ought immediately to fight M'Kay, and then march Westward: That he saw no reason to delay fighting; they had the marrow of the Highlands about them, flushed with victory, and eager for a new opportunity of exerting their valour, and of revenging the death of their late brave General, and of so many of their friends: That if they expected the Northern Shires and Lowland gentry to joyn them, they must doe something to incourage them, and to establish the reputation of their new General: That though the enemy had more horse, yet the late cowardly flight of those att Kilychranky had removed all the fears that the Highlanders had formerly of them; and that, for his part, he was so little apprehensive of them, that he was willing to fight all they had with his own Clan, assisted by the three hundred horse that had of late joyned them; and, in a word, if they lossed this opportunity, when M'Kay had no more than equall numbers, and began a cowardly retreat, when it was in their power to serve the King effectually, and gain honour to themselves, they would not onely loose their friends, their reputation, and their army, which would dayly diminish, but they would even become the jest and diversion of the kingdome.

Notwithstanding of what was said by Locheill, who was vigorously supported by the other Chiefs, it was carried in the council of war, not onely that the Lowland officers should vote, but that they should march through Aberdeenshire, and over the Carnamount, without fighting the enemy. It will be hard to assign any other reason for this ridiculous march, excepting that of increasing their army by the conjunction of their Northern friends; but the event showed that they mistook their measures, for this retreat proved so fatall to their affairs, that the army became dispirited, and dayly diminished, when they saw every thing goe cross to their inclinations, and M'Kay's reputation encreased so, that the Government was in no further apprehensions of danger from that quarter.

Locheill, seeing the King's orders neglected, and that nothing was to be expected but fatigue from their ill-concerted measures, retired to Lochaber, in order to repose himself; and left the command of his men to his son, who continued with them dureing that inglorious campaign.

Sir Donald [M'Donald of Sleat] and several others followed the same example, and left the care of their men to their nearest relations.

General Canon's army was now so reduced, that he was obliged to betake himself to the mountains; and so marched round the skirts of the Highlands, while M'Kay keept the plains below, every day in sight of each other, exchangeing bravadoes to fight, but the one durst as little goe up to the high-ground, as the other descend to the low; so that they were in mutual fear of each other.

Thus they continued for the space of a month, till Canon had intelligence that the Cameronian regiment, so called from their following one Cameron, ane extravagant Fanatick Preacher, amounting to 1200 men, and commanded by Lieutenant-Collonel Cleland, had taken possession of Dunkell, with a designe to destroy the country of Atholl. To prevent this, he resolved to dislodge them, and might have easily effected it, had he used a little policy, and sent a small party of five or six hundred men to have trained them out of the town, where they were strongly fortifyed, and keept the army att a short distance, as he could easily have done, without the enemy's getting any intelligence, the people thereabouts being all his friends. But he, without regard to good policy, marched his army, which was now dwindled away to about three thousand men, in a full body to their trenches, beat the enemy's out-guards, and entering the town in the very face of their fire, without any thing to cover them, brock through all opposition, and rushed in upon such of them as were posted in the lesser houses, where they putt all they found to the sword without any mercy. Never was there, on any occasion, more resolution and less conduct shown than in this; and so surprizeing was their boldness, that they stood naked in the open streets exposed to the enemy's fire, and killed them in the windows, till they cleared the town of them, and drove them into the Marquess of Athol's house, which, being a strong place, they were not to be beaten from that post so easily. So little did their General reflect on what he was to doe, that though he had several cannons and field-pieces which had been taken from the enemy, yet when he came to apply them, he had not so many balls as he had guns. However, the bravery of his men, in a great mea

sure, supplyed his defect in conduct; and had he had patience to have stood to the attack, he would infallibly have carryed his poynt, and covered his weakness by the happy effects of a bold temerity; for, besides the loss of their two commanding officers, Cleland and Fullartoun, both brave men, who, with many others, were killed; notwithstanding of the strength of their post, their ammunition was all spent to a shott, and they upon the very poynt of surrendering att discretion, when the General commanded his men, even against their own inclinations, to retire.

Many of the Highlanders were wounded, but not above eighteen or twenty of them killed, which looked like a miracle; but the true reason was, that the enemy's shott somewhat resembled thunder, in this, that it had more noise than effect; for, observeing that the Highlanders putt their guns to their eye, and that they seldome mist their mark, they had not courage to expose themselves, but shott att random, whereby they did little execution. There were above three hundred of them killed, and a great many more wounded; but the greatest part of this slaughter was of those who were slain att first in the little and less tenible houses of the toun.

