[117] See ff. 262, 1714.
* * * * *
The Prince delivered the letter into the Captain's hands, and then
asked him if he could light him a pipe, for he wanted [Sidenote:
_fol._ 248.] to smoke in the passage. The Captain desir'd him to have
the cutty ready in his cheek, and that he should fall upon a method
to light it. Malcolm took some tow out of his pocket, and snapping
one of the guns held the tow to the pan and kindled it. Then putting
it to the mouth of the pipe he blew and the Prince smok'd. But the
cuttie being exceedingly short, Malcolm scarred the Prince's cheek
with the tow.
At parting the Prince presented the Captain with a silver
stock-buckle, which among all his difficulties he has still got
preserv'd; and embracing him in his arms saluted him twice, and bad
God bless him, putting ten guineas into his hand. Malcolm positively
refused to accept of the gold, because the Prince behoved to have
great use for money in his wandering from place to place; and he
said he believed he had not much about him at that time. The Prince
pressed it upon him and would have no refusal, wishing it had been
much more for his sake, and that he could have gone to the continent
with him.
[Sidenote: July]
Captain MacLeod took care to have one of the cutties the Prince had
used and carried it to London with him, where meeting with one,
Dr. Burton of York, a prisoner, and chancing to tell the story of
the cuttie the Doctor begged as a great favour to have the cuttie,
which Malcolm gave him. The Doctor has made a fine shagreen case
for it, and preserves it as a valuable rarity. This Dr. Burton was
made prisoner [Sidenote: _fol._ 249.] upon a suspicion of his having
crossed England with an intention to kiss the Prince's hands. Malcolm
in coming down from London made a stop at York for a day or two, and
visited the Doctor and his cuttie.
Captain MacLeod,[118] after taking leave of the Prince made the best
of his way back again to Raaza, and on his way visited Mrs. MacDonald
of Kingsburgh, to whom he told the whole adventure, particularly the
story of the motto and carving upon the silver-mill she had given to
the Prince; and how the Prince said that the wind would soon change
and set the ships of war off from the coast, which Malcolm said
accordingly happened.
[118] He is only 34 years of age. See ff. 1714, _et seq._
After Malcolm had returned to Raaza, parties landed upon the island
to rummage it. One day a party of red-coats happened to be pretty
near him before he spied them. He and a servant he had with him took
to their heels and ran for it. The party did not fire but called upon
them to stop. Endeavouring to get clear of this party, he had almost
run himself into the hands of Captain Caroline Scott, upon the head
of fifty or sixty men. Scott ordered his party to fire at Malcolm
and his servant, and to run after them.[119] They catched the poor
servant, and would have him to tell if yon was the Pretender that had
got off from them; and because he would not [Sidenote: _fol._ 250.]
say it was the Pretender, they tortured him so that they left him for
dead upon the spot. But whether or not the poor man (Donald Nicolson)
recovered was what Malcolm had never yet discovered. Malcolm ran
to the clift of a rock upon the sea-shore, where he said no person
would ever run but in the greatest necessity, so difficult it was of
access. There he remained three days and three nights, having only
some crumbs of bread and cheese in his pocket. But being like to
starve of hunger and thirst, he left his cliff and came once more
upon the island. One day happening to take a nap in a house, an alarm
came that a party of MacLeods from Sky was near, and before he could
get out at the door the party was hard at hand. Once more he ran to
the old clift, the party firing at him and crying after him to stop;
but he continued running with all speed, and they endeavoured to
outrun him but could not. In his way to the clift he happened to meet
with a boy whom he took along with him, lest he should have fallen
into the hands of the party, and perhaps have discovered which way he
saw him running. He remained in the clift three days more. The boy
growing weary of the cold and hungry quarters, frequently pressed to
be gone. But the Captain could not well think of that, for fear of
a discovery. However, at last he allowed the boy to go, taking his
promise that he would fetch him some provisions and intelligence, and
that he would not discover where he had left him. The poor [Sidenote:
_fol._ 251.] boy soon fell into the hands of the same party, who by
threats forced him to tell what he knew. Malcolm rising up to look
about him a little, spied six MacLeods creeping in about to the
clift with their muskets cock'd. He had no way left him to escape;
but having some gold upon him he offered them every farthing of it,
provided they would let him go and shift for himself, which they
refused to do, even though they were his own blood-relations, and
the party commanded by his friend, John MacLeod of Talisker. They
carried him prisoner to a command of fusiliers at Pourtree in Sky.
From thence he was guarded by a party to the sloop, commanded by that
cruel, barbarous man, John Ferguson of Aberdeenshire.[120]
[119] See ff. 875, 1718.
[120] See f. 1728.
[Sidenote: Aug. 2.]
When he was to go on board his wife and some other friends came
flocking about him, weeping bitterly and lamenting his fate. He very
pleasantly desired them to dry up their tears, for that he hoped to
return yet from London in coach. This merry saying of his prov'd
not amiss, for he came from London in a post-chaise with Miss Flora
MacDonald, passing for one Mr. Robertson, and Miss, for his sister;
they not chusing to discover themselves upon the road, lest the mob
might insult them and use them ill. They arrived in Edinburgh upon
Sunday's evening, August 2nd, 1747.
Though Ferguson could not fail to know Captain MacLeod to be a
gentleman both from his manner and the cloaths he had upon him (for
he was very genteelly dress'd in scarlet [Sidenote: _fol._ 252.]
cloath and fine tartan), yet he was never pleased to vouchsafe him
one single look but in the way of surliness and ill-nature. He was
oblig'd to retire every evening by eight o'clock with the other
prisoners to the place assigned them under deck, where they had their
choice of lying upon cable ropes, boards, or stones, without any
covering, and had only half-men's allowance given them of very coarse
indifferent fare.
[Sidenote: 4 July]
Before the Captain got to London his cloaths were so wore that the
skin began to appear through them, and by that time he had not
one shirt to change another. Though he had been an officer in the
Prince's service under his chiftain, the Laird of Raaza, yet he
had the good luck to get off by a mistake, for he was thought when
brought to London to be Raaza himself, both whose feet turn inwards;
and when Malcolm's feet were examined by order, the return given was
'that they were both straight and stout.' However, his name being
much talked of and growing somewhat famous over all London, the
Government had a mind once more to be at him, and sent the evidences
to visit him to see if they knew him, and if they did not know him,
to endeavour to fish something out of him by entangling him in his
talk. Particularly one, Urquhart, came to him in a very kind and
familiar manner, and inquiring about his welfare. Captain MacLeod
told him that he had the [Sidenote: _fol._ 253.] advantage of him,
for that he was at a loss to know who it was that favoured him with
such a kind visit, not remembring he had ever seen the face before.
'O Mr. MacLeod,' said Urquhart, 'don't you remember to have seen me
at Edinburgh at such a time?' It happened very luckily for Malcolm
that he had never been in Edinburgh before that time, and therefore
he assured Urquhart that he behoved to take him for some other
person. Raaza and his men had come only to Perth sometime before
Falkirk battle. Urquhart still insisted that he was sure he had seen
him before, particularly at Inverness at such a time. The Captain
still kept him off with long weapons and discreet returns; so that
neither Urquhart nor none of his kidney could gain any ground upon
him at all. There being no evidence to be found against him, he had
the benefit of the indemnity. Accordingly he was liberate out of
the messengers hands upon July 4th, 1747, together with Clanranald,
senior, and his lady, Boisdale, John MacKinnon, my Lady Stewart, etc.
Miss Flora MacDonald was not liberate till some few days after.
[Sidenote: 1745 September]
Captain MacLeod gave likewise the following remarkable
narrative:[121] After the battle of Gladesmuir, a Glenelg man came
over to Sky to give the accounts of it. Upon this Sir Alexander
MacDonald, the Laird of Raaza, Kingsburgh and [Sidenote: _fol._ 254.]
