图书图片
PDF
ePub

was day, they took me into a house, and kept me there all day, and when it was night, set me on a horse by force. And always when we came by houses, I attempted to speak, then they offered to stop my mouth. We rode all night, and again morning, with great difficulty, they found a barn to put me in; there they kept me all day, and it being far in the Highlands, by four in the afternoon, they set me on a horse again, and rode all night. Again Saturday they brought me to a Mr For

ster, though he came not near me, always rode behind or before, and lodged always in the same place I lodged. Upon Saturday I saw him take horse, and his man with him. I look't out at a hole, and saw him. Again night they set me on a horse again, and carried me amongst the Highland hills, and rode till it was near morning, and laid me down on the grass, being very weary; and they rode all the Sabbath; the side of a hill, and the way was so bad, that it was not rideable, for they carried me in their arms; we were at an open shils all that night, and the next day the waters were so high, that we could not cross till it was near night, then they got me on horse and carried me to a place called Milltown, when preparations were made for me, that being the 28th day of the month. I was never in bed all the time since we came from Pomeise. With their rude hands they had hurt one of my breasts. I was kept there sixteen days, and all the company left me, but James Watson's herd. This was on my Lord Lovat's ground. They called the man of the house Andrew Fraser. Grant came on the of September, and set me on horse by force, at night, and put me in a boat, which was in a loch about a mile from Milltown. They crossed the loch with me, and James Fraser left me there some nights without, and some nights in byres. After we crossed the loch, and again the 9th of the month, at the evening, we came to a loch-side on Glengarie's ground. I should have been taken to Scoto's house, brother to the Laird of Glengary, whose wife is aunt to John Macleod the advocate, for the man who was to get me was one Alexander Macdonald, for I was to come to Scoto's house, *but they altered

• Macdonald of Scothouse. VOL. 1.

their minds, and ordered him to come to Lochnirn, and wait for me on the 10th of the month, on the break of day, for fear of their being seen, for they were always in terrour. They dragged me by force, and I cried bitterly out; they were all Highlanders, and nobody understood me; and took me into a sloop, of which Alexander Macdonald was master, who is a tenant in an island called Hesker, belonging to Sir Alexander Macdonald, who told me he had been at Scoto's house, and seen my Lord Lovat's cousin, formerly mentioned; he was ordered to take me home to his own isle, and keep me there till further orders. I told him I was stolen out of Edinburgh, and brought there by force, and that it was contrary to the laws what they were doing. He answered that he would not keep me or any other against their will, except Sir Alexander Macdonald were in the affair. How far Sir Alexander is concerned in this am not certain; but the man being poor and greedy of money, made him go beyond his own light. We lay long on the loch for want of wind, and young Scoto's son and his father's brother came into the sloop the time that the sloop lay in the loch. They came with design to see me, but not to relieve me. We came not out of the loch till the 19th day of the month, and then

Macdonald, another

son of Scoto's, came into the sloop, and had a long conversation with Alexander Macdonald. We were stormstay'd by the way, and we were in hazard of being lost before we came to Hesker, which was a poor miserable island. Upon the 30th day of the month we came there. That day we came out of the loch there came in a son of Dornicks, called John Macleod, and William Toling, who lives on Macleod's ground, who before was merchant at Inverness, and Rory Macdonald, brother to Castletown, and they all understanding the language, I told them all my misfortunes; and William Toling said he was at Edinburgh the time I was stolen, and promised me he would tell Renkiller where I was to be taken. I was in the island Hesker ten months before I got bread, and suffered much cold and hunger, and many hardships and barbarous usage. I was in that strait alProbably Lochhourn.

