Some remarkable Narratives from Macpherson younger of Breackachie in Badenoch. February 23. 1750.

I dined in EdrEdinburgh
with John MacPherson of Benchar &and Donald
MacPherson, younger, of Breackachie in Ba-
denoch. The said Mr MacPherson of Breacka-
chie having been provisor for the Pr:Prince
during the Time of his skulking in Ba-
denoch (which was between two &and three
weeks) he narrated several remarka-
ble particulars about the Pr:Prince while in
Badenoch. Breackachie said, that the
PrPrince came to Badenoch about the End
of August or Beginning of SeptrSeptember, and
skulked there in three different Huts,
which were about two miles from one
another, &and six highland miles (i:e: ten
english miles) from Loudon’s Camp, &and yet
there was not the smallest surmise or
suspicion of the Pr—[ince]’s skulking in Ba-
denoch till after his arrival in France.
What contributed much to the Pr—[ince]’s safety
in Badenoch (said Breackachie) was this.
Lochiel had been crippling about in his
wounds for several months in Badenoch,
&and it was known to several MacPhersons,
that Cluny, Lochiel, Dr Cameron &c.etc were
together in Badenoch; but then these
MacPhersons never once hinted to any
person, that they knew of any such Thing;
&and when the Pr:Prince came to Cluny &and Lochiel in
Badenoch, it was known to none but to
themselves &and those that were with them,
even the foresaid MacPhersons never once
suspecting that the Pr:Prince had ever come down the 1474 (1474)
the Country to Cluny, Lochiel, &cetc. None
were admitted to see Cluny, Lochiel &cetc.
but young Breackachie, &and any such as they
themselves ordered or allowed him to
introduce to them. This strictness continu-
ed still to be observed (rather more and
more) after the Pr:Prince had come to them,
&and then none were admitted to them, even by
young Breackachie himself, till a council
was held to consider the necessity or use-
fulness of having an Interview with this
or the other Person, that Breackachie
might happen to bring them notice of.
So that it was scarce possible, that a Discov-
ery could be made of the Pr—[ince]’s being in
Badenoch.

Breackachie said, that the Pr:Prince used to tell
his attendants in Badenoch that, when Do-
nald Cameron was ^about guiding him through
the Guards, Donald would fall a rubbing
his nose, &and would say to the Pr:Prince “O Sir!
“my nose is yuicking1, which is a sign to me,
“that we have great Hazards &and Dangers
“to go through.” When they had passed
through the Guards, the Pr:Prince merrily said
to Donald Cameron, “Well, Donald, how
“does your nose now?”— “It is better now (an-
“swered Donald) but it still yuicks2 a little.”
— “Ay, Donald (replied the Pr:Prince) have we
“still more Guards to go through?” — This
plainly shows, how well the Pr:Prince kept up
his Spirits, even when surrounded with the
greatest Dangers, of which indeed many
Instances can be given.

When the Pr:Prince was in Badenoch, Cluny &and others were 1475 (1475)
were employed in making out a sub-
terraneous House for Winter-Quarters
to the Pr:Prince left an Opportunity should
not offer to take him off to France.
In this House they had contrived a par-
ticular Room for the Pr:Prince which was
to be floored with Boards, lined with
Boards, &and covered on^^within the Roof with the
same; which Room was almost finished,
when Intelligence was brought to the Pr:Prince
about the two ships on the West-Coast,
that were ready to take him off; to qchwhich
ships the Pr:Prince []^^^travelled on Foot, being a-
bout 100✝ English Miles, even though at
that very Time he was troubled with a
Looseness or Flux. In walking to the
Ships the Pr:Prince &and his Attendants were fre-
quently obliged to go out of the direct
way, &and to travell about, in order to keep
themselves as much as possible from
being seen, &and to avoid those places
where the Pr:Prince might happen to be
known, which served to make their
Journey considerably longer.
There are no Woods in Badenoch (as Ben-
char &and Breackachie) told me) but there
are Mountains, Braes &and Rocks, among qchwhich,
the Pr:Prince &and his then Attendants made a Shift
to keep themselves very private &and safe.
I took an Opportunity of telling Breacka-
chie, that I was very desirous to find out the 1476 (1476)

