— The Prince lay the first night at Co-
rineuir, at the Foot of Benalder, after
his coming to Badenoch, from which he was 1548 (1548)
was conducted next Day to Mellanauir
in Benalder a Sheiling1 of a very nar-
row Compass, where Lochiel with McPher-
son of Breackachie, Allan Cameron his
(i:e: Lochiel’s) PrincipallPrincipal Servant and
two Servants of Cluny were at the time.
It cannot but be remarked that when
Locheil saw five men approaching un-
der Arms being the P:Prince Lochgarry, Doctor
Cameron and two Servants, taking the
five to be of the Army or Malitiamilitia who
lay incamptencamped not above five miles from
them, &and probably in search of ’emselvesthemselves,
and as it was in vain to think of flying
tho’though the number had been greater, Loch-
eil at the time being quite leamlame &and not
in any Condition to travel much less to
fly, it was resolved (which a Message
beforehand woudwould have prevented) that
the attackers, as they judged ’emthem to be,
shou’dshould be received with a general Discharge
of all the fire-arms, in number twelve
Firelocks &and some Pistols, which they had
in the small Sheil-house or Bothie (as
we commonly call such little Huts) in
which they at the time lodged; whereu-
pon all was made ready, pieces plant-
ed and levelled from within, and (in short)
they flattered ’emselvesthemselves of getinggetting the
better of the searchers, there being no more
than their own number and likewise con-
sidering the great advantage they had of
firing at ’emthem without being at all observ-
ed, and the Conveniency of so many spare
Arms. But as the auspicious hand of Al-
mighty God and his Providence; which was 1549 (1549)
was so conspicuous in the Escort of his
R:Royal H:Highness at all times, prevented those with-
in the Hut from firing at the P:Prince with
his four Attendants, they came so near
at last that they were known by those
within, and then Lochiel tho’though lame made
the best of his way to meet his R:Royal H:Highness
without, who it may be believed, receiv-
ed him very graciously. The Joy at this
Meeting was certainly very great &and much
easier to be conceived than express’dexpressed ; how-
ever such was his R:Royal H:Highness’ Circumspection
that when the other would have kneel’dkneeled
at his coming up to him, he said, oh!
no my Dear Lochiel clapingclapping him on
the Shoulder, you don’t know who may
be looking from the Tops of yonder Hills,
&and if they see any such Motions they’ll
immediately conclude that I am have,
which may prove of bad Consequence.
Lochiel then ushered him into his Habi-
tation, which was indeed but a very poor
one as to the Accommodation and make.

— However, into the Hut His R:Royal H:Highness with
his Retinue went Viz. Lochgarry, Doctor
^Archibald Cameron and two Servants, where there
was more eatables &and Drinkables provided
for his Entertainment than he expected. There 1550 (1550)
There was plenty of Mutton newly kill’dkilled ,
and an anker2 of whiskiewhisky of twenty
Scotch Pints with some good beef Sass-
ers3 made the year before, &and plenty of
butter &and Cheese &and besides a large well
cured Bacon Ham; provisions formerly
laid in for Lochiel by MacPherson of
Breackachie younger. Upon his Entry he
took a hearty Dram, which he pretty of-
ten calldcalled for thereafter to drink his
FriendsFriends’ Healths, and when there were
some minch’dminched Collops4 dress’ddressed with But-
ter for him in a large sawcesauce pan that
Lochiel &and Cluny carried always about
wtwith ’emthem , which was all the fire Vessels
they had, he eat heartily and said with
a very chearfulcheerful &and lively Countenance,
now Gentlemen I lieve5 like a P.Prince tho’though
at the same time he was no otherwise
served than by eating his Collops6 out of
the sawcesauce pan, only that he had a sil-
ver spoon. After Dinner he asked Locheil
if he had still lived during his Skulk-
ing in that place in such a good way, to
which Locheil answer’danswered, Yes, Sir, I have
for now near three months that I am
here &and hereabouts wtwith my Cousin Cluny
&and Breackachie, who has so provided for
me that I have still had plenty of
such as you see, &and I thank Heaven
that your R:Royal H:Highness has come safe through so
many Dangers to take a Part. — In two
Days after his R:Royal H: lodged wtwith Locheil at
Mellanaiur, Cluny came to ’emthem there from
Achnicarry, &and upon his coming into the Hut when 1551 (1551)
when he wou’dwould have kneeled his R:Royal H:Highness
took and prevented him, &and kissed him
as if he had been an equal, &and soon
after said I’m sorry Cluny you &and your
RegimtRegiment were not at Culloden, I did
not hear ’tilluntill of very late that you
was so near to have come up wtwith us
that Day.

