Edward Burk, after parting with
the Prince, went over North-strand to
North Uist, where he skulked in a
Hill, called Eval, for about seven
Weeks, twenty Days of which he
had not any other Meat than Dilse1
&and Lammocks2, a Kind of Shell-fish;
for, much about this Time, a paper
had been read in all the Kirks,
strictly forbidding all Persons to give
so much as a Mouthful of Meat
to a Rebel, otherwise they should
be destroyed. Upon this, Oliver
Burk, a married man &and Brother to
Ned, would not give poor Ned a
Bit of Bread or any Countenance
whatsomever, being frighted out of
his Wits; but Ned resolved to take
Amends of him for his cruel Cow-
ardice, &and went to a Place, where
Oliver had a Flock of Sheep feed-
ing. Ned took the Head off one of
them, &and, throwing the Body over
his Shoulder, carried it to a Place
where he could order it at his Con-
veniency. But Jacob Burk, an unmar-
ried Man &and Brother to Ned, did as
much as could lie in his Power, and
gave Ned every Thingeverything he could purchase and 340 (340)
and did not fear at all. “God bless poor Jacob.”
One Night, Ned, being in great Misery,
went to steal a Boat, in Order to take
the Sea; but some Fishers being near
by, &and hearing a Noise, came out with
a Force, thinking this to be an Enemy.
Ned was obliged to leave the Boat,
&and take to his Heels; for he had far ra-
ther have been killed or drowned, than
to be taken Prisoner, because, by that Time,
it was well known, that he had been
the Prince’s Servant; &and therefore he
was afraid, if taken, they would put
him to the Torture to make him tell
all that he knew, &and he could not
bear the Thoughts of doing Hurt to
any Bodyanybody.

A near Relation of his own (Peter Mac-
Donald) put him to much Trouble, hav-
ing gone to CapnCaptain John MacDonald, Son
of Tutor MacDonald in North Uist, in
order to put Ned out, &and get a Party to
catch him; but CapnCaptain John broke a Staff
over the Fellow’s Head, &and told him,
he had other Uses for his Men than
to Send them upon false Errands.

At that Time Ned went to Lochmaddy
in North Uist, where one of the inde-
pendent Company (commanded by the
said John MacDonald) came to him,
&and desired him to follow him. Ned
asked, to what Place was he to follow
him? “Farther into the Country,” said
the Fellow. —“Friend (said Ned)
“have you got any more help than your self? 341 (341)
“self?”—“No (replied the Fellow)
“and, Sir, You are one of the Prin-
“ce's Servants.”— Ned answered, “Ma-
“ny a prettier Fellow had been his
“Servant.”— The Fellow added,
that he knew Ned’s Face.—Upon
which Ned owned his Name, and
said, he would not deny it, and
immediately drew his Pistol, which
frighted the Fellow so, that he ran
off with himself; but soon after he
brought a Party to the same Spot
to seize Ned, but he had got him-
self hid in a private Place.

This made Ned more careful and
timorous, especially as Donald Mac-
Donald (a Son of Clanranald &and one
of Ned’s good Friends) was under
a Necessity to deliver himself up,
which put him in no Danger as he
was ^a French Officer.—After this,
Ned was obliged to betake himself
to a Cave in North Uist, being so
hard beset. A Shoemaker's Wife,
when neither one Friend nor another
durst be seen with him, came under
Cloud of Night, &and brought him a little
Food.

A little before this, Ned had gone, one
Day, to buy a Pair of Shoes at Clatach-
caranish, when General Campbell,
Captain Ferguson &and their whole Force
came to the Place. Ned was then in 342 (342)
in a sad Perplexity, &and did not well know
what to do. Spying an old black Coat &and
a Pair of old Breeches in the House,
he put them on, hiding his own CloathsClothes
under a Chest, &and went out at the Door
unconcerned. He stood a While among
the Men, &and conversed easily with ymthem;
then slipping, by degrees, out amongst
them, he got to the Hills to his old
Cave. Jacob Burk &and the Shoemaker's
Wife got her CloathsClothes (a highland Dress)
&and brought them to him.

At last Ned resolved, right or Wrong
to get out of these Hardships, and, mak-
ing his Way to Lochmaddy, found there
a Vessel ready to ferry some Cattle
over to Sky. Ned gave a false Token
to the Skipper in Place of a Pass, &and
got on Board. When he arrived in
Sky, he came to a Gentleman's House
of the Name of MacLeod, near which
Place MacDonald of Knock coming
with a Command of 36 Men, Ned
made off, not chusingchoosing to have his
Quarters near any Place where Knock
was. That Night, Ned went to an old
Kiln-logie,3 &and took his Rest; &and the Gen-
tleman, MacLeod (in whose House he
had been) sent him Meat privately.
Next Morning, before Day-light, he
made off, &and went to Talisker Mac-
Leod, whom he had served several
Years before that, &and gave himself up
to him. Talisker made him wel-
come, &and took Care of him. Ned, being desirous 343 (343)
desirous to be upon the Main Land,
took the Opportunity of a Boat sail-
ing for Seaforth's Country, where he
met with his Master, Mr Alexander
MacLeod, AidAide de Camp, &and stayed
with him till the Indemnity came
out, when he left his Master, and
returned to Edinburgh, where he
follows his old Business.

Ned owned the Truth of what Donald
MacLeod had said about his using such
Freedoms with the Prince; &and added, ytthat
he used to play Antiques5 &and Monkey-
tricks to divert the Prince and his small
Retinue.

One of the Soles of Ned’s shoes happening
to come off, Ned cursed the Day, upon qchwhich
he should be forced to go without Shoes[.]
The Prince hearing him, called to him,
&and said, “Ned, look at me”;—“when
“(said Ned) I saw him holding up one
“of his Feet to me, where there was
“a Deel a Sole6 upon the Shoe; &and then
“I said, O my Dear! I have nothing
“more to say. You have stoptstopped my Mouth
“indeed.”

When Ned was talking of seeing the
Prince again, he spoke these Words.—
—“If the Prince do not come &and see me
“soon, Good Faith, I will go &and see
“my Daughter (Bettie Burk) &and crave
"Her; for she has not yet paid her
“Christening Money, &and as little has
“she paid the Coat I gae her in her
“greatest Need.”