Captain MacLeod had a meeting some time in the end of September,
1745, at Sconsary, a publick house in the Isle of Sky. When Sir
Alexander came to the place, he desired that none might be present
but friends. The company assured him that the Glenelg man was a very
honest fellow; but Sir Alexander would not hear of his witnessing
what passed among them, and therefore he was not admitted.
[121] See f. 1829.
Sir Alexander said that this was certainly a most remarkable and
surprizing victory the Prince had obtained; that he doubted not now
of the Prince's succeeding in the attempt; and that therefore every
one should raise his men to assist him in the design. Then directing
his discourse to Raaza, he said, 'Raaza, tis true you cannot raise
many men; but the men you have are good. You can easily raise an
hundred, and I resolve to raise nine hundred, which will make out
a thousand good stout fellows betwixt us: for I am not for having
boys or superannuate men amongst them. These I would divide into two
battalions, 500 in each; and as you are a man that one can confide
in, I resolve to make you Colonel of one of the battalions.' Raaza
most cheerfully accepted of the offer, and heartily thanked Sir
Alexander for the command he designed to honour him with. Then the
marching off the men was laid down by Sir Alexander himself,--that
Raaza should go off with his battalion first, and that Sir Alexander
should follow [Sidenote: _fol._ 255.] at the distance of a day's
march; and the particular places for quartering on the march were
condescended upon. They likewise agreed upon what number of cattle
they should drive along with each battalion for provisions till they
should come to the low country, where they would get plenty. In a
word, all matters were most amicably and frankly resolved upon for
joining the Prince's standard without loss of time, and the company
were highly delighted with the interview. Sir Alexander stayed all
that night in the same house, making very merry, and taking a hearty
glass with the gentlemen.
Next day the post brought letters to Sir Alexander from President
Forbes and the Laird of MacLeod, then at Culloden, which were
delivered to him in presence of the company. He stept aside to a
window and read the letters by himself, not allowing the company
to know anything of the contents. Immediately he left his former
chearfulness and frank way, and was quite upon the grave and
thoughtful. He spoke not one word more of the matter, and left the
company soon like one in confusion. To the importunities of the
President and MacLeod had Sir Alexander in an instant yielded himself
up entirely, and dropt the declared resolution of his own mind.
Just as Sir Alexander went away, Malcolm MacLeod asked [Sidenote:
_fol._ 256.] at Kingsburgh what was become of yesternight's
resolution, for that he was much surprized at Sir Alexander's leaving
them so abruptly and dryly. Kingsburgh said he knew as little what
was become of that affair as Mr. MacLeod did, but he was afraid that
there would be no more of it. When Captain MacLeod was asked whether
or not he thought that Lady Margaret MacDonald had any influence upon
Sir Alexander to make him change his resolution; his answer was, that
from all he knew of that matter he could not discover any reason to
believe that Lady Margaret had any influence at all in the affair
upon Sir Alexander.
[Sidenote: _c._ June.]
After giving this narrative, Malcolm likewise told that before the
Prince's arrival Sir Alexander MacDonald had been with Boisdale,
brother of the Laird of Clanranald, and who lives in South Uist,
with whom he had a conference about the Prince's designing to come
over; insinuating that he intended to land first in some part of
the Long Isle, and perhaps might send for Boisdale; adding withal
that if he should happen to come without a backing, he could wish he
would return to France. To this purpose Sir Alexander left a message
with Boisdale to the Prince, importuning him, if he arrived without
a following to return and wait for a more favourable opportunity,
[Sidenote: _fol._ 257.] and till he should get matters in better
order for the attempt.
