THE HISTORY OF THE CAMERONS.
By the EDITOR.

XI.

SIR EWEN CAMERON-Continued.-REMARKABLE INCIDENTS IN HIS EARLY CAREER.

LOCHIEL having disposed of the enemy at the battle of Achadalew, as described in our last, proceeded to count the number of his opponents slain, and found not less than one hundred and thirty-eight lying dead on the scene of the conflict, not a soul having escaped except the Irishman already mentioned, and another who subsequently became Lochiel's cook, and acted most loyally as his servant ever after. Lochiel having lodged the night after the battle in the house of a woman on Lochiel-side, whose son was among the few slain of Sir Ewen's followers, took his prisoner along with him, when the woman, taking into her head that the stranger, who accompanied Lochiel, was the man who had killed her handsome and brave son, immediately attacked him, and would have strangled him had not Sir Ewen interposed, separating them, and sending his prisoner, under guard, to another house for the night. He found him ever after most zealous and trustworthy, ready to do anything his master required of him, often at the risk of his own life. The author of the Memoirs

C

relates two stories which well illustrates the difference between the ideas and tempers of the two classes of men-the Highlanders and their English enemies. The courage of the Southrons, he says, was merely mechanical, flowing from discipline and habit, and serving simply for their bread, while that of the Highlanders, was " from the notions they have of honour and loyalty, and of the services which they think they owe to their Chief, as the root of the family, and the common father and protector of the name. As this has something of greatness and generosity in the principle, so the actions flowing from it participate of the same spirit. Of this we have already had an illustrious example [in the case of Lochiel's foster-brother]; and, indeed, the almost unparalelled bravery of the Camerons, during the terrible and extraordinary skirmish described, exemplify the same in a number of persons. Nor did it less appear in the generous emulation that inspirited them to exert the utmost efforts of their strength and courage before their young Chief. One of them having shot an arrow at too great a distance, and Lochiel observing that it did not pierce deep enough to kill the man, cried out that it came from a weak arm,' at which the Highlander thought himself so much offended that, despising all danger, he rushed among the thick of the enemy, and recovering his own arrow, plunged it into the man's body to the feathers. This action would have cost him his life if Lochiel had not quickly detached a party to his relief." The character of the English soldiery our author illustrates thus:-"After their defeat, being hard put to it by the pursuing enemy, they plunged into the sea in hopes of recovering their ships. One of them, observing that a piece of beef and some small biscuits had dropped out of his pockets by the floating of the laps of his coat, he, preferring the recovery of his provisions to the safety of his life, fell a-fishing for them, and had his head divided into two parts by the blow of a broadsword as he was putting the first morsel of it into his mouth." Not one of them, however, called for quarter, and in the confusion of retreat not one parted with his arms, but with his life. "They were pitied more than blamed. They did all that men could do in the circumstances they were in. Not a single man of them betrayed the least cowardice, but fought it out with invincible obstinacy while any of them remained to make opposition, and their frequent attempts

on the Chief's life, even after quarters were offered, show that their fortitude and courage remained so firm to the last, that they disdained to be survivors of a defeat which they looked upon as shameful and ignominious. In short, they were not conquered, but destroyed." This proves that the Highlanders had a very sturdy enemy to deal with, apart altogether from the great inequality of numbers they had to contend against.

Colonel Bryan, Governor of Inverlochy Castle, was quite oblivious of what was taking place within some three miles of his garrison, until a few of the workmen, who had fled from Achadalew, when the fight commenced, had reached the Castle; but before the garrison could turn out the Irishman, already referred to arrived, and informed the Colonel that the whole of his party. had been cut to pieces. The men in the other ship—which during the engagement had been on the opposite shore, a little westward of Achadalew-discovered that their friends had been engaged with the Camerons, and they thereupon sailed in the direction of the scene of carnage, but did not go ashore until Lochiel had retired with his men, when the English landed "and beheld the dismal fate of their countrymen, whose bodies they put on board the other empty vessel, which they hauled along with them to Inverlochy." On their arrival they were met by the Governor and his officers, whose astonishment, upon seeing the dead bodies exposed, was inexpressible. Our author informs us that "the deep wounds and terrible slashes that appeared on these mangled carcases seemed to be above the strength of man. Some had their heads cut down a good way into the neck; others had them divided across by the mouth and nose; many, who were struck upon the collar-bone, showed an orifice or gash much wider than that made by the blow of the heaviest hatchet; and often the shearing blade, where the blow was full, and met with no extraordinary obstruction, penetrated so deep as to discover part of the entrails. There were some that had their bellies laid open, and others with their arms, thighs, and legs lopped off in an amazing manner. Several bayonets were cut quite through, and muskets were pierced deeper than can be well imagined. The Governor and many of his officers had formerly occasion to sce the Highlanders of several clans and countries, but they appeared to be no extraordinary men, neither in size nor strength. The