X X

most I wanted stockings, shoes, and many other necessarys. And Macdonald said he had no orders to give me any meat but what they eated themselves; but had no orders for cloaths. After I was near a year in his custody, he said he would go and tell them from whom he got me, that he thought it was a sin to keep me, and that he would let me away, and that he had writ twice or thrice about what necessarys I wanted, but got no answer. When he came back he said he had seen Sir Alexander Macdonald, and said to him it was a sin and shame to keep me, for that he would keep me no longer. Sir Alexander said he was sorry that he had meddled in such an affair, and did not know how to get out of it, but discharged him to let me go till farther orders. Alexander said he was bidden treat me harshly, and do nothing but what was his pleasure, and to cross me in every thing. Though he got me bread, yet I was much more hardly dealt with than he had done the first year, and I thought it hard enough when he was in Sky, at Sir Alexander's, he told me he saw Alexander Mackenzie of Delvin's two brothers. I well remembered they are called Kenneth and John Mackenzies, and he pretended he told them he had me in his custody, for he made it not a secret. I often begged him to allow me to write to my friends the time I was with him, and that then I would be relieved, for he said he was discharged to let me write, or tell me the place of the world I was in. I was many months there before I knew whose ground I was on. I often begged him to tell the minister, who was one Mr John Maclean, and the name of his parish is the Weist, which is in the middle of the Long Island, and bordered with Clanranald's ground. I desired him to come and see me, and pray for the distress of my family. Mr Macdonald told me he answered it was his duty to pray for every body in distress; but if he could not come and see me, he had but an eight mile ferry to cross. But whether Alexander told him I was there, cannot be positive or sure. In May 1734, Sir Alexander Macdonald came to the Weist to set his land, and sent word to Alexander I was to be taken away from him very soon, and that he would allow no more board for

me, therefore he should let me go with the first that came for me. It was but a small island, none in it but cottars, and his servants. Upon the 14th day of June there came a sloop to the Hesker, with John Macleod, tenant to the Laird of Macleod, in a place which they call North Town, in the parish of Harrioch, and brought a letter to Alexander. He showed me the letter to give up the cargo that was in his hands. The day before he got the letter he had been at the Captain of Clanranald's house, and had met with my Lord Lovat's cousin there, the Captain being married to his sister. John Macleod and his man were very rude to me, and hurt me very sore in the taking me away. Alexander Macdonald told me he knew not where I was going to, and John Macleod said he was taking me to the Orkney islands. The galley belonged to himself, but his brother Norman Macleod was manager of it. He was in such terror that it should be known that I was in his custody, that he

now all

his men. When I came to the island, I found it as I heard of it, a very desolate island, but nobody in it but natives of the place. John and his brother stayed a few days in the place, and by no means would confess from whom he got me, but I found out; what hand the Laird of Macleod had in it I am not sure. He left me in a very miserable condition, but had no provision for me but what the island afforded, and nobody to wait of me that understood me, but one ill-natured man who understood a little English, and explained to others what I wanted; and he was not only ill-natured, but half-witted, and one day drew out his durk to kill me. After being some time in this island, God in his good providence, who in all my distress has taken care of me, for which I have great reason to bless and praise him, where I found God much present with me for as desolate it is, comforting me, and supporting me in my long and heavy trial, a minister and his wife came to the island, to whom I am exceeding much obliged; and if it had not been for the care that he and she took, I had died for want of meat, for there were no provisions sent me but two pecks of flour, and what the place can afford, such as milk and a little barley knocked, and

that forced from them by threatenings, for the people is very poor and much oppressed. I have nobody to serve me but a little Highland girl;* and the minister and his wife must explain to her. He is a serious and devout man, and very painfull, and what time he can spare from his business he is so good as to come to see me. I am not sure whose hands this may come to, but if I be dead, I beg my friends may be kind to reward this minister and his wife, for he hath helped to preserve my life, and made it comfortable the time I lived. John Macleod abovenamed is tenant of this island. I got the minister persuaded to write the account of the way I was stolen, and by whom, that he might acquaint my friends. He would not give me a pen to write any of them, but said he would do all for me that was in his power. When he went from this island, he resolved to go to Edinburgh, but he would not venture to carry this paper with him. But I gave him a bill on you and two others of my friends, that they might know where I was; but his life being threatened he left this island, and he was after hindered either to go to Edinburgh, or to write to any body Since he came back to this island, he sent me word by his wife that he had burnt the bills I had given him he is in such fear of his life and his uncle's. Some other of the ministers were angry at him for the care and the concern he had taken of me. He bade his wife get this paper from me that he might destroy it, that it might never come to light as written by him. Since I could not get paper to write so full an account as this, I thought it no sin to deceive her, and I burnt two papers before her, and bade her tell the minister now to be easy. I am not sure who of my kin and friends is dead, or who is alive; but I beg whosoever hands this comes first to, to cause write it over in a fair hand, and to shew it to all my friends."

about me.

