+Source.+--_The Lyon in Mourning: or, a Collection of Speeches,
Letters, Journals, etc., relative to the Affairs of Prince Charles
Edward Stuart_, vol. i., p. 367, by the Rev. Robert Forbes, A.M.,
Bishop of Ross and Caithness, 1746-1775. Edited from his manuscript,
with a preface by Henry Paton, M.A. (Edinburgh: Scottish Historical
Society, 1895.)
_Copy of CAPTAIN O'NEILLE'S Journal, taken from an attested copy by his
name subscribed with his own hand._
That night[105] the Prince retir'd six miles from the field of battle
and went next day as far, and in three days more arrived at Fort
Augustus, where he remained a whole day in expectation his troops would
have join'd him. But seeing no appearance of it, he went to the house of
Invergary and ordered me to remain there to direct such as pass'd that
way the road he took. I remained there two days and announc'd the
Prince's orders to such as I met, but to no effect, every one taking his
own road.
I then followed the Prince, who was so far from making a precipitate
retreat [as has been maliciously reported] that he retired by six and
six miles and arrived the 28th of April O.S. at Knoidart, where I join'd
him next day and gave him an account of the little or no appearance
there was of assembling his troops, upon which he wrote circular letters
to all the chieftains, enjoining them, by the obedience they owed him,
to join him immediately with such of their clans as they could gather;
at the same time representing to them the imminent danger they were in
if they neglected it. After remaining some days there in hopes his
orders would have been obeyed, and seeing not one person repair to him,
the extreme danger his person was in, being within seven miles of Lord
Loudon, Sir Alexander MacDonald and the MacLeods, it was proposed to
evade it by retreating to one of the islands near the continent. After
repeated instances of the like nature he reluctantly assented, leaving
Mr. John Hay behind to transmit him the answers of his letters, with an
account of what should pass, and parted for the Isles in an open fishing
boat at eight at night, attended by Colonel O'Sullivan and me only.
About an hour after we parted a violent hurricane arose, which drove us
ninety miles[106] from our designed port; and next day running for
shelter into the Island of North Uist,[107] we struck upon a rock and
staved to pieces, and with great difficulty saved our lives. At our
landing we were in the most melancholy situation, knowing nobody and
wanting the common necessaries of life. After much search we found a
little hut uninhabited, and took shelter there, and with a great deal of
pains made a fire to dry our cloaths. Here the Prince remained two days,
having no other provisions but a few biskets we had saved out of the
boat, which were entirely spoiled with the salt water.
As this island belonged to Sir Alexander MacDonald, and not judging
ourselves safe, we determined going elsewhere, and by the greatest good
fortune, one of our boatmen discovered a boat stranded on the coast, and
having with great difficulty launched it into the water, we embarked for
the Harris. In our passage we unfortunately met with another storm which
obliged us to put into an island near Stornoway.... And meeting with
three ships of war we were constrained to put into a desert island where
we remained eight days in the greatest misery, having no sustenance but
some dried fish that Providence threw in our way in this island. When
the ships disappeared we put to sea again, and next morning met with
another ship of war just coming out of one of the lochs, who pursued us
for near an hour; but the wind rising we made our escape. In the
afternoon we arrived at the Island of Benbecula.... Here we remained
some days longer, till the Duke of Cumberland having intelligence that
the Prince was concealed in the Long Isle, ordered the militia of the
Isle of Sky and the Independent Companies to go in search of him. As
soon as we had notice of their landing we retreated to an island about
twelve miles distance, called Ouya, where we remained till we found they
had followed us, and then we went for Loch Boisdale, and stayed there
eight days, when Captain Carolina Scott landed within a mile of us,
which obliged us to separate, the Prince taking me to the mountains, and
O'Sullivan remaining with the boatmen.