encounter in the fruitless voyage to Stornoway. Clanranold was much affected and deeply concerned with Donald's account of matters, thinking that by that time his Royal Highness had been safely transported to France. The worthy chief was sorely perplexed, and as he paced up and down the room he addressed the faithful Donald and said, "Och! a's och! a Dhomhnuill, tha eagal mor orm, gu'm bheil grian Thearlaich, a bha aon uair co dealrach, gu dol fadha ann an uine ghearr ann am fuil, agus ann an tiugh-dhorchadas" (Alas! alas! Donald, I am greatly afraid that the sun of Charles, which was at one time so brilliant, is about soon to sink in blood and in darkness). All this time Lady Clanranold sat silently in her arm chair, sobbing and shedding tears. Flora was likewise present at the interview, and appeared spirited and cheerful. Turning round to Clanranold, she smartly addressed him, and said, "Tha do bhriathra ri Domhnull a' cur iongantais orm, oir fhad's a mhaireas beatha, mairidh dochas. Cuimhnich gu'm bheil an Ti Uile-bheannuichte sin a shuidhich ann an speuraibh neimhe, a' ghrian ud a tha 'san am a' soillseachadh co dealrach, uilechomusach air Tearlach a theasairginn o liontaibh a naimhdean" (I am astonished at your expressions to Donald, for while there is life there is hope. Remember that that ever Blessed Being who planted in the firmament of heaven yon sun which now shines so brightly is all-powerful to rescue Charles from the snares of his enemies). Clanranold could not help smiling at his amiable protegé's confident remarks, and said, "O! Fhionghail, a' ghraidh, cha do chaill thu riamh do mhisneach, agus tha dochas agam nach caill" (Oh! my dear Flora, you have never lost your courage, and I hope you never shall). The interview ended by Clanranold sending the Prince a message by Donald that he would visit him in his rude hiding-place without delay. After Donald's departure the Chief be came very impatient, and resolved to set off the same afternoon to see his Royal Highness. In order not to appear at a distance from home without some apparent purpose, he equipped himself with all his shooting accoutrements, such as his gun, lead-belt, and powder-flask, and thus was prepared for the hilly route to the place of concealment. At the same time Niel MacEachainn, who generally resided at Ormiclade, was to resort that very evening to the Prince's hovel, with a supply of shirts, shoes, and stockings, and a quantity of brandy and wine, to contribute to the scanty comforts of his Royal Highness. Niel MacEachainn (Niel, the son of Hector Macdonald) was a faithful inmate at Ormiclade, being an intelligent, smart Jack-of-all-trades. He was a pretty well educated youth, who made himself generally useful about the place. He spent several years in Paris, whither he was taken when a mere boy by Banker Macdonell as a bodyservant. He learned to speak the French language fluently, and was therefore a very suitable messenger to be sent to the Prince, as he could talk in that language to his Royal Highness unintelligibly to all around. him. Niel was a descendant of the Macdonalds of Howbeag, in South Uist, where he was born, and having followed the Prince to France, he became the father of the celebrated Marshal Macdonald, Duke of Tarentum, one of Napoleon's most distinguished generals. The Macdonalds of Howbeag were a distinct, secluded sept of that clan, who had not been, for some cause, very much esteemed by the generality of their neighbours.

When Clanranold had arrived at the Prince's hovel, he was shocked at it as a miserable place. Consequently he prevailed on his Royal High

ness to leave it as soon as possible, and to remove to a more comfortable retreat in the hill of Corrodale. Meantime the Prince falling short of means, despatched his steadfast friend Donald Macleod with letters to General Murray and Lochiel, craving a supply of money to be sent to him without delay. Macleod accidentally met these gentlemen at the head of Loch Arkaig, in Lochaber. They returned a written reply to the Prince, regretting that they had no money to send him. The new residence of the unfortunate fugitive was called the Forest-house of Glencorrodale, and although in a very lonely, sequestered place, yet he found it more comfortable and suitable than his last miserable abode. While it was dismally gloomy, and deeply buried in the Corrodale hills, yet it had one great advantage, that it afforded recreation to his Royal Highness. The forest abounded in game of all kinds, with abundance of grouse and deer, and the Prince possessed great dexterity in using his gun. He did so at times very incautiously. On one afternoon, he and two of his faithful adherents went to the moor, expecting to be successful in shooting a roe or deer. After the Prince had fired at some grouse that came in his way, he observed, to his horror, a small band of militia upon the shoulder of the hill, at no great distance from him. He had no alternative but to run and conceal himself in a ravine near by, and to give his gun to one of the attendants, with instructions to them to go heedlessly forward in the direction of the soldiers, and should they meet with them on the heights, to appear in their presence as if all were right. It was afterwards ascertained that the party of militia in question was commanded by Captain Hugh Macdonald, Miss Flora's step-father, who was well aware that the Prince was one of the shouting party, but Hugh being a Jacobite at heart, had no desire to capture his Prince.