The following notices are written at the end of the narrative.

This person is yet alive in North Uist, and is upwards of 90 years of age. She was seen by Mr Campbell, author of Albyn's Anthology, who lately travelled into the remote parts of Scotland in search of ancient music.

Her own hand begins at "I got."

"Grant had his felows. "Scoto's wife aunt to Roderick Macleod, his father's sister.

"There sprang a leck in the sloop; we were in great danger.

"One of Lord Lovat's lyes which he said to John Macleod the young man of Dynwick, that I was going to kill my husband-you know that a lye.

"Sir Alexander Macdonald, at any time he wrote about me. the name he gave me was the Carop.

"I hear that Alexander Macdonald in the Hesker is dead. His wife is since married Logan Macdonald her tenant to Clanronald. She knows it was Lord Lovat and Roderick Macleod that stole me.

"The minister's daur saw me taken out of Mrs Margaret Maclean's house by Roderick Macleod-and he told Lady Macleod he said"—

This Roderick Macleod was Macleod of Muiravonside, who, it was well known, acted the principal part in the barbarous scene described by the sufferer.

From the above curious document, it appears that Lady Grange was at St Kilda nine years after she was taken from Edinburgh. When the author of the notice which precedes the narrative was at St Kilda, in the year 1800, he was informed by an old man, who remembered having seen Lady Grange, that she had been seven or eight years on that island. On making inquiry respecting what happened afterwards to this ill-fated woman, he was informed by a gentleman in Skye, that, in consequence of a dread of discovery, she had been removed to Assint, (the western district of Sutherland,) and from thence to Skye, where she died.

[blocks in formation]

neighbouring inhabitants. Of this being the case, I had lately a striking instance, when at Ballachelish in the western part of Inverness-shire, in the neighbourhood of which I saw some of the most striking scenery any where to be met with. As I have never seen any description of the beauties of that place, I shall trouble you with a short account of the adventures of a day I spent there, in hopes of its being useful to future travellers.

I had stopped all night at Ballachelish, and intended early in the morning to proceed southward through the celebrated valley of Glencoe. On ⚫ looking out, however, I found that it rained a good deal, and that the hills were quite covered with mist, which would have rendered travelling alone in a country almost uninhabited very disagreeable. While hesitating whether to set out or not, I walked a short way along the banks of Lochleven, (an arm of the sea,) to see some of the slate quarries for which Ballachelish is celebrated. At one of these I found a man who spoke tolerable English, and who informed me that there were some waterfalls at the head of Lochleven more interesting than those of Foyers. Being in doubt whether I could depend on his account or not, I went and asked the landlord if he knew any thing of such falls. He confirmed the account I had received, and mentioned, that there were also several remarkable caves in that neighbourhood, but could give me no distinct description either of these or of the waterfalls. A gentleman who had been all night in the inn, on being informed of these curiosities, was as anxious as I was to see them. The landlord informed us that we could get a boat to the head of the loch, which was nine miles distant, and then we would not have far to walk. We soon procured a boat, and two men to row it, but we were obliged to wait for some time that we might go up with the tide, as in some places the current was such as would have rendered it impossible to go against it. At last, however, about eleven o'clock, we set out on our voyage of discovery, as we found good reason to call it.

As we advanced, the loch, which at Ballachelish was not above a quarter of a mile in breadth, expanded into a large sheet, the banks of which were

ornamented with considerable quan— tities of natural wood. On both sides were high mountains, some of which seemed to rise almost perpendicularly from the loch, and were green to the tops. The whole of the scenery of this loch was grand, and the reflection that in its neighbourhood was the residence of Ossian, added not a little to its interest. Our boatmen occasionally sung us some Gaelic songs, to which they beat time with their oars, and which, although any thing but fine music, added considerably to our entertainment. About two or three miles from Ballachelish, we passed a small island called St Mungo's Isle. It had been formerly resorted to for a burial ground to protect the dead bodies from wolves, which were once very common in this country, and it is still used as such. One of our boatmen, whose name was Cameron, informed us, that at burials the pomp of feudal times is still in some degree preserved. He told us, that upwards of 4000 Camerons, of whom he was one, attended the funeral of a son of Mr Cameron of Fassfern, who was killed at Waterloo, and whose body was brought home for interment.

