what would ye have me do to them? Are they not our own people still? They are not quite to blame for what they have done. It is altogether to the power which President Forbes had over their judgment in these matters. Besides, if the king were restored, we should be as sure of them for friends as of any other men whatsoever." About the middle of June, Charles Edward was so closely beset that it became necessary to have recourse to stratagem in order to accomplish his escape. Two ships of war lay at the mouth of the Loch, and five hundred soldiers were already within a mile and a half of the spot where he was concealed. He therefore resolved to dismiss all his attendants except Captain O'Neil, who, as we shall see anon, had the presence of mind to introduce him to Flora Macdonald. Meantime we will pursue a little farther the history of Donald Macleod, who was taken prisoner about ten days after he had separated from the prince. Being brought before General Campbell, who commanded in those quarters, he was asked if he had been along with the young Pretender? "Yes," said Donald, "I was along with that young gentleman, and I winna deny it." "Do you know" said the General, "what money was upon that man's head?-no less a sum than thirty thousand pounds sterling, which would have made you and all your children after you happy for ever!" Donald's reply was given in these words, "What then! thirty thousand poundsthough I had gotten it, I could not have enjoyed it eight-andforty hours; conscience would have gotten up upon me; that money could not have kept it down; and though I had gotten all England and Scotland for my pains, I would not have allowed a hair of his head to be touched if I could help it." This noble |