After this repas, the prince inclined to sleep a little, as he rested none the night before; but to get a bed for him was the question—in short, there was no better shift than to take the leaf of the door, and lay it down upon the floor, and spread an old ragged sail over it, which Neil found in the house; there he slept some hours wrapt in his wet plaid. The guide, who went with O’Neil the night before to Clanranald’s house, returned towards evening, who brought along with him a rosted fowl, and a couples of bottles of wine, and a letter from O’Neil to the prince, the contents of which I could not find out, though it’s very probable he excused himself for not returning, under pretence to hasten all matters for leaving the country. The prince supp’t very heartily upon what the lady had sent him, and afterwards slept soundly upon a heather bed, which Neil made for him.
Next morning the prince wrote a letter to O’Neil by the same post that brought the former, desiring him to come to him that night; but O’Neil contented himself to return him an answer by the same bearer, telling him he could not come by reason that he waited Miss McDonald and the Lady Clanranald, who was to come next day without fail.
The prince waited that day in the house of Roshiness. Next morning Neil carried him to a hill half way betwixt Roshiness and Nuntown;[504] there they lay till the evening, when they returned to their former quarters.
The prince seemed very uneasie that night that neither Mac O’Neil nor the ladys did not come according to promise; but the truth is, thay could not really come sooner, as they were busie night and day to get his dress made for the prince, and whatever other things he might have occasion for. The next day Rory McDonald, and one John McDonald, who were to be two of our crew, arrived in the morning, and told that both boat and crew were ready whenever he pleased.
Whereupon Neil carried the prince to the same hill where they had sculked the day before, and leaving him in the hands of the two McDonalds before mentioned, posted off himself to hurry the ladys from Nuntown, and sent off O’Neil directly to the place where he left the prince when himself went with the Lady Clan, Miss Flora McDonald, Clanranald’s daughter, and Mr. McDonald of Milltown, Miss Flora’s brother, about another rod, where they were to have the conveniency of a boat to Roshiness.
The prince, who arrived first, welcomed them ashore, and handed the Lady Clan to the house, while O’Neil took care of Miss Flora. There they passed some hours very hearty and merry till supper was served, which was scarce began, when one of Clanranald’s herds came with the news that General Campbell[505] was landing his men within three miles of them. The supper thus ended, which was hardly begun—all run to their boat in the greatest confusion, every one carrying with him whatever part of the baggage came first to his hand, without either regard to sex or quality, they crossed Lochisguiway,[506] and, about five in the morning, landed on the other side, where they ended the supper.
About eight a servant came to the Lady Clanranald to acquaint her that General Campbell, with a party of his men, were at her house, and wanted that she should be there before twelve of the clock otherwise that her house should suffer for all. Here the lady and her daughter took leave of the prince and went off. Great was the debate betwixt Miss Flora and O’Neil upon this occasion, who insisted strongly to leave the country with the prince; but Miss McDonald would never condescend, because he being a stranger, and consequently did not speak the language of the country, would readily be taken notice of by the common sort, and so took leave of the prince and Miss, made the best of his way to South Wist along with Milltown.
The company being gone, the prince, stript of his own cloaths, was dressed by Miss Flora in his new attire, but could not keep his hands from adjusting his head dress, which he cursed a thousand times. There they lay till the evening, waiting impatiently for the night to set off. Here they were alarmed by five wherries, the same, as they supposed, that landed the Campbells the night before in Benbicula, supposing, by taking this precaution, to keep the prince from making his escape. But their fears were soon over; for the wherries sailed by to the southward without ever stopping. After sunset they got into their boat, which was managed by the following persons—Rory McDonald, John McDonald, John McMurich, Duncan Campbell, and Rory McDonald of Glengary family; the prince passed for Miss McDonald’s maid, and Neil McDonald in the quality of a servant.[507]
The weather proving calm in the beginning of the night, they rowed away at a good rate; but, about twelve, there blew a gale of westerly wind, which eased the Rowers not little, but at the same time there came on such thick mist as robbed them of the sight of all lands; great was the debate among the boatmen upon this occasion, some asserted that they lost their course, while others maintained the contrary, till their dispute end’d at last to cease rowing till day would decide their error. In the morning, the weather being quite clear, they rowed along the coast of Sky, but the wind, shifting about to the north, blew at nine o’clock so strong in their teeth, that for an hour and a half it was impossible to discern whether they made any way or not.
The prince, who, all this time, was not in the least discouraged, encouraged them to row still better, saying that he would relieve him that was most fatigued. The poor men, almost ready to breathe out their last, at length made the point of Watersay on the north corner of the Isle of Sky, where, having got into a cliff in a rock, they rested themselves for an hour, and at the same time revived their drooping spirits with a plentiful repas of bread and butter, while the water that fell from the top of the rock furnished them drink.