thing of a poetical geneius, composed certain ridiculous rhymes, which he gave out were made in derision of their cowardice by the Camerons, and thereby irritated them to such a degree of furry against them, that they returned next morning, attacked and defeated them, while they were burryed in sleep and security after their late victorey.

IV. ALLAN M'OCHTRY.

Allan, sirnamed M'Ochtry, was then Chief of the Camerons, and had some years before succeeded the forementioned John, his father, in the command. He lost many of his followers in this route, and among others his kinsman, Charles M'Gillery, ancestor of that tribe of the Camerons called the Clan M'Gillery. That is, the family of the Gilbertsons or Gibsons. The place where this happened is from him called Corriecharlich, that is, Charles his corry, or hollow.

The Camerons did not long delay to revenge themselves on their enemies, and, in a word, their conflicts were so frequent, and at the same time so feirce and bloody, that they made no small noise att court. For the partys, besides their own strength, had many friends and allys that joyned them; so that they often brought considerable armys to the field.

Robert the Third then satt upon the throne. He was a Prince of a mild and peaceable temper, and so valetudinarey, that he was obliged to mannage all his affairs by his ministers. His brother, the Duke of Albaney, an active and vigilant Prince, governed att Court; and two of his principall nobility, Thomas Dunbar Earl of March, and James Lindsay Earl of Crawford, commanded his troops. These two generals were sent to the Highlands to settle these commotions; but finding that they could not execute their orders by force, without risking the loss of their army, they endeavoured to bring the rivall Chieffs to some reasonable terms of agreement; and, after many overtures, fell upon a proposall that was very agreeable to both. It was in a word this: That thirty of each side should fight before the King and Court, without any other arms but their swords, and that the party that should happen to be defeated should

have ane indemnity for all past offences; and that the conquerors, besides the estate in dispute, should be honoured with the royall favour. By this method, continued they, the plea will be determined in a manner that will testifie your submission and loyalty to the Crown, and give the world a lasting proofe of the courage and bravery of the partys.

Pursuant to this treaty, both the Chiefs appeared at Court, and all preliminarys being adjusted, the King ordered a part of the North Inch, or plain upon the banks of the river, near the city of Perth, to be enclosed with a deep ditch, in form of an amphitheatre, with seats or benches for the spectators, his Majesty himself being to sitt judge of the field.

The fame of this extraordinary combate soone spreading over the kingdome, drew infinite crouds from all parts to witnes so memorable an event. The combatants appeared resolute and fearless, but when they were just ready to engage, one of the Macintoshes, who had withdrawn himself for fear, was amisseing. Whereupon the King commanded that one of the Camerons should be removed; but all of them expressing a great unwillingness to be exempted from the common danger, one of the spectators, named Henry Wynd, a saddler and citizen of Perth, presented himself before the King, and offerred to supply the place of the absent coward, on condition that if his party came off with victorey that he should have a half French crown of gold for his reward.

The parties being now equall, to it they fell, and fought with all the rage and furry that hatred, revenge, and an insatiable thrist of glory, could inspire into the breasts of the feirsest of mankind. Like lyons and tigers they tore and butchered one another, without any regaird to their own safety, and the reader will find it easier to imagine than to express the various passions, that agitated the breasts of the spectators in the different scens of so bloody a tragedy. The King, a good-natured Prince, was seized with an inexpressible horrour, nor were there any present who were not shoked at the crewell spectacle. But it was observed that Henry Wynd distinguished himself above all others during this furious conflict; as he was not spirited and disordered by the same passions with the rest of the party, so he employed his strength, and directed his courage, with more discretion and play; and to his conduct it was

principally ascribed, that they at last had the advantage of their antagonists. For of the Macintoshes ten (but they all mortally wounded) survived; and only one of the Camerons escaped; he, having the good fortune to remain unhurt, had the address to save himself by swiming over the river of Tay, nor were the miserable victors in a condition to prevent him. The brave mercenary, Henry Wynd, likewayes survived without so much as a scratch on his body. His valure is still famous among his countreymen, and gave rise to a proverb, which is commonly repeated when any third person unnecessarily engadges himself in the quarells of others" He comes in like Henry Wynd for his own hand."

Such was the issue of this memorable combate, which, though it did not putt an end to the differance betwixt the rivall Clans, yet the most fierce and turbulent among them being destroyed, it suspended the effects of it for several years thereafter.

I know that some of our historians have, by their ignorance of Highland affairs, named ane imaginary people whom they call the Clankey, and not the Clan Cameron, as party to Macintosh in the above skirmish; but besides a constant and uniform tradition, the forecited historian is positive that the Macintoshes were never at variance, nor engaged in war with any other clan but the Camerons, and that all their antient MSS. agree in the same thing, and expressly mention the Camerons as their party in this; add to this, that the best Highland Antiquarys deny that there ever was such a people as the Clankey in these parts, or, if there was, they were so mean and obscure, that there is not so much as a vestige or memory of them in the Highlands.