When Boisdale came to the Prince upon his first landing he delivered
the message to him, and did all he could to support the purport of
it. The Prince asked Boisdale if he thought that he would get a
hundred men to join him. 'No doubt,' said Boisdale, 'you'll get more
than a hundred. But what then, though you get 500? what will that
do?' 'Well then,' said the Prince, 'if I can get only a hundred good
stout honest-hearted fellows to join me, I'll make a trial what I can
do.' Although Boisdale spoke to the Prince in a very discouraging
way, and after the standard was set up kept back all Clanranald's men
that lived in South Uist and the other Isles to the number of four or
five hundred good men (for he had more to say with them than either
Clanranald himself or his son), yet to do Boisdale justice, he was
of great use to the Prince when wandering up and down through South
Uist, Benbicula, and other parts of the Long Isle, and exerted his
utmost endeavours (with the assistance of honest Armadale) to keep
him out of the hands of his enemies.
As to the several parts of the above sentence particular questions
were asked at Malcolm MacLeod, and in his answers he gave a plain
account of Boisdale's conduct, both before and after the Prince's
distress, and particularly mentioned what number of men Clanranald
might be reckoned to have in the Isles. Both the Captain and James
MacDonald, joiner (in [Sidenote: _fol._ 258.] whose house this
Journal was given), agreed in affirming that Clanranald had in the
Isles four or five hundred good men, and upon the continent three
hundred. These upon the continent were the only men that followed
young Clanranald in the Prince's service.
Captain MacLeod likewise gave the following account of the great
danger the Prince was in of being taken prisoner in the retreat from
Sterling to Inverness:--
[Sidenote: 16 Feb.]
[Sidenote: 17 Feb.]
The Prince, one night, quartering in the Laird of MacIntosh's house,
had not many about him for a guard, and these too dispersed up and
down for proper quarters, there being no apprehension at all of
any danger. Lord Loudon, then at Inverness, got intelligence that
the Prince was that night to sleep in MacIntosh's house with no
great guard about him. When it was dark, orders were given the men
to be in readiness upon a minute's warning, and accordingly Lord
Loudon marched off with about seventeen hundred men.[122] When the
Prince was about going to rest, or rather when it became dark, Lady
MacIntosh ordered one Frazer, a blacksmith (who happened to be there
by chance, having a desire to see the Prince), and four servants to
get loaded muskets, and to go away privately beyond all the guards
and sentries without allowing them to know anything about them or
their design, and to walk on the fields all night, and to keep a good
look-out. Thereby she said they would prove a check upon the guards,
and would be ready to discover approaching [Sidenote: _fol._ 259.]
danger, if any should happen before the sentries could know anything
of the matter. All this proceeded merely from Lady MacIntosh's great
care and anxiety about the Prince. The blacksmith and his faithful
four accordingly went pretty far beyond all the sentries, and walked
up and down upon a muir, at the distance, Captain MacLeod said he
believed, of two miles from MacIntosh's house. At last they spied
betwixt them and the sky a great body of men moving towards them, and
not at a great distance. The blacksmith fired his musket and killed
one of Loudon's men, some say, the piper; but Captain MacLeod said
he could not positively affirm anything about that particular.[123]
The four servants followed the blacksmith's example, and it is
thought they too did some execution. Upon this the blacksmith huzzaed
and cried aloud, 'Advance, Advance, my lads, Advance! (naming some
particular regiments) I think we have the dogs now.' This so struck
Lord Loudon's men with horrour that instantly they wheel'd about,
after firing some shots, and in great confusion ran back with speed
to Inverness. It is thought that Lord Loudon's men who fired wounded
some of their own companions. An express had been sent off privately
to Lady MacIntosh by some friend in Inverness to warn her of the
danger. He came to the house much about the time that the trusty five
discovered [Sidenote: _fol._ 260.] the body of men advancing towards
them. Lady MacIntosh ran directly to the room where the Prince was
fast asleep and gave him notice of Lord Loudon's design. Instantly
he jumped out of bed and would have been going down stairs directly,
but Lady MacIntosh importuned him to stay in the room till she should
get him further notice and try what could be done. They were soon put
out of any apprehension of danger. Some of Lord Loudon's men, through
the darkness of the night mistaking their way, fell into the hands
of the guard, and told that when they were ordered to march from
Inverness they were not allowed to know where they were going, and
that Lord Loudon upon the firing should have said, 'There's an end
to this; we are certainly discovered.' He was the prettiest fellow
that could make Inverness first. The firing of the five alarmed the
guard, and quickly put them and others in motion. But Loudon and his
men were far out of reach before they could come to the ground where
the firing happen'd. Clanranald's men were that night keeping guard
upon the Prince, and Captain MacLeod, being in the neighbourhood, was
amongst the number of those that were alarm'd with the firing and
made haste to come up.
[122] See ff. 648, 989, 1207, 1256.
[123] See f. 380.
Among other subjects the Prince and Captain MacLeod in their
wanderings happen'd to talk of the above remarkable incident when the
Prince was pleased to inform him that the [Sidenote: _fol._ 261.]
Laird of MacIntosh himself (in Lord Loudon's command) was the kind
friend that had sent off the express from Inverness to give notice
of the danger. The Prince said he had a very good opinion of that
gentleman.
After the hurry of the alarm was over, the Prince ordered all the
men to be got together and to march directly for Inverness; and when
they were approaching that town he drew them up in order of battle,
expecting, as was given out, that Lord Loudon was to march out of
the town to fight. For a considerable way they marched in order
of battle, and when they came near Inverness they saw Lord Loudon
and his men making all the haste they could out of it, betaking
themselves to ships and boats to carry them off. The Prince and his
army entred the town without opposition or violence of any kind.[124]
[124] See ff. 273, 993, 1258.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 1747 13 Aug.]
_N.B._--Upon Thursday, August 13th, 1747, Captain Malcolm MacLeod and
James Macdonald, Joiner, Dined With My Lady Bruce in the
Citadel of Leith. After Dinner They Were So Kind As to Retire to
My Room, Where They Staid Till Between Six and Seven at Night.
the Captain Was But Poorly Provided For in Money Matters, and
Therefore a Contribution Was Set on Foot For Him in and About
Edinburgh. I Was So Happy[125] As to Make Among My Acquaintances
Six Guineas and a Crown, Which I Delivered Into His Own Hand. I
Then Told Him the [Sidenote: _fol._ 262.] Freedom I Had Taken
in Writing Down from My Memory the Conversation He Had Honoured
Me With, Friday Last, in Presence of Stewart Carmichael and
James Macdonald, But That I Still Wanted to Have an Additional
Favour of Him, Which Was, That He Would Be So Good As to Allow
Me to Read My _prima Cura_ in His Hearing, in Order to Get His
Observations and Amendments Upon It. He Frankly Granted My
Request, and Said He Was Glad to Embrace the Opportunity of So
Much Exactness, Which Had Never Been Used With Him in Any One
of the Many Conversations He Had Formerly Given. He Was Pleased
to Declare His Being Much Satisfied With What I Had Written and
Said, He Would Now Tell Me Some Things He Had Not Mentioned
Before, Which Accordingly I Writ in His Own Words, Always
Reading Over Every Sentence to Him For The Greater Certainty
of the Facts Being Exactly and Circumstantially Narrated. I
Have Been Carefull to Insert These Particulars in Their Proper
Places in the Above Transcript. There Was One Thing I Had Some
Difficulty Rightly to Adjust With Captain Macleod, Which Was the
Day Of the Month When He Parted With the Prince After Seeing Him
in the Boat With Old Mackinnon. When I Asked Him About This,
He Said It Was Upon July 4th.[126] I Told Him That Would Not
Answer at All With the Days Formerly Mentioned by Him, and That
It Behoved to Be July 5th. He Was Still Positive That [Sidenote:
_fol_. 263.] It Was the 4th, 'For,' Said He, 'I Remember Nothing
Better Than That I Set It Down Upon a Piece of Paper Lest I
Should Forget It.' [The Difficulty Was Still Like to Remain
Unresolved, He Being Equally Positive Both As to The Days
Formerly Mentioned by Him, and the Particular Day Upon Which He
Parted With the Prince, Till It Luckily Came Into My Mind to Ask
Him How Many Days He Reckoned in June? He Answered, Thirty-one,
Which Mistake Served to Clear Up This Point.[127]] Captain
Macleod Said He Expected His Brother-in-law, John Mackinnon,
Soon Down from London, And Then Suggested to James Macdonald
That If John Should Happen to Come by the Way of Edinburgh,
He Should Be at Pains to Procure a Meeting Betwixt the Said
Mr. Mackinnon and Me, and That (Considering The Exactness I
Observed) James Macdonald Should Lay Himself Out to Get Me a
Meeting With Donald Macleod, Miss Flora Macdonald, and Any
Others If They Came in His Reach That Could Be Useful in Making
a Discovery of Facts and Men. to Which Mr. Macdonald Answered,
He Would Do All That Lay in His Power.