Camerons they had observed to be of a piece with the rest, and they wondered where Lochiel could find a sufficient body of men of strength and brawn to give such an odd variety of surprising wounds. But they did not know that there was as much art as strength in fetching these strokes, for, where a Highlander lays it on full, he draws it with great address the whole length of the blade, whereas an unskilful person takes in no more of it than the breadth of the place where he hits. He is likewise taught to wound with the point, or to fetch a back-stroke as occasion offers, and as in all these he knows how to exert his whole vigour and strength, so his blade is of such excellent temper and form as to answer all his purposes." This is how the terrible nature of the wounds were accounted for. When the actual facts regarding this sanguinary conflict became known, the conduct of the Highlanders became the subject of admiration throughout the whole kingdom. “Lochiel was by all parties extolled to the skies as a young hero of boundless courage and extraordinary conduct. His presence of mind in delivering himself from his terrible English antagonist, who had so much the advantage of him in everything but vigour and courage, by biting out his throat, was in every person's mouth." The devoted self-sacrifice of his young foster-brother, to save the life of his Chief, was also the theme of admiration and astonishment among those unacquainted with the affection and devotion of the Highlanders to their chiefs, especially in the case of a foster-brother.

Mrs Mary Mackellar, so well acquainted with the history and traditions of her native district of Lochaber, relates the following curious incident-Sir Ewen used to say that the only time he ever felt the sensation of fear was in connection with the incident of biting out the Englishman's throat in the ditch at Achadalew. When at Court in London, many years after this, he went into a barber's shop to have his hair and beard dressed, and when the razor was at his throat the chatty barber observed-"You are from the North, sir." "Yes," said Sir Ewen, "I am; do you know people from the North?" "No," replied the irate barber, "nor do I wish to; they are savages there. Would you believe it, sir; one of them tore the throat out of my father with his teeth, and I only wish I had the fellow's throat as near me as I have yours just now." Sir Ewen's feelings may be more easily

imagined than described as he heard these words and felt the edge of the steel gliding over the part so particularly threatened. He never after entered a barber's shop.*

Almost immediately after the Achadalew affair, Lochiel resolved to join General Middleton, requesting those of his people who lived near Inverlochy to make peace with the Governor, who demanded no other terms than that they should live peaceably towards himself and his garrison. This agreement was soon arranged, and the people thereby secured from ruin during their leader's absence from the district. The Governor was put off his guard, and he began to send out parties for wood and other materials to strengthen his fortifications. Lochiel, however, was kept well informed of what was being done, and, returning to the district, he, one day, posted himself with a body of his most resolute followers, less than half-a-mile to the westward of the stronghold. He was not long here, when, the same morning, a body of two hundred men were sent out from the garrison in Lochiel's direction. On observing them he detached twenty of his men to a secret place to their rear-between them and the garrison-with orders to rush out and meet them in case they should retreat, as they naturally would, in that direction, after they were attacked in front by the Camerons. They marched in good order to the village of Achintore, when Sir Ewen and his band furiously rushed forward, scattering them in all directions; for the memory of Achadalew was enough to strike terror into their hearts, when they were so suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by a force the strength of which they could. not know. The men in ambush rushed out to meet the flying enemy, gave them a full charge of their firelocks in front, and then charged them with their broadswords, killing at least half their number. The remainder who escaped were pursued to the very walls of the fort, while many of them were taken prisoners and distributed among such of the Camerons as lived a considerable distance from the Castle.

Lochiel with his devoted and gallant band then returned northwards, and found General Middleton, by whom they were received with great demonstrations of delight and triumph. Nothing of importance took place for a considerable time after * "Guide to Fort-William, Glencoe, and Lochaber," p. 54.