* MacDonald's " Martial Music of Scotland.''

IU

115

35. 
    " Tha Clann Domhnuill Socharach " (The MacDonalda are simple).
    * In Brown's History of the Highlands, the 28th of June is the date mentioned, the same date is also stated in Vol. XXIII. of the Scottish HiBtory Society, and that there were only four boatmen.
    
    t The Scottish History Society's account makes no mention of a tempest.
    
    
    
36. 
    " Spaidsearachd Mhic Dhomhnuill" (the March of the MacDonalds).
    
37. 
    Cruinneachadh Chlann Raonuill (sliabh an t-Siorra,") MacDonald of Cian Ranald's gathering to Sheriffmuir.
    

41. MacDonald of Kinloch Moidart's salute.

35. 
    " Uaille Chlann Domhnaill" (thè parading of the MacDonalds.)
    
36. 
    " Cumha Alastair Dheirg" (lament for Alexander MacDonald of Glengarry).
    
37. 
    " Cumha Dhomhnuill an Lagan " (lament for MacDonald of Laggan).
    

45. Lament for Captain MacDonald.
POEMS AND SONGS IN HONOUR OF FLORA MACDONALD.

Flora MacDonald, the historic heroine in the last drama of the Jacobite period, and the deliverer of Prince Charles from the clutches of his enemies, was the daughter of Ranald Mac­Donald, younger of Milton, in South Uist. She was born in 1722, and was 24 years of age when she first met the Prince in the Long Island in 1746. Her patronymic was "Fionnghal, nighean Raonuill 'ic Aonghais Oig, an Airidh Mhuilinn," that is, Flora, daughter of Ranald, the son of Angus, younger of Milton. Her mother was Marion, daughter of the Rev. Angus MacDonald, " Am ministear làidir "—the strong minister—a mild, generous, and most hospitable gentleman. Her father was a cadet of the family of Clan-ranald, not very distantly related, and her grand­mother was a daughter of MacDonald of Largie, in Kintyre, so that she was well connected on both sides of the house. She was the only daughter of the family, but she had two brothers. The elder, Ranald, a very promising youth, died from the bursting of a blood vessel from an over­strain in rowing a boat against an adverse wind ; so that the younger brother, Angus, succeeded his father at Milton, while her mother in 1728 married as her second husband, Hugh MacDonald of Armadale, in Skye, a captain of militia in the Long Island during the Prince's wanderings there. Flora's adventurous history began shortly after the Prince landed in South Uist in April, 1746, and before she ever saw him she and Lady Clanranald were constantly devising schemes for the safety and escape of the fugitive Prince. " Twelve powerful and trustworthy men who could acquit themselves by sea or land were selected by Lady Clanranald to be in readiness night and day in case their services might be required." Flora frequently conversed with these gallant Highlanders who had seen the Prince on several occasions, though she had not. One morning as two of them had come to Ormiclate to report how the Prince had passed the night, she I met them at the door and asked them in Gaelic, "Am bheil e laghach?" Is he nice? "Am bheil e aoidheil ?" Is he cheerful? "Am bheil e idir iriosal agus taitneach?" Is he at all humble and pleasant ? On another occasion she jocularly remarked to them that she could direct them how to become far wealthier than Clan­ranald. " Oh, do tell us how that can come to pass. More wealthy than our noble chief !" Oh, yes, perfectly true," said Flora. "Go immed­iately and give up the Prince to my step-father, Captain Hugh MacDonald, and as sure as the sun is now shining in the firmament you shall have £15,000 a piece for your loyalty." The answer was short hut decisive: " Nior leigeadh Ni Maith ! Ochan ! ged gheibheamaid an saoghal mu'n iadh a' ghrian, cha bhrathamaid ar n-òganach Rioghail gu bràth." " Goodness for­bid ! Alas ! should we receive the world around which the sun revolves we would never betray our Royal youth."* Neither they would, and the writer does not believe that any genuine High­lander even at the present day would betray him, but he would not be answerable for the outsiders who now infest the Highlands. After an un­successful attempt to escape to Stornoway and return to Benbecula, and much negotiation and scheming between Clanranald and his lady, Boisdale, MacDonald, Baileshear, and Flora MacDonald, it was at last arranged—Captain O'Neil and Neil MacEachainn being all along faithful attendants, that the Prince should make his escape to Skye accompanied by Flora and Neil MacEachainn only, in which she nobly re­marked to Lady Clanranald,—" Think not, dear lady, for a moment, that I consider my own personal danger; certainly not, for I am ready and willing at any hour to peril my life to forward the enterprise, if you think that there is even a shadow of a chance of success. My only dread is not for myself, but for the ruin that may be entailed upon my noble friend, Sir Alexander MacDonald, if I succeed in conveying the Royal fugitive to his estates in Skye." After having secured passports from her¹ step-father, Captain Hugh MacDonald, for herself, Neil MacEachainn, and a female servant, named Betty Burke (the Prince in disguise) and six boatmen, they pro­ceeded at ten o'clock at night on Friday, the 27th *June, 1746, to the shore where it was previously arranged they should meet the boat. It was raining in torrents as it usually does among the Western Islands, and to their great horror they saw several wherries filled with armed men sailing within gunshot of the spot where they lay con­cealed, However, they gradually moved away. " About an hour after, their own boat rowed up with muffled oars to the spot where they were awaiting its arrival, and they immediately em­barked on their perilous journey across the Minch to Skye, a distance of about thirty-five to forty miles (hardly so much). The whole channel was scoured by Government vessels, which made the undertaking much more dangerous, and to add to their anxiety, a tempestt arose a few hours after leaving the shore, accompanied by thunder and lightning, by which they lost their reckoning, having no compass—probably no one on board could steer by one if they had.