Allan M'Ochtry, the forementioned Chief of the Camerons, did not long survive it.* Besyds the wars wherein he was continually engadged, he, according to the humour of Knight-Errantry that then generally prevailed, fought a duel in vindication of the honour of an injured lady, and she, in gratitude to her deliverer, has celebrated his valure in an elegant song, which is still sung with pleasure by his posterity. From him the Family of the Ochiltrys are said to be descended, though, I presume, upon no other grounds than a meer similitude of sound.

• N.B. This duel hapned in the time of Ewen his sone, though misplaced by mistake.

V. EWEN M'ALLAN.

He was succeeded by his son Ewen, who died soon thereafter, [and] was followed by Donald, surnamed M'Ewen from his father.* This last [Allan M‘Ochtry] had to his wife a lady of the name of Drummond, a daughter of the House of Stobhall, by whom he had two sons, who succeeded him, the one after the other.

VI. DONALD MEWEN.

Donald, the youngest, was a gentleman of extraordinary prudence and valour, and acquired so great a reputation among his people, that the Chiefs, his descendants, assumed his name, and still call themselves M'Coilduys, that is, the sons of Black Donald, which has since continued to be the patronimick of the family. He was perpetually engaged either in domestick or foreign wars; but that which gave him the greatest trouble was the disturbance raised by the Lord of the Isles, of whom, and of the original cause of these troubles, it seems necessary to give some previous account.

Donald, surnamed Bane from his fair complection, the unworthey brother of the great Malcolm Kenmore, having, during the usurpation of Macbeath, resided in the Ebridæ or Western Isles, afterwards formed a designe upon the Crown in prejudice of his brother's children; and for that purpose, obtained assistance from Magnus King of Norway, upon condition that, when he came to be King, he would make over these Isles

• He [Allan M'Ochtry] marryed to his Lady a younger daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall, predecessor to the present Duke of Perth. Lieutenant-General Drummond, Viscount of Strathallan, in his Genealogical Account of the Drummonds, says, that this Lady was maryed to the Lord of the Isles. But this must be a mistake. For that Lord was maryed to a daughter of the Earl of Ross, in whose right his sone claimed that Earldome in default of male issue, which brought on the Battle of Harlaw, as will by and by appear. The mistake seems to proceed from this, that there being a tradition in the family that one of these daughters was married to a Highland chief, the General has thought it proper to bestow her on the greatest then in being. The Lady's sister, Annabella, was Queen to Robert III., and mother to K. James I.

to him. Magnus, pursuant to this bargain, being putt in possession, he and his successors enjoyed them 167 years, that is, till the year 1263. That Alexander the Third of Scotland having defeated Haco King of Norroway, at the battle of Larges, compelled him, upon a treaty, to restore them to his Crown. The treaty was afterwards ratifyed by the articles of marriage between Margaret Princes of Scotland, and Erick, the sone and successor of Haco, in July 1281, and often confirmed by succeeding kings.

While the Northvegians possessed these Isles they governed them by a deputy, or Viceroy, whom their historians honour with the title of King. The famous Somerled, Thane of Argyle, having marryed the daughter of Olaus, one of these petty kings, he, in his lady's right, became King of the Isles, and his posterity governed them even after they were restored to the Crown of Scotland, in a state of independency, without any disturbance, for several ages thereafter. Nor were they satisfied with their Isles, but extended their authority over all the Highland Continent, and disposed of the property of the lands att their pleasure. They had their ordinarey residence att the Castle of Ardtornish in Morvine, where they lived in a state of royalty. For, by reason of the long and bloody wars that followed the death of Alexander the Third, our kings had not lazure to looke after them, and their exorbitant power was at last so confirmed that it would have been no easie matter to reduce them. However, I find that they and the other Highlanders frequently assisted our kings in their wars against England, and performed all the other dutys of faithfull and loyall subjects; nor did they comitt any act of hostility till they were provocked to it by the following act of injustice.

The honours and estate of the antient Earls of Ross having devolved upon Walter Lessly, who marryed the heiress, he had by her one onely sone who succeeded him, and a daughter, who was married to the Lord of the Isles. That sone afterwards tooke a wife, one of the forementioned daughters of Robert Duke of Albany, and Regent of Scotland for K. James I., then a captive in England. By her he had no issue but a deformed girle, who, after her father's death, having shutt herself up in a monastry, resigned the honours and estate of her family in favours of John Earl of Buchan, the Governour's second sone.