By this weak conduct, Canon suffered so extreamly in his reputation, and his men were so dispirited by his misimploying their valour, that, the winter now approaching, they dropt away, and he in the end obliged to retreat to Lochaber, where the remainder were dismissed, excepting the few Irishmen whom I have mentioned, and the Lowland officers, who were dispersed into such quarters as the country afforded. Nor did the Low-country gentlemen entertain, after this, the least hopes of success, unless they gott a General that was capable to conduct them. Several of them had proceeded so far, that they knew not how to retreat; and Mr Drummond of Balhaldys, who, from the beginning of the war, had keept close with them, haveing stole privately, after the affair of Dunkell, into his oun country, was, by a Letter from the Council of the 20th December, thereafter commanded to attend their pleasure again [st] the 14th of the nixt month; which, in common prudence, obliged him and many others to make their submissions by accepting of

the benifite of the indemnity, till King James his affairs should be better conducted, and in a more promiseing posture.

I have already mentioned the arivall of General Buchan from Ireland. He brought with him some provisions for the army, and Letters for the Chiefs from King James. That to Locheill bears date the last day of November 1689, and contains, in substance, a gracious accknowledgement of his and the other Chiefs their zeal and bravery in his service, and in their successfull endeavours to advance his interest; for which he returns them his hearty thanks, and expects that they will goe on in the same manner. He desires him not to be discouraged att the charges he was putt to on that account, seeing the happy posture of affairs, both att home and abroad, would not onely soon enable him to repay all, but likeways to distinguish him by particular marks of his royall favour: He says that he was immediatly to send over the Earl of Seaforth to head his friends and followers, and promises to send the Duke of Berwick with considerable forces to their assistance as soon as the season would permitt: He assures him of full protection in religion, laws, and libertys; and recommends unity among themselves, and a submission to their superior officers.

King James was then very strong in Ireland, and was att that time determined, by the advice of his friends and Councill, to sett on foot a considerable army in Scotland; and on arrivall of the French fleet, which he dayly expected, to send over the Duke of Berwick with 8000 Irish troops to command in chief. All this, and a great many more particulars, appears from the confession of one Mr Alexander Strachan, who was dispatched with letters and instructions to the Highlanders a few days after Buchan; but being seized att Glasgow, and carryed prisoner to Edinburgh, he confessed all that he knew of King James his af fairs, and delivered up what papers he had about him to the Councill, upon assurance of life and fortune. He likeways carried letters from the Earl of Seaforth to the Countess of Errole, and some others; who were immediately confined, and very ill used.

This winter all was pretty quiet in the Highlands; and King William, in order to have affairs settled in Scotland before he went to Ireland, offered the Highlanders a cessation of arms, whereof the Lord Tarbat had the management; but he, for I know not what reasons, not inclineing to appear openly in that affair, persuaded the councill, that the Earl of Breadalbane, being not onely well accquanted with, but also nearly related to most of the Chiefs, was much properer than he for that negotiation, and prevailed with them to issue out their orders for him to attend their pleasure. The Earl shifted them for some time, upon several pretexts; but being in the end obliged to appear, the councill communicated King William's orders, and offered him L.5000 sterling, with several other rewards, to bring about the cessation: But he, being determined not to meddle without consent of King James his friends att Edinburgh, and they judgeing it highly detrimentall to that Prince's interest, generously refused to concern himself; but these gentlemen, haveing more maturely reflected on the posture of affairs in the Highlands, which was then in [a] very naked and defenceless condition, and considered that the proposed cessation of arms would allow them full time to provide for their security, and to receive the powerfull succours that were then promised them from Ireland, they changed their mind, and desired Breadalbane to offer his service.

The councill gladely accepted of the offer, but they haveing intimated his former refusal to King William, could conclude nothing without new orders; and desired the Earl to waite on that King, and settle matters with him before he went over to Ireland. But King William was gone before the Earl's arrivall, which brought the project to nothing.

The Earl of Seaforth arrived early this spring in the Highlands, but brought nothing with him butt Letters and Commissions to the Chiefs. That the reader may have a fuller view of the circumstances of affairs att that time, I shall here insert King James his Letter to Locheill, which was directed thus: