STR-With refide t, having had an interier vide lie Return for Seal pals die ur of his giving me furnished by the Beton S De found in the From the da ties number 1100A total 134,000-ig and The retum, Tope to the tins of d that the Bandh tir-Exter, Dipull THE EARLY SCENES OF FLORA MACDONALD'S LIFE, WITH SEVERAL INCIDENTAL ALLUSIONS TO THE REMARKABLE ADVENTURES AND ESCAPES OF THE UNFORTUNATE PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART. By the Rev. ALEX, MACGREGOR, M.A., Inverness. Ir may be remarked, that at this particular stage of the dangerous adventure, so many incidents of great importance took place, that to attempt relating even a tithe of them would swell this article beyond all legitimate bounds. Sir Alexander Macdonald was fortunately from home at this time, as otherwise his presence might be a painful circumstance to himself, as well as a restraint upon the humanity and benevolence of his good Lady, who was a staunch Jacobite at heart, while Sir Alexander himself refused to show any allegiance to the cause of the unfortunate Prince. The worthy Baronet was then at Fort-Augustus in attendance upon the Duke of Cumberland, who was at the time engaged in devising schemes for the capture of Charles, his ambitious, but unfortunate relative. It was on this occasion that the Duke addressed Sir Alexander at their first interview, and said to him in half jocular terms-" Ho! is this the great Rebel of the Isles?" Sir Alexander tartly replied "No, my Lord Duke, for had I been the Rebel of the Isles, your Royal Highness would never have crossed the Spey !" It was so far fortunate that the amiable and kind-hearted Lady Margaret was at home. She was a lady who was noted for her beauty and amiable accomplishments-a lady whose benevolence and charity are still unforgotten in the place-and a lady whose graces and virtues were an honour to the distinguished House of Eglinton ! On the arrival of Flora and her attendant at Monkstadt House, she requested a servant to tell Lady Margaret that she had just come on her way home from the Long Island, She was immediately shown into the drawing-room, where she found some gentlemen sitting, in military dress. One of these was Captain John Macleod, son of Donald Macleod of Balmeanach, who commanded a band of militia, stationed then at Uig, about two miles distant. A few more of Macleod's men were in the house at the time. A lady friend of Flora was also present, a Mrs Macdonald, the wife of John Macdonald of Kirkibost, in North Uist, who had arrived a few days before then from the Long Island, and who had informed Lady Margaret privately, that, in all probability the Prince would soon be landed in Skye. Among the rest Flora was delighted to meet her good old friend, Mr Alexander Macdonald of Kingsburgh, alias “Alasdair MacDhomhnuill Mhic Alasdair Mhic Ailein," who acted as factor for Sir Alexander. On Flora's entering the rather crowded room, the whole company arose to welcome her, as, owing to her long absence in Edinburgh, they had not seen her for years. She appeared amiable and cheerful, and warmly exchanged the congratulations of her respected friends. By means, however, of her acute perception, she had strong suspicions that Captain Macleod had an idea in his mind that her appearance there was caused by something more important than a mere friendly visit. Under this impression Flora entered into a free and easy conversation with the officer, sat beside him, and seemed to be delighted with his social talk. His conduct towards her was for a time of a different caste, and indeed all but courteous and polite. His language bordered on rudeness, and the questions put by him were positively uncivil. "Be pleased to tell me, my lady, whence you came to-day, whither do you intend to go-by what boat or vessel did you cross the Minch, and who accompanied you?" To all these stern queries, the gallant Flora, smiling and self-possessed, returned distinct replies in calm and pleasing language; and her whole deportment was so fascinating and agreeable, that she so won upon the impertinent officer, as to gain his esteem at once, and had the honour of being escorted by him to dinner, where she received his assiduous attention. The questions then asked her were of a less disagreeable description, such as"What news, Miss Macdonald, from the Long Island? What of that unfortunate rebel, Prince Charles?" Flora smiled and expressed herself in the blandest terms, and said, "Perhaps, Captain Macleod, you are not aware that I am a bit of a Jacobite myself, and, in consequence, I am glad to understand, if true, that the unfortunate fugitive has at last succeeded in effecting his escape from his pursuers, and that by means of a vessel from France, put at his service, he has left the Long Island." The officer listened with attention, and deemed the truth of the intelligence highly probable. At dinner, Lady Margaret, in the absence of her esteemed husband, sat at the head of the table, and her factor, Kingsburgh, occupied the other end of it. As the guests