Here his R:Royal H:Highness remained till he was
acquainted that the ShipingShipping for receiving &and 1553 (1553)
&and transporting him to France was arriv-
ed. — In the mean timemeantime of his R:Royal H.'sHighness'
having his Quarters in the Cage, he
sent Cluny &and Doctor Cameron on some
private Affair to Locharchaick, a Part
of Locheil’s Country, who in their way
before they left Badenoch in a very
dark Night had the good luck to meet
wtwith the before mentioned John McPher-
son alias McCoilvain, he having been
sent by Cameron of Cluns to find
out Cluny, that, if it was possible he
might fall on some way to get his
R:Royal H:Highness acquainted of the Arrival of
the Ships; and this Chance Meeting
was certainly a very great Providence,
Since if it had happen’dhappened otherwise, the
P.Prince wou’dwould not have known of the Ship-
ping’s Arrival ‘tilluntill the return from
Locharchaik, which Delay, as the Ar-
rival was some Time before, might
have proved of very bad Consequence;
But it pleased God to dispose better
for his R:Royal H.Highness who seemed to be still
the Almighty’s particular Care. For,
tho’though the night was the very Darkest, as
is before observed, the express met
the oyrother Gentlemen in the Teeth, &and
was known by ’emthem, whereupon having
got his News, &and knowing him to be
TrusteeTrusty &and might be believed, Cluny im-
mediately provided a TrusteeTrusty Guide, one
AlexrAlexander McPherson son to Benjemin Mc-
Pherson in Gallovie, who brought the Express 1554 (1554)
Express directly to the Cage, where
they arrived about one in the morning
the thirteenth of September, on which
minute his R.Royal H.Highness began his Journey
for the Shipping, &and agstagainst Day lightDaylight ar-
riv’darrived at his old Quarters in Uiskchilra.

Upon seeing it, he said, “I am afraid,
“we will not be safe with it.” Quoth
Cluns, “I shall cross first, &and show you
“the Way.” The matter was agreed
upon. Cluns, upon Reflection, said,
“I have six Bottles of Brandy, &and I be-
“lieve, all of you will be the better of
“a Dram.” — This Brandy was brought
from Fort Augustus, where the Enemy
lay in Garrison, about nine Miles
from that part of Lochy where they
were about to cross. — Lochiel went
to the Pr:Prince &and said, “Will your R:Royal H:Highness
“take a Dram?’ “O, said the Prince,
“can you have a Dram here?” “Yes,
“replied Lochiel, &and that from Fort Au-
“gustus too,” which pleased the Pr:Prince
much, that he should have provisions
from his Enemies, &cetc. He said, “Come,
“let us have it.” Upon this three of
the Bottles were drunk. Then they
passed the River Lochy by three
Crossings, Cluns Cameron in the
first with so many, then the Pr:Prince in
the second with so many, &and in the
third &and last Ferrying, the crazy Boat
lakedleaked so much that there would be
four or five pints of Water in the
Bottom of the Boat, &and in hurrying
over the three remaining Bottles
of 1558 (1558)
Bottles of Brandy were all broke. When
the Pr:Prince called for a Dram, it was told,
that the Bottles were broke, &and that
the common Fellows had drunk
all that was in the Bottom of the
Boat, as being good punch, which
had made the Fellows so merry,
that they made great Diversion to
the Company, as they marched along.