[125] lucky _interlined_.
[126] See ff. 767, 879.
[127] The passage within brackets is scored through as delete by
Bishop Forbes. [ED.]
I then took occasion to acquaint Captain MacLeod about a report
that had passed currently in Kingsburgh's name after he had set
out from Edinburgh in his return to Sky. The report was this,
that Kingsburgh [Sidenote: _fol_. 264.] should have declared
to several persons that the Laird of MacLeod should have writ
him a letter, desiring him to deliver up the Prince, if he
should happen to come in his way, and representing to him what
a service he would thereby do to his country; and that the
said Laird should have come to Kingsburgh (as the story gave
out) either at Fort Augustus or in the Castle of Edinburgh,
desiring to have that letter up from him again, which Kingsburgh
refused to comply with. Several persons (knowing that I had
frequently and familiarly conversed with Kingsburgh) had come
to me enquiring about the above report if I knew anything of
the matter. My answer always was, that as Kingsburgh had never
so much as made the most distant hint to me about any letter
whatsomever from the Laird of MacLeod, I could say nothing
either as to the truth or the falshood of that report.
After informing Captain MacLeod about this story as above, I
told him what a desire I had to have this particular cleared
up, that if the report was false and calumnious it might be
contradicted, and if true, it might be recorded in _futuram rei
memoriam_; and then asked him if he would be so good as to take
from me a memorandum to Kingsburgh about this matter. He said he
would with all his heart, and that he would likewise lay himself
out to expiscate facts and transmit exact accounts of them to
me by any sure private hand [Sidenote: _fol._ 265.] that should
come in his way. Here follows an exact copy of the
MEMORANDUM, etc.
To ask particularly at Kingsburgh if ever the Laird of MacLeod
sent him a letter about delivering up the Prince; and whether
or not he should have at any time desired to have that letter
up from him again. If such a letter be in Kingsburgh's hands,
it could be wished he would be so good as to give a copy of
it.[128]
Thursday, August 13th, 1747.
[128] See ff. 701, 793, 851, 1056, 1631.
[Sidenote: 22 Aug.]
Upon Saturday, August 22nd, I met once more with Captain MacLeod
about 3 o'clock afternoon in the house of James MacDonald,
joiner, when the Captain was making ready to pass over to
Kingborn, which accordingly he did that night. I put him in mind
of the above Memorandum, and asked the favour of him to take
John MacKinnon's account from his own mouth and transmit it to
me, as I had heard that Mr. MacKinnon had taken the opportunity
of a ship bound for Inverness from some part of the coast of
England, and therefore I could not expect to have a meeting
with him. Then I begged him to try if Armadale would vouchsafe
me a written account of his part of the management, and to
exert his endeavours to pick up for me an exact narrative of
all the cruelties, barbarities, etc., he could get any right
intelligence about. The Captain was pleased to come under a
promise that [Sidenote: _fol_. 266.] he would do his utmost to
comply with my desires as to all these particulars.