were numerous, and as some of them, such as Miss Flora and Mrs Macdonald, Kirkibost, were exceptionally welcome ones, her Ladyship appeared to be overjoyed, and expressed her regret that her husband was absent, as she had but seldom the pleasure of such an interesting company in that remote quarter of the Island. All this time, however, her Ladyship was not aware that the Prince was so very near her dwelling. Flora, always guarded and foreseeing, knew well that when the secret behoved to be soon revealed to her Ladyship, it would be necessary to send a messenger to the Prince and acquaint him of such future proceedings as might be judged advisable to be adopted. For this purpose Flora had Niel, her own servant, in her eye, as the most suitable for the undertaking. In course of the table talk, Captain Macleod, when in the act of dissecting a partridge, asked her Ladyship if there was much ground-game in this quarter? She replied, that they had some snipes and partridges, and that there was a great abundance of wild ducks and geese on the adjoining lake of Callum-Cille at all seasons, as well as flocks of wild swans in the month of September. Flora remarked that if there was a fowling-piece about the premises, her servant, Niel, was no ordinary hand at using it to advantage, Her Ladyship replied, that there was a variety of muskets and rifles in the gun-room, where Niel might help himself, and try his luck. This was all that Flora wanted, to afford a pretext for Niel to scamper the fields, when in reality the safety of the Prince was the only game he wished to be in pursuit of. Some little time after dinner, when the guests betook themselves hither and thither for amusement, Flora got hold of Kingsburgh when alone, and revealed to him all about the Prince, and suggested the necessity of breaking the intelligence to Lady Margaret, as she could not venture to do it herself, in case that she might become so affected by her Ladyship's alarm, as to be observed by some of the guests in the house. Now, Kingsburgh being a cool and sensible gentleman, undertook to execute this important duty. In about half-an-hour thereafter he took her Ladyship into a private apartment, and revealed to her the whole secret. The intelligence, so sudden and unexpected, greatly affected her Ladyship, so much so indeed, that she all but fell into a fit of hysterics. Her features became convulsed, and she screamed so loudly, as to cause a dread that she might be heard by others in the house. She expressed herself in accents of terror-sat trembling on a chair, and exclaimed-" Oh! dear, Kingsburgh, we are undone-we are ruined-and we will all of us have to suffer the penalty of death on the scaffold! O! dear. O dear, what is this?" Kingsburgh, with characteristic prudence and serenity of mind, assured her Ladyship that there was no danger whatever, and that he himself would conduct his Royal Highness to Kingsburgh House, and that all would be right in the end. "Oh," said her Ladyship, "how much I wish that my dear, sterling friend, Captain Donald Roy were here at this moment. I sent him the other day to Fladda-chuain,* as I was told the Prince was expected to land there, and he was supplied with shirts and other requisites for the comfort of his Royal Highness. I hope that he has returned to his house at Shulista, where he is a patient of Dr Maclean,† for the curing of his leg that was pierced by a musket ball in the battle of Culloden. As he may now be at home, let him get notice to come immediately." He was accordingly sent for, and soon arrived on horseback at the mansion-house of Monkstadt. He found Lady Margaret and Kingsburgh walking alone in the garden. They had by this time less reserve, as Captain Macleod and his men had gone to Uig to visit their company stationed there. Her Ladyship was greatly cheered by the appearance and presence of Captain Donald Roy, although she could not help saying to him-"I fear, my dear Donald, that it is all over with us, and that we are ruined for ever." Fladda-chuain is an Island in the Minch about a mile long, and distant about eight miles from the shore of Monkstadt. It is not inhabited, but has usually a small hut in it, to afford shelter to fishermen, and to hunters after wild fowls, which frequent it in millions. + Dr John Maclean who resided at Shulista, about four miles from Monkstadt, was celebrated as a surgeon over all the Western Isles. He was reputed to be a very learned man, and deeply versed in the Greek and Roman Classics. It has been said that he could repeat Homer's Iliad from beginning to end, as well as Virgil's Æneid. He possessed an endless store of amusing anecdotes. Dr Maclean had two sons, one of whom was for many years an M.P. for a borough in England; and the other son, Malcolm, was a Captain in the British army, and died, near Shulista, about forty years ago. General Stewart, in his book on the Highland Regiments, alludes to the high education given in those days to the gentlemen of the Western Isles, and his remarks are strictly true. |