The whole time his R.Royal H:Highness took in
Badenoch was from his arrival
there upon the twenty ninth of
August ’tilluntil his leaving it &and being
in Uisknifichit upon the fifteenth
of September, during which he was
still in good Health &and hearty and
in such a Close private way tho’though with-
in Six or Seven Miles at most of
Loudon’s Camp of Militia at Shoro-
more, or Sheriffmuir, in the Head of
Badenoch a large Mile from Garvie-
more, &and no more than four or five Miles 1560 (1560)
Miles from Dalchunnie, which is one
of the most publick &and best frequented
stages ’twixtbetwixt EdrEdinburgh &and Inverness, upon
the highland Road, that all his own
Party, except the few that kept him
Company, were at a loss to think what
had become of him, &and his Enemies
quite nonplus’dnonplussed; they Some Timessometimes
thought he had got himself removed
to the east Coast through the Hills
of Athol, &and laid an ImbargoEmbargo upon
all the Shipping from that Quarter,
at oyrother Times they had Information
that he lurked in the Shires of Angus
or Mearns, &and a Search was made for
him in the most Suspected Places of
those Shires, &and particularly Mr Bar-
clay of Ury’s House in the Shire of
the Mearns, whose Lady is Aunt to
Locheil by the Father and to Cluny
by the Mother, was most narrowly
Searched, while he was quite safe &and
unconcern’dunconcerned about ’emthem in the Cage
and oyrsothers his Dwellings in Benalder.

When he came there he was indeed
in a pretty deplorable Way, interelyentirely
destitudedestitute not only of the Comforts
but even of the Necessaries of Life,
his Royal Person had not as much
as one Shirt to put on his back, Ex-
cept that which he then wore, untill Cluny 1561 (1561)
Cluny set his Sisters German Iso-
bell Relict to McIntosh of Aberar-
der, Christian Married to McPherson
Breackachie &and Unn then unmar-
ried, now married to McPherson
of Dalrady, who were all three
together in one house at Breack-
achie, about making some for
him in all haste, whereby he was
soon provided. He eat &and drank
all the Time pretty well &and hearty,
&and seem’dseemed to be quite reconcil’dreconciled wtwith
his Entertainment, which was ge-
nerally Sent from Breackachie by
the above three Ladies, as there
was no Family at Cluny, all hav-
ing ^been burnt there, &and his Lady being
then at EdrEdinburgh — His R.Royal H.Highness (as
is well known) went thro’through a rare
Scene &and train of Difficulties from
the unhappy Day of Culloden till
he went on board for foreign
Parts, &and was no doubt in many
Places in the Highlands &and Islands,
sometimes private enough, but ’tisit is
a Question if at all he pass’dpassed so
much of his time any where so
private &and secure as he did that
he spent in Benalder, being always
wtinwithin the Circumference of Six Miles.

’TisIt is true indeed Cluny kept good Trus-
tee Spies of his Friends in Loudon’s Camp, 1562 (1562)
Camp, so that one Man cou’dcould not
stir there wtoutwithout Intelligence being
brought to the P.sPrinces’ Quarters; And
when laying out the best Intelligence,
safe passage from the Kingdom was
not found out, there was actually
a Plan laid of his passing the whole
Winter, which was approaching, wtwith
Cluny, and as he wou’dwould direct,
which, if there had no safe mean
of getting over Seasoverseas cast up, wou’dwould in
all Probability have succeeded wtwith
equal Privacy to the Time his R.Royal
H.Highness had already Spent in Benalder,
and the Beginning to put this Scheme
in Execution by some of those then
wtwith his R.Royal H.Highness their oyrwaysotherways shift-
ing for ’emselvesthemselves, as a throungthrong cou’dcould
not as well keep together private-
ly as a less number, was only
put off ’tilluntill Cluny’s return from
Locharchaik.

All about his R.Royal H.Highness during his a-
bode in Benalder of Badenoch were
Locheil, Cluny, Lochgarry, Doctor
Cameron &and Breackachie, one Allan
Cameron a young genteel Lad of
Calard’s Family, who was principal
Servant to Lo^cheil, &and four Servants
belonging to Cluny, particularly James
McPherson his Piper, Paul McPherson his
Horse-keeper, Murdoch &and Duncan Mc-Phersons1563(1563)
Phersons. This Murdoch the P.Prince gene-
rally call’dcalled Murik who &and Paul
coudcould speak no English, &and were
commonly employ’demployed in carrying pro-
visions from Breackachie. —