On several other occasions the Prince had very narrow escapes from the troops of militia in the island. One evening, under the impression that there was no danger, he went off a little distance from the shore, in a small boat, to fish for lythe, and took Niel MacEachainn and one or two more of his attendants along with him. The Prince was dressed in a rough greatcoat and a broad Highland bonnet, such as were usually worn at the time by the common people of the place. Fishing for lythe requires the boat to be smartly and continuously rowed, having hand-lines and hooks baited with red or white pieces of cloth attached to them, and let out from the stern of the boat. While thus busily employed in catching the fish, a party of red-coats appeared on the elevated cliff overhanging the sea-beach, observing the boat at sea, about half a mile from the shore. The military fired a shot, whereupon the boatmen stood up and waved their bonnets over their heads, loudly shouting, "Hurrah! Hurrah!" The soldiers, observing all want of concern on the part of the little crew, took them to be some of the country peasantry engaged in fishing, turned about, and immediately departed.

The Prince was made fully aware of his dangerous position, and of the public opinion of friends and foes in the nation at large, in regard to his perilous movements and prospects. Lady Margaret Macdonald, who was fervently attached to the interests of his Royal Highness, regularly sent him the newspapers of the day, through Baileshear, who, though himself a captain of one of the companies of militia raised to suppress the rebellion, was at heart friendly to the Prince, and even visited him along with

Boisdale at Glencorrodale. The newspapers thus sent by Lady Margaret were the Edinburgh Evening Courant, the Caledonian Mercury, and the Glasgow Journal, supposed to have been the only newspapers of importance in Scotland at that remote period.*

As day after day passed, matters were becoming more critical and dangerous for the safety of the Prince. The Government authorities became aware that his Royal Highness was unquestionably in concealment in South Uist or Benbecula, and they issued strict orders to surround the isles in question with sloops of war, and carefully to guard every creek, loch, and bay, to prevent the possibility of escape for the hunted fugitive. Besides these guardian vessels, additional companies of militia and regulars were landed on these islands, to search the hills and dales, and to prevent any boat or sailing craft of any size to go to sea until they had searched and ransacked, not only the crews individually, but likewise all the bunkers and recesses in their boats. All this was done to prevent the concealment of papers or letters going to parties in any quarter that might suggest plans for effecting the rescue of the Prince. Lady Margaret in Skye became fully aware of all the measures taken in the Long Island to seize upon the eagerly sought after prize; but her ladyship was doubtful whether or not the Prince himself had been apprised of the real danger in which he stood, and consequently she sent a verbal communication to Baileshear, by the master of a sloop sailing for Benbecula, pressing upon him to see the Prince, and to make all known to him. As soon as an opportunity offered Baileshear, along with his friend Boisdale, went at night to Glencorrodale and had an interview with the Prince, who rejoiced to see them, and who treated them with hearty Highland hospitality. The Prince was deeply grateful to Lady Margaret for her great interest in him, and he wrote a kind letter of thanks to her Ladyship, which he handed to Baileshear for transmission. Baileshear at the same time told the Prince that the master of the sloop who conveyed Lady Margaret's verbal message to him was to return to Skye in a day or two, with a number of young cattle, and that he would contrive to send the letter by him. In order to avoid detection, Baileshear enclosed it in one from himself to his brother Captain Donald Roy Macdonald, who resided at the time with Sir Alexander Macdonald at Monkstadt. Captain Macdonald was rather lame at the time, in consequence of a musket ball having gone through his left foot on Culloden Moor, and of his having walked in great pain all the way to Skye to receive treatment from a celebrated surgeon, Dr Maclean, at Shulista, near Monkstadt. On his arrival in Skye from the battlefield he had the prudence to surrender his arms to Captain Macleod of Balmlanach, who allowed him his freedom at the time, although

* It would seem that the Glasgow Journal was a loyal print, and adverse to the cause of the rebels; but in order to be revenged of the politics of that journal, they destroyed its printing press, types, &c. There can be no doubt but the proprietors of the Journal were among the sufferers alluded to in the following paragraph in the Caledonian Mercury of the 10th January 1746:-"The rebels carried off from Glasgow a printing press, types, and other materials for that business (printing Prince Charles' declarations, &c.), together with servants to work in that way. When they carried off these materials they did it in this way-that is, from one printer they took a press, from another some types, and from a third chesses, furniture, frames, &c. This happened when the insurgents were on their final retreat northward, after their madly undertaken, and as madly abandoned incursion into England."

afterwards made prisoner as a rebel. Baileshear gave strict injunctions to his brother to see that his letter and the Prince's letter to Lady Margaret were consigned to the flames when read. This was done to the great regret of her Ladyship afterwards. Baileshear stated in his letter that the Prince behoved without delay to leave the Long Island, and that probably he would be landed on the small Isle of Fladdachuain, on the north coast of the district of Troternish; but this was not the case. Baileshear was perplexed as to how to secure the letters from the searching of the harpies, who were sure to ransack every hole and corner of the cattle ship. Much about that time a vessel was wrecked on the coast of South Uist, which had been laden with a mixed cargo, and among other things several casks of coffee beans had been drifted ashore, and sold for trifling prices to the natives. Baileshear filled a small barrel with the beans, and placed his letter under them in the bottom of the cask. He then covered the whole with a suitable lid, and addressed it to his brother in Skye. The captain was instructed to tell on his delivering the cask where the letter would be found. This done, the craft was soon to sail, but no sooner had the Government officials observed that preparations were being made for departing than they went on board and diligently searched the crew and all the keeping places in the vessel. The lid of the barrel was lifted, and they found it to be full to the brim with beans of coffee. was right, and they leaped ashore.

