A boat lay in readiness in a secluded nook on the coast, and "Betty Burke"—the pseudo servant-maid—Flora Macdonald, and Mackechan, as guide, embarked and got safely to Kilbride, in Skye. Not, however, without imminent dangers. A storm nearly swamped the boat; and upon reaching the western coast of the island they were about to land, when a number of militiamen were noticed on shore, close at hand, and as they recognised their peril, and pulled away with might and main, a volley of musketry would probably have had deadly effect, had not the fugitives thrown themselves at the bottom of the boat.

At the house of the Macdonalds of Mugstat, whose representative dreaded the consequences of receiving Charles, another Macdonald was introduced as an accomplice by the merest accident. This staunch Jacobite at once took possession of "Betty," and hurried off towards his house of Kingsburgh. Upon the way the ungainly appearance of Flora's maid attracted the attention of a servant, who remarked that she had never seen such an impudent-looking woman. "See what long strides the jade takes!" she cried; "and how awkwardly she manages her petticoats!" And this was true enough, for in fording a little brook "Betty Burke" had to be severely reprimanded by her chaperon for her impropriety in lifting her skirts! Upon reaching the house, Macdonald's little girl caught sight of the strange woman, and ran away to tell her mother that her father had brought home "the most old, muckle, ill-shapen-up wife" she had ever seen. Startling news certainly for the lady of Kingsburgh!

The old worn-out boots of the Prince's were discarded for new ones ere he departed, and fragments of the former were long afterwards worn in the bosoms of Jacobite ladies.

The next step in this wonderful escape was to Portree, where temporary accommodation was found in a small public-house. Here Charles separated from his loyal companions Neil Mackechan and the immortal Flora. The "Betty Burke" disguise was discarded and burnt and a Highland dress donned. With new guides the young Chevalier now made his headquarters for a couple of days or so in a desolate shepherd's hut in the Isle of Raasay; thence he journeyed to the north coast of the Isle of Skye, and near Scorobreck housed himself in a cow-shed. At this stage of his journey Charles altered his disguise into that of a servant of his then companion Malcolm Macleod, and at the home of his next host (a Mackinnon of Ellagol) was introduced as "Lewie Caw," the son of a surgeon in the Highland army. By the advice of the Mackinnons, the fugitive decided to return, under their guidance, again to the mainland, and a parting supper having been held in a cave by the sea-shore, he bid adieu to the faithful Macleod. The crossing having been effected, not without innumerable dangers, once more Charles found himself near the locality of his first landing. For the next three days neither cave nor hut dwelling could be found that was considered safe; and upon the fourth day, in exploring the shores of Loch Nevis for a hiding-place, the fugitives ran their little craft right into a militia boat that was moored to and screened from view by a projecting rock. The soldiers on land immediately sprang on board and gave chase; but with his usual good luck Charles got clear away by leaping on land at a turn of the lake, where his retreat was covered by dense foliage.

After this the Prince was under the care of the Macdonalds, one of which clan, Macdonald of Glenaladale, together with Donald Cameron of Glenpean, took the place of the Mackinnons.

A brief stay was made at Morar Lake and at Borrodaile (both houses of the Macdonalds); after which a hut in a wood near the latter place and an artfully constructed hiding-place between two rocks with a roof of green turf did service as the Prince's palace.

In this cave Charles received the alarming news that the Argyllshire Militia were on the scent, and were forming an impenetrable cordon completely round the district. Forced once more to seek refuge in flight, the unfortunate Stuart was hurried away through some of the wildest mountainous country he had yet been forced to traverse. A temporary hiding-place was found, and from this a search-party exploring the adjacent rocks and crags was watched with breathless interest.

Still within the military circle, a desperate dash for liberty had now to be planned. Nearly starved and reduced to the last extremity of fatigue, Charles and his guides, Glenpean and Glenaladale, crept stealthily upon all-fours towards the watch-fires, and taking advantage of a favourable moment when the nearest sentry was in such a position that their approach could be screened by the projecting rocks, in breathless silence the three stole by, and offering up a prayer for their deliverance, continued their foot-sore journey until their legs would carry them no farther.

The next four days Charles sought shelter in caves in the neighbourhood of Glenshiel, Strathcluanie, and Strathglass; but the most romantic episode in his remarkable adventures was the sojourn in the secret caves and hiding-places of the notorious robbers of Glenmoriston, under whose protection the royal fugitive placed himself. With these wild freebooters he continued for three weeks, during which time he made himself extremely popular by his freedom of intercourse with them.

The wanderer left these dwellings of comparative luxury that he might join hands with other fugitive Jacobites, Macdonald of Lochgarry and Cameron of Clunes, and took up his quarters in the wood-surrounded huts near Loch Arkaig and Auchnacarry.

The poor youth's appearance at this period is thus described by one of his adherents: "The Prince was at this time bare-footed, had an old black kilt-coat on, philabeg and waistcoat, a dirty shirt, and a long red beard, a gun in his hand, and a pistol and dirk by his side."

Moving again to miserable hovels in the wild recesses of the mountain Benalder, the chieftains Lochiel and Cluny acted now as the main bodyguard. The former of these two had devised a very safe hiding-place in the mountain which went by the name of "the Cage," and while here welcome news was brought that two friendly vessels had arrived at Lochnanuagh, their mission being, if possible, to seek out and carry away the importunate heir to the Stuart throne.

The last three or four days of Charles's memorable adventures were occupied in reaching Glencamger, halts being made on the day at Corvoy and Auchnacarry. On Saturday, September 20th, 1746, he was on board L'Heureux, and nine days later landed at Roscoff, near Morlaix.

So ended the famous escapades of the young Chevalier Prince Charles Edward.

Here is a fine field open to some enterprising artistic tourist. How interesting it would be to follow Prince Charles throughout his journeyings in the Western Highlands, and illustrate with pen and pencil each recorded landmark! Not long since Mr. Andrew Lang gave, in a weekly journal (The Sketch), illustrations of the most famous of all the Prince's hiding-places—viz. the cave in Glenmoriston, Inverness-shire.[1] The cave, we are told, is "formed like a tumulus by tall boulders, but is clearly a conspicious object, and a good place wherein to hunt for a fugitive. But it served its turn, and as another cave in the same district two miles off is lost, perhaps it is not so conspicious as it seems." It is about twenty feet wide at the base, and the position of the hearth and the royal bed are still to be seen, with "the finest purling stream that could be, running by the bed-side." How handy for the morning "tub"!

[Footnote 1: They appeared originally in Blaikie's Itinerary of Prince Curies Stuart (Scottish History Society).]

In that remarkable collection of Stuart relics on exhibition in 1889 were many pathetic mementoes of Charles's wanderings in the Highlands. Here could be seen not only the mittens but the chemise of "Betty Burke"; the punch-bowl over which the Prince and the host of Kingsburgh had a late carousal, and his Royal Highness's table-napkins used in the same hospitable house; a wooden coffee-mill, which provided many a welcome cup of coffee in the days of so many hardships; a silver dessert-spoon, given to Dr. Macleod by the fugitive when he left the Isle of Skye; the Prince's pocket-book, many of his pistols, and a piece of his Tartan disguise; a curious relic in the form of two lines of music, sent as a warning to one of his lurking-places—when folded in a particular way the following words become legible, "Conceal yourself; your foes look for you." There was also a letter from Charles saying he had "arrived safe aboard ye vessell" which carried him to France, and numerous little things which gave the history of the escape remarkable reality.

The recent dispersal of the famous Culloden collection sent long-cherished Jacobite relics broadcast over the land. The ill-fated Stuart's bed and walking-stick were of course the plums of this sale; but they had no connection with the Highland wanderings after the battle. The only object that had any connection with the story was the gun of L'Heureux.

We understand there is still a much-prized heirloom now in Glasgow—a rustic chair used by the Prince when in Skye. The story is that, secreted in one of his cave dwellings, he espied a lad in his immediate vicinity tending some cows. Hunger made him reveal himself, with the result that he was taken to the boy's home, a farm not far off, and had his fill of cream and oatcakes, a delicacy which did not often fall in his way. The visit naturally was repeated; and long afterwards, when the rank of his guest came to the knowledge of the good farmer, the royal chair was promoted from its old corner in the kitchen to an honored position worthy of such a valued possession.

THE END.



INDEX

Bedfordshire:— Toddington Place Berkshire:— Besils Leigh Bisham Abbey East Hendred House Hurley, Lady Place Milton Priory Ockwells Ufton Court Windsor Castle Buckinghamshire:— Burnham Abbey Claydon House Dinton Hall Gayhurst, or Gothurst Slough, Upton Court Stoke Poges Manor House

Cambridgeshire:— Catledge Hall Granchester Manor House Madingley Hall Sawston Hall Cheshire:— Bramhall Hall Harden Hall Lyme Hall Moreton Hall Cornwall:— Bochym House Cothele Port Leven Cumberland:— Naworth Castle Nether Hall

Derbyshire:— Bradshawe Hall Devonshire:— Bovey House Branscombe, "The Clergy House" Ford House Warleigh Durham:— Bishops Middleham Darlington Dinsdale-on-Tees Eshe Hall

Essex:— Braddocks, or Broad Oaks Braintree Dunmow, North End Hill Hall Hinchford Ingatestone Hall Romford, Marks Southend, Porter's Hall Woodham Mortimer Manor House

Gloucestershire:— Bourton-on-the-Water Manor House

Hampshire:— Bramshill Highclere Castle Hinton-Ampner Hursley Moyles Court Tichbourne Woodcote Manor House Herefordshire:— Treago Hertfordshire:— Great Gaddesden Manor House Hatfield House Knebworth House Markyate Cell, Dunstable Rickmansworth, The Bury Shenley, Salisbury Court Tyttenhanger House Huntingdonshire:— Kimbolton Castle

Kent:— Bromley Palace Deal Dover, St. Radigund's Abbey Erith Folkestone Franks Hollingbourne Manor House Ightham Moat Lewisham, John Wesley's House Margate Milsted Manor Rochester, Abdication House Rochester, Eastgate House Rochester, Restoration House Sandwich, "Bell Inn" Sharsted Court Twissenden Wedmore College

Lancashire:— Bolling Hall Borwick Hall Gawthorp Hall Hall-i'-the-wood Holme Hall Huncoat Hall Lydiate Hall Mains Hall Preston, Ashes House Speke Hall Stonyhurst Lincolnshire:— Bayons Manor Irnham Hall Kingerby Hall Terpersie Castle

Middlesex:— Enfield, White Webb's Hackney, Brooke House Hampstead, Sir Harry Vane's House Hampton Court Hendon, Tenterden Hall Highgate, Cromwell House Hillingdon, Moorcroft House Islington, Hale House Kensington, Holland House Knightsbridge London, Lincoln's Inn London, Newton Street, Holborn London, "Red Lion Inn," West Street, Clerkenwell London, "Rising Sun," Holywell Street Mill Hill, Partingdale House Sunbury Park Twickenham, Arragon Towers Westminster, Delahay Street

Norfolk:— Cromer, Rookery Farm Oxburgh Hall Northamptonshire:— Ashby St. Ledgers Castle Ashby Deene Park Drayton House Fawsley Great Harrowden Rushton Hall Northumberland:— Ford Castle Netherwhitton Wallington Nottinghamshire:— Nottingham Castle Vale Royal Worksop

Oxfordshire:— Broughton Castle Chastleton Mapledurham House Minster Lovel Manor House Shipton Court Tusmore House Woodstock

Shropshire:— Batsden Court Boscobel House Gatacre Park Longford, Newport Madeley Court Madeley, Upper House Oswestry, Park Hall Plowden Hall Somersetshire:— Chard, "Clough Inn" Chelvey Court Chew Magna Manor House Dunster Castle Ilminster, The Chantry Trent House West Coker Manor House Staffordshire:— Broughton Hall Moseley Hall West Bromwich, Dunkirk Hall Suffolk:— Barsham Rectory Brandeston Hall Brandon Hall Coldham Hall Gawdy Hall Melford Hall Surrey:— Mortlake, Cromwell House Petersham, Ham House Richmond Palace Sanderstead Court Thornton Heath Wandsworth Manor House Weybridge, Ham House Sussex:— Albourne Place Arundel Castle Bodiam Castle Chichester Cathedral Cowdray Hurstmonceaux Castle Parham Hall Paxhill Scotney Castle Slindon House Southwater, Horsham, "New Building" Street Place

Warwickshire:— Baddesley Clinton Clopton Hall Compton Winyates Coughton Court Mancetter Manor Packington Old Hall Salford Prior Hall Warwick, St. John's Hospital Wiltshire:— Fyfield House Great Chalfield Heale House Liddington Manor House Salisbury Worcestershire:— Armscot Manor House Birtsmorton Court Cleeve Prior Manor House Harborough Hall Harvington Hall Hindlip Hall Huddington Court Malvern, Pickersleigh Court Stanford Court Wollas Hall

Yorkshire:— Bamborough Hall Beare Park Danby Hall Dannoty Hall Fountains Abbey Fountains Hall Hull, White Hart Hotel Kirkby Knowle Castle Leyburn, The Grove Myddleton Lodge, Ilkley Thirsk, "New Building" Whatton Abbey Whitby, Abbey House Yeadon, Low Hall

Aberdeenshire:— Belucraig Dalpersie House Fetternear Fyvie Castle Gordonstown Kemnay House

Banffshire:— Towie Barclay Castle

Elginshire:— Coxton Tower

Forfarshire:— Glamis Castle

Haddingtonshire:— Elphinstone Castle

Linlithgowshire:— Binns House

Nairnshire:— Cawdor Castle

Monmouthshire:— Ty Mywr

Pembrokeshire:— Carew Castle

Isle of Wight:— Newport Manor House

Guernsey:— Chateau du Puits

THE END