Not far from the island above men→ tioned, the loch suddenly contracted into a narrow channel, confined on each side by rocks of a slaty_structure. Through this the tide was Lowing with great rapidity, and carried the boat with almost the swiftness of an arrow. Beyond this the loch again expanded to a considerable breadth, and was surrounded on all sides, except the narrow channel through which we passed, by lofty and steep mountains, green to the tops, except where a craggy precipice elevates its rugged front in awful grandeur. On the south side of the loch we saw part of Glencoe, through which the Cona of Ossian pours its "thousand streams."

[ocr errors][merged small]

several small ones. But what render ed this particularly worthy of our at tention was, the water having in five places quite near each other cut a passage for itself, leaving the rock arched above it, and thus forming five natural bridges.

With some difficulty we got at one of these, which was almost close to the principal fall. On going upon it we had a fine view of the water falling from a considerable height into an awful gulf immediately under our feet; but so narrow was the rock, and so near the water, that it was impossible to stand long on it without becoming quite giddy.

Having returned to the boat, we proceeded to the head of the loch, where we again left the boat and walked along the banks of another stream, on which we were told there was a fall. We had not proceeded far till we came in sight of part of this fall, where we saw a large stream of water precipitating itself a hundred feet or more over a perpendicular rock, into a deep chasm, the sides of which concealed the lower part of the fall from us. On getting to the mouth of this chasm, a grand view all at once burst on our sight. The water having gained an immense velocity in the part we had before seen, but which was now in its turn concealed by a projecting cliff, fell quite detached from the rock in an extended and foaming sheet, into the gulf below. The height of this lower part I supposed to be at least 500 feet. Wishing to see the whole fall at once, we endeavoured to get still nearer it. This was by no means an easy task, as the stream entirely filled the bottom of the chasm, and the sides were so steep that it was impossible to walk on them. We were therefore obliged to walk in the stream itself, which, though rapid, was not so deep at the sides as to stop us. After proceeding for some time in this way, sometimes scrambling over pieces of rock, and sometimes obliged to hold by twigs or bushes growing on the sides, to prevent ourselves from being carried down by the current, we at length arrived at a point where the fall could be seen to the greatest advantage, and we found it well worth all the trouble we had undergone to get at it. We were now surrounded on all sides, except the narrow chasm through which we had

passed, by rocks so steep and so high, that we could only see a small part of the sky immediately over our heads. In the crevices of these rocks, some weeping birches had taken root, which must have been supported entirely by the spray arising from the fall, as there appeared to be scarcely any soil about them. But the fall was the grand object to which our attention was directed. The water, for about 100 feet or upwards, seemed just to touch the rock, down which it rushed with a velocity almost inconceiv able; but below this it was entirely detached from the rock. On leaving the rock, the water, which was before confined and narrow, expanded into a broad and foamy sheet, and rolled in awful majesty into an abyss quite concealed by the clouds of spray which rose from it. Indeed, the water seemed to be quite broken, by the resistance of the air, into small particles, long before it reached the bottom, presenting the appearance of clouds of mist blown before the wind. In a few minutes we were completely wet with the spray, but we were too highly delighted to regard such a trifling inconvenience. In short, the freshness and verdure of the trees, scatter ed here and there among the cliffs, the wildness and height of the rocks, the foamy whiteness of the water, and, above all, its terrific thundering roar, all conspired to render this scene the most awfully sublime I ever beheld. We had no means of measuring the exact height of this fall; the boatmen informed us that they had once accompanied the factor of a neighbouring gentleman, who had measured it by taking a station as nearly as possible on a level with the top of the fall, and letting down a plumb line to the surface of the water below. They even pointed out the very tree from which they had let fall the line, --at a height, as they averred, of 1083 feet from the bottom. This, however, I think, must have been an exaggeration. I have no doubt that its height is above 500 feet, but it is impossible to judge with any tolerable accuracy in a place where every thing is on so grand a scale, and where there is no known height to judge from. At any rate, this fall is by far the grandest I ever saw, and vastly surpasses the celebrated Foyers, both in the height of the fall, and the quantity of water.

« 上一页继续 »