the precise Day, on which the Pr:Prince im-
barkedembarked for France; for that the several
Accounts about it differed. The Scots Ma-
gazine &and Dr Burton’s pamphlet made it
on SeptrSeptember✝ 20th, some maps of the Pr—[ince]’s
whole Expedition (said to be done by
the Pr—[ince]’s own Orders) lately done^^^published in
France had it on SeptrSeptember 21st, &and Glenalla-
dale’s Journal fixes it to SeptrSeptemberX 28th. Upon
this I asked Breackachie, if he could
name the Day of the Week when the Pr:Prince
imbarkedembarked , &and then I would find out the
Day of the Month. After thinking a little,
Breackachie said, “To the best of my Re-
“membrance we came to the place where
“the ships lay at Anchor upon a Friday,
“when Cluny &and I took Leave of the Pr:Prince
“&and set out on our Return to Badenoch;
“but then (said Breackachie) the Pr:Prince did
“not imbarkembark till the ^Day after (Saturday)
“having waited at least a whole Day for
“the Coming of such, as were desirous to
“seek for safety in a foreign Country.
“However (added he) it is in my power to
“give you the Date of ^his ImbarkationEmbarkation beyond
“all Dispute; for the Pr:Prince immediately after
“his going on Board, writ a Letter with
“his own Hand, notifying his having im-
“barkedembarked, which he dispatched by Express to
“Cluny. This original letter in the Pr—[ince]’s
“own Hand-writing (said Breackachie) I
“have in my Custody, &and when I return home,
“I shall transmit to you a Copy of the
“Date of the Letter.” — I thanked him for 1477 (1477)
for his promise, &and told him, that her per-
formance would be a singular Favour.
I then impertunedimportuned Breackachie (in qchwhich
Benchar assisted me) to be at some
Pains, by consulting with others, to draw
out a minute &and circumstantial Account
of the Pr—[ince]’s Abode in Badenoch, as
to what passed in Conversation, &cetc, &cetc.
Breackachie frankly complied with
my Request, &and promised to do his best
when once he were at home again.

Benchar told me, he was very de-
sirous to see [] my Collection of pa-
pers, &and to hear some of them read.
For this End an AppointmendAppointment was
made on Thursday (March 1st), when
Benchar &and Breackachie came to
Leith, in the afternoon, &and spent some
Hours with me. I read in their hear-
ing some of the most material pa-
pers, with which they were much
pleased. At this Meeting Breacka-
chie told me, that the Pr:Prince (when
in Badenoch) used to tell his at-
tendants, that, when he was with
the faithful Glenmoriston-Men, he
observed them frequently to make
Use of the Expression✝ Ho Sian, qchwhich he 1478 (1478)
he took to be the Name of one of
them, &and that certainly he behoved
to be the principal one amongst ^them as
they called so often upon him.
Whereas✝ Ho Sian signifies Hark
you John, or Hear you John, which
expression they had used, when, dis-
coursing upon this or the other subject,
they happened to refer any Thinganything to
the one of their Number named John,
who, from this Deference paid to him,
appears to have been the principal
man amongst them.
Breackachie likewise told me at this
Time, that Cluny &and he had taken
Leave of the Prince without any the
smallest Notion of ever receiving any
Letter or note from the Prince’s own
Hand about his ImbarkationEmbarkation ; for that
the Prince, of his own Inclination &and
good Will, had, after being on Board,
writ the foresaid Letter, to satisfiesatisfy
Friends about his being happily ap-
pointed in two Stout Ships, well pro-
vided in every Thingeverything necessary &and fit
to be had, particularly a sufficient Num-
ber of good &and able Sailors.

Breackachie again renewed his promise to
me of drawing up a particular Account of
what passed during the Prince’s Abode in
Badenoch.

The above Account serves to confirm
an Assertion of MacDonald of Glen-
alladale in his Journal, Vol:Volume 4. pag:page 634.
and to rectifierectify a mistake of mine in a mar-
ginal note (Vol:Volume 4. pag:page 634) which I was
led into by an Expression in Mr John
Cameron’s Journal, Vol:Volume []^1st pag:page 174; qchwhich
Expression of Mr John Cameron (it would
appear) imports only, that Lochiel was
in Health &and out of Danger as to his
Wounds, but not that he was altoge-
ther sound or quite well recovered.
The foresaid Dr Threpland (as Breacka-chie1480(1480)
chie assured me) waited on Lochiel af-
ter the Battle of Culloden &and dressed
his Wounds for him; so that when the
Doctor left Badenoch, Lochiel needed
only to keep his Wounds clean, &and to
apply dry dressings to them.

Moreover, Breackachie informed me, ytthat
Lochiel, after the Battle of Culloden,
was very anxious to be out of Lochabar,
&and to be in Badenoch, not only for Ease
&and Safety to his own Person, but likewise
because he was not able to stand the me-
lancholy Accounts, that were ever reach-
ing his Ears, about the Cruelties &and Severities
committed by the Military upon the peo-
ple round about him in Lochabar. And
even when Lochiel was in Badenoch, such
moving Narratives were told him of the
Sufferings of his own people &and of others
in Lochabar, as bore very hard upon him.
One Day when Accounts were brought to Lo-
chiel in Badenoch, that the poor people
in Lochabar had been so pillaged &and har-
rassed, that they had not really Neces-
saries to keep in their Lives, Lochiel took
out his purse, &and gave all the money he
could well spare to be distributed among
such in Lochabar. “And (said Breacka-
chie) “I remember nothing better, than
“that SrSir Stewart Threpland at that time
“took out his purse, &and gave five Guineas,
“expressing himself in these Words, I am
“sure (said SrSir Stewart) I have not so
“much to my selfmyself; but then, if I be spar-ed1481(1481)
“ed, I know where to get more, where-
“as these poor people know not where
“to get the Smallest Assistance.”