The boat was an open one, about twenty-four feet keel, and one of the best in the island, still she had enough to do in such weather, with seas rolling mountains high in the dead of the night. The rowers plied their oars steadily, though at times they instinctively exclaimed to each other, Ochan! is Ochan ! is e tha garbh ! is e tha garbh !" "Alas ! alas ! it is rough, it is rough." The Prince behaved nobly throughout, so did Flora. When they approached the point of Waternish, a promontory on the north west of

Skye, they drew near land, when, to their dismay there was a large party of the MacLeod militia on the beach waiting their arrival ! The crew shouted simultaneously, " Mach i ! mach i ! mach i ! air ball !" " Out with her ! out with her ! to sea with her immediately !" The militia being disappointed, and having no boat fit to pursue, opened fire at once upon them and riddled their sails, and one ball cleft the handle of the helm, and grazed the steerman's fingers, but did no further harm. The Prince stood up and cheered the crew and told them not to mind the villains, and it took some time to induce Flora to sit on the ballast, which she refused to do so long as the Prince exposed him­self. At last when the bullets were whizzing past their ears, the Prince, Flora, and Neil Mac­Eachainn sat on the ballast flags, and remained in that position until the boat had got beyond the reach of danger. They landed safely in Skye on Saturday the 28th, at Kilbride, in the parish of Kilmuir, and within 500 yards of the house of Monkstadt, the residence of Sir Alexander Mac­Donald of the Isles, after a voyage of about sixeen or seventeen hours. There was a small cave under a shelving rock near the landing place in which the Prince took shelter, making a seat of Flora's trunk, while she, accompanied by Neil MacEachainn, walked at once to Monkstadt house, while for a short time the Prince was left alone in the cave, which some poet has recorded as follows :—

'Tis midnight! a lone boat is on the sea, And dark clouds gather, but no thoughts of fear Chill those brave hearts! A princely refugee Disguised—a faithful maiden sitting near, Upon whose cheek anon there falls a tear-Fond woman's pledge of sympathy ; a crew, Trusty and gallant, labour at the oars. The shifting wind white showers of sprey uproars Like incense heavenward ; the waters roar. While from huge murky clouds the lurid lightning pours.