All

A few days after this the Prince came to understand that Boisdale was taken prisoner, and likewise his faithful adherent, Donald Macleod of Galtrigal. This intelligence sadly grieved his Royal Highness. Dreading that his quarters at Glencorrodale had been made known to the Government parties, he left the place under cover of night along with Captain O'Neal to a more concealed retreat in Benbecula. By this time the whole country was in a state of great excitement and alarm. Night after night Ormiclade was crowded with the friends of the Prince, in order if possible to devise some plan for his rescue. Clanranold did not think his present place of concealment at all safe, hence the necessity of having him removed at once from his hut, and of getting him concealed in some natural cave still more difficult of access, until, if at all within the range of possibility, he might be conveyed away from the island. Captain O'Neal, the faithful companion and friend of the Prince, along with Baileshear and others, waited one evening upon the Laird at Ormiclade, for the purpose of speedily adopting some prompt measures for the immediate rescue of the hunted fugitive, as the danger was alarmingly increasing. Several plans were proposed, but all had some insurmountable difficulty. At length Lady Clanranold addressed herself to Flora, who sat silently and pensively in a corner of the room, and solicited her aid, as well as the exercise of her ingenuity, for the relief of the unfortunete stranger. Flora still sat in deep meditation, and uttered not a word. "Flora, dear," said her Ladyship, "just consider for a moment the dignity, the honour, the glory of saving the life of your lawful Prince!" My dear Lady,” responded Flora, "the matter is difficult, perplexing, and dangerous, and it might be ruinous to all to plunge too precipitately into any scheme without pondering over it in all its bearings.' "All true, my dear Flora," said the Lady, "but we all know that you are the only person, in the trying emergency, whom we deem able to effect the res

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eue, if you have the moral courage to attempt it." "Moral courage!" retorted Flora, as if hurt by doubting it. "Moral courage! Ah! yes, my dear Lady Clanranold, moral courage will never fail me, never; yet still moral courage may not be able to work impossibilities. I care not to endanger, or even sacrifice my valueless life, if I could but see my way to save the valuable life of the unfortunate Prince. As yet, however, the prospects are to me dark and gloomy." It was a moment of great suspense to every member of the friendly party on that eventful evening at Ormiclade, but not so much so to any as to the gallant Flora, She was possessed of abilities superior to anything like ostentation. She was influenced by goodness of heart, that was quite satisfied with its own reward. She was blessed with a sound, discriminating judgment, which braced her to discharge what she considered important duties. It was now, however, that the prudence, firmness, and devotedness of this young heroine's well-balanced mind were severely put to the test. She had to decide at once against the influence of three conflicting elements, and all of them important in themselves. She had to brave the danger of the enterprise. She had to run the risk of entailing ruin and disgrace upon her chief, Sir Alexander Macdonald, and his Lady, and she had to meet the strong and perhaps reasonable objections to her hazardous undertaking by her only living brother, whom she dearly loved. No doubt poor Flora was at that moment in a very perplexing dilemma. The party around her placed all confidence in her, as a smart, intelligent young lady of excellent address and great prudence; and they encouraged her by the assurance that her step-father, Captain Hugh Macdonald, who then commanded a detachment of the militia, and who retained a warm feeling at heart towards the Stuarts, would at once procure for her a passport under his own hand to leave the Long Island. Flora listened calmly to all these remarks, and for some time made no reply. Lady Clanranold then addressed her, and solicited the favour of expressing her mind as to the important proposals made to her. "Indeed, my dear Lady," said Flora, “I have come to the conclusion that the chances of success are extremely small. I am really of opinion that the Prince's escape to Skye is a thing almost impossible, and I will state my reasons. You know well, my Lady, that the Macdonald, Macleod, and Campbell Militia are just now commanding every pass and creek. Then it is certain that the Prince is well known to all these to be on this island. It is publicly announced that thirty thousand pounds are set as a price upon his head. And further, we are all too well aware that the white sails of England are presently scouring over Loch Skiport, Loch Boisdale, and the other friths around us, so that, in my humble view, a sparrow cannot escape without their knowledge and consent. But 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, and to sacrifice everything personal to myself to forward the enterprise, if you think that there is even a shadow of success. My only dread is not for myself, but for the ruin that may be entailed upon my noble friend, Sir Alexander Macdonald, by conveying the royal fugitive into his country in Skye."

All present felt much relieved by this announcement from the lips of their young and gallant friend, who seemed to be heedless of personal danger, and to be inspired with a spirit resembling that of Esther of old -"If I perish, I perish."