Conversation with Captain Donald Roy MacDonald

Upon Saturday’s Afternoon, January
9th, 1748, Captain Donald MacDo-
nald,✝ alias, Donald Roy, Brother of Hugh
MacDonald X of Balishair (late Captain
of Militia) in North Uist, of the Family
of Sleat, favoured me with a Visit, Cap-
tain☂ AlexrAlexander MacDonald &and James Mac-
Donald, Joiner in Leith, having come
along with him, because he was altoge-
ther a Stranger to me; but though I
had never seen him before, yet I had
heard much of him from others, parti-
cularly about the wounded Foot. After
the usual Compliments, the said Cap-
tain Donald Roy MacDonald told me,
that he came to visit me it the ex-
press Desire of Mr MacDonald of
Kingsburgh, who had informed him
about my endeavouring to make up
as compleatcomplete ^a Collection as possible
of Papers, &c.etc. relative to the Prince’s
Dangers &and Distresses, &and withal had
advised him to give me all he knew
about these Matters. With this View,
he said, in his Journey to EdrEdinburgh he had vi-
sited MacDonald of Belfinlay, who had
given him a remarkable [] Narrative
in his own Hand-writing upon the
Back of an old Letter; and, taking the 706 (706)
the Paper out of his Pocket-Book, he
delivered it to me. After reading it,
I desired to know, if I might have
the Liberty of transcribing it in my
Collection. He told me, if I might
dispose of it as I pleased; for that he
had got ^it from Belfinlay on purpose
that I might preserve the Narra-
tive in Belfinlay’s own Hand-
writing. I then begged Leave to ob-
serve an Omission, which was, that
Belfinlay had forgot to fix a Date
to his Hand-writing; &and therefore I
desired CapnCaptain Roy MacDonald to in-
form me (if he could) at what Time
he received the Manuscript from Bel-
finlay. After recollecting himself
a little, the CapnCaptain answered, that
he was in the Country of Arisaig
about DecrDecember 20th, 1747, and (to the
best of his Remembrance) he was
upon that very Day with MacDonald
of Belfinlay, &and saw him write the
Narrative with his own Hand in yethe
very Shape, in which he had just now
delivered it to me.