To add to their hair-breadth escapes Flora MacDonald found another party of Militia under Captain John MacLeod, son of Donald MacLeod of Balmeanach, at Monkstadt, but with excellent tact Flora managed to put the militia officers oft' the scent, and it was arranged that old Kings-burgh should accompany the Prince and Flora to his own place next day. Neil MacEachainn meantime supplied the Royal fugitive in his cave with refreshments and blankets. Several amus­ing incidents occurred regarding the awkwardness of the Prince in woman's clothes, at which he himself laughed heartily on hearing the remarks made about him.

Sir Alexander MacDonald's cattleman entered ' the servant's hall at Monkstadt late in the even­ing in a very excited state, and exclaimed in Gaelic, " Lord preserve us ! I saw a large female quickly traversing the fields hetwixt this and the fort, with a long stick in her hand, with a curious hood on her head, and with a remarkable dress on her person. Undoubtedly she must be one of those whom the fairies had locked up in their chambers in the fort, who contrived to escape. I never beheld one to be compared with her in the shape of a worldly creature."

On the following afternoon,¹ on their way to Kingsburgh, the party were met by some country people returning from church, who, after saluting Kingsburgh, stared at the uncommon size and alovenly appearance of the Irish lass that strode so recklesslike along ! Some remarked " O ! ¹ faicibh am boirionnach neònach sin ! Faicibh na ceuman mòra, fada, aig an nighean ghairbh, ghobhlaich sin ! Ochan ! nach dàna, slaodach, neo-sgiobalta, drabasta an sgliurach i ! Is cinnt­each gur ann de shliochd nam famhair i!" O! see that strange woman ! Behold the big wide steps of that rude, long-legged dame ! Eh me ! what a bold, untidy, slovenly, uncouth slattern she is ! Surely she must be one of the giant race ! t

James Hogg relates that on this memorable occasion in wading a rivulet Neil MacEachainn cautioned the Prince that he was not managing his 3kirt in feminine fashion, at which he again laughed heartily, and thanked him. Miss Flora MacDonald's maid also remarked, " Bless me, what lang strides she takes, and how awkwardly she wurks her petticoats. I dare say she is an Irish woman, or a man in woman's claes. I be­lieve these Irish women could fecht as weel as the men."

* The Scottish History Society's account says that the Prince went on to Kingsburgh on the day of his arrival in Skye. This is unlikely, on account of the distance and nature of the country,

t Rev. Alex. MacGregor's Life of Flora MacDonald.

It jars upon a West Highlander's ear to find " broad Scotch " put into the mouths of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders. They never pronounced their English in Lowland Scotch, and don't do it now, except in those instances of people who have resided a long time in the Lowlands. This is not finding fault with the Lowland doric, which is a most expressive language, and, according to some, a most beautiful language. We only wish to keep it in its own place. The Highlanders have their own pronunciation, which is characteristic enough as will be seen presently.

But to return to the Royal party—they arrived at Kingsburgh about midnight, where the Prince was most hospitably entertained, and after dis­cussing several bowls of punch² retired to rest at a late hour, and slept till two o'clock in the after­noon of the 30th. On being awakened, and after partaking of some refreshments, the party started for Portree, Kingsburgh accompanying them apart of the way,t Flora MacDonald having taken a different way in order to meet the Prince there. When Borne distance from Portree the Prince, dressed in a suit of Kingsburgh's to continue his journey, and on the latter bidding him farewell, he embraced Kingsburgh in his arms, and bade him a long and happy adieu, and in a most affectionate manner thanked him for his services. Tears fell from the eyes of both, and a few drops of blood from the Prince's nose. Kingsburgh was alarmed at seeing the blood, but the Prince told him this was usual with him on parting with dear friends. At Portree, on parting with the gallant Flora, he laid hold of both her hands and bade her a tender and affecting farewell, and thanked her for her generous aid. He then handed her his portrait in a gold locket, and said he hoped yet to meet her at the Court of St. James. Of this parting a poet sang—