410 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2»« S. VIII. Nov. 19. '59. 



when I came to the Boaths (a place pertaining to Munro 

 of Novarr), four miles distant from the Enemy's camp, it 

 was found impracticable to reach them that [day]. 

 Therefore I encamped there and had reports from persons 

 secured by my outer guards that the Enemys deserted 

 their camp, marched towards the hills and intended to 

 attack me. Wherefore I doubled my guards and ordered 

 all the army to rest on their arms overnight. 



" Next morning (the 10th), I marched by break of day, 

 and sent out several scouts as well to view the place 

 where the enemy encamped at Alnes, as to spy those 

 mountains to which they were said to resort, that, ac- 

 cording as I should be informed, 1 might attack them in 

 either of the places. 



" But or [ere?] I reached three miles off, I was cer- 

 tainly informed that the day before, about 12 of the 

 clock in the forenoon, the enemy (on having assurance 

 of my approach) left their camp with all precipitation 

 and disorder, being so struck with terror that the most of 

 them threw off their plaids, cast away their arms, and 

 left their cannon ; which was that night conveyed to the 

 man of war from whence they came ; and the confusion 

 was so great, that the Earl of Sutherland, the Lords 

 Strathnayer and Reay, with several other persons of note, 

 crossed the Bonah (which is the entry into Sutherland) 

 with 40 men only, leaving the rest of their army to make 

 their passage the best they could, in order to return to 

 their respective homes without any determined resolu- 

 tion. Fowles yoimger, with such as did not desert him of 

 his own followers (being left behind) or [ere?] day re- 

 turned (by the hills) to his castle of Fowles (all the 

 time), garrisoned and fortified by his father. 



'' In this retreat there is one passage that ought not to 

 be omitted (to wit), the Lord Reay (who left his sump- 

 tnre cloth, and some of his furniture and baggage) : his 

 beating one of his servants who offered to take up one of 

 his Lordship's hulster capes that had fallen, telling him 

 how durst he expose them so much to the resolute fol- 

 lowing enemy as to wait such a trifle, and that hulster 

 capes would be easily had, but not lives. 



" I finding the enemy thus flown away had passed to 

 Sutherland, where they could not be easily reached, by 

 reason of their carrying all the boats to and securing 

 them on the other side, marched to the Pairs, where 

 they encamped at Alnes, where I stayed all night ; and 

 finding it a central place betwixt the Bosses and Mun- 

 roes, I continued there next day, and sent to Fowles, the 

 other principal men of the Munroes and all the Rosses to 

 r ] protection, and secure for their peaceable 



behaviour, otherways to expect to be treated as enemies. 

 " While I waited the message sent to Fowles and 

 others, the most of those in Murray (formerly named) 

 boated at Nairn, or thereabouts, on Tuesday the 4th, and 

 came to Sandiwich in Ross at 8*^ hour that night, in- 

 tending to join the Earl of Sutherland ; but before they 

 landed but 40 of their men, they had intelligence that 

 the Earl of Sutherland's camp was dissipate, and that I 

 possessed their ground; whereupon they immediately 

 returned to their boats, and steered for the port from 

 which they sailed ; leaving no other memory of their ex- 

 pedition but the slaughter of some few sheep they found 

 m a cottage at the shore. 



•' Upon Wednesday the 12*1" I despatched my Lord Duf- 

 fns with 300 men by 8 o'clock in the morning, to pro- 

 claim the King at the Mercat Cross of Taine ; and to 

 summon, in his Majesty's name, the magistrates and 

 commonalty to give up their arms, and secure for their 

 peaceable behaviour: and some hours thereafter, I went 

 myself with some horse to [Kincraigs?] house, a loj-al 

 gentleman of my own name, hard by, which Sir W™ 

 Gordon of Dalpholly's lady, with his brethren and friends, 

 kept a garrison in his house of Inverbrachlie. 



" The lady (who, at my first approach to Alnes, was 

 forsaken by her husband's brethren and most of his 

 friends,) sent a gentleman for my protection, who met me 

 on my way to Kincraig, with whom I sent a gentleman 

 to assure her that as my master the King required 

 nothing at present of his subjects but due obedience and 

 loyalty, so I was very willing to give protection (in his 

 Majesty's name) to all that would come into those mea- 

 sures, and would give up their arms and ammunition, and 

 secure for their peaceful behaviour, on which conditions 

 the same was offered to her. 



" Upon receipt of this message the lady made patent 

 doors; entreated I should cause enter the house to 

 receive what arms she acknowledged to have, and con- 

 sented a search should be made for such arms and ammu- 

 nition if thought to be there ; which accordingly being 

 done, there was some [ ] to the camp. 



" As I was at Kincraig several of the name of Ross, 

 Macleod of Catboll, Macleod of Guineys, the Tutor of 

 Pilton and others, attended me in obedience to the mes- 

 sage sent to them, and required to twelve o'clock in the 

 forenoon, Friday the 14*, to perform all that was re- 

 quired of them ; which upon their paroles of honor not 

 only to do that, but also to endeavour to bring in all the 

 other Rosses to the same measures, was granted them.i 



" My Lord Duffus arrived at Taine at 12 of the clock 

 in the forenoon, and proclaimed his Majesty (assisted by 

 the magistrates) at the Mercat Cross thereof with ring- 

 ing of bells and all other solemnities that the place 

 could afford ; and thereafter drunk several loyal healths 

 which the most of the magistrates and council did very 

 cheerfully, and promised to live peaceably ; but there was 

 but very few arms found in town, they being taken away 

 formerly by the Earl of Sutherland. 



" The next day being Thursday the 13* his Lordship 

 returned to the camp by two in the afternoon, having sent 

 a small number of his party to search for those that stood 

 out, and secure the boats of several ferries from being 

 used by the enemies. 



" The same afternoon severalls of those gentlemen that 

 [ ] before brought a few arms and [ ] 



who was taken prisoner by the outer guards upon Mon- 

 day the 10* as he was endeavouring to get privately to 

 his house, being one of the principal gentlemen of that 

 name, is still in custody," 



How far this narrative can be reconciled witli 

 Rae's version of the story, I leave those better in- 

 formed to decide. T. R. O. 



SIR PETBR PAUL BtJBENS : DESTEOYED RECORDS, ETC. 



"S' Henry Mervin to app. Capt. Gibbon to -|^g 

 carry Mons"^ Rubin," &c. 



The subjoined extract from a docquet book of 

 Admiralty Letters between the years 1629 and 

 1632, relates no doubt to the departure of the 

 great Flemish painter from England, although 

 Mr. Sainsbury's book is silent upon that head, 

 excepting only the minute of the Council Register 

 granting his pass, Jan. 31, 1629-30. 



Unfortunately this docquet book has no dates : 

 the figures in the margin (146) I presume to in- 

 dicate the pagination of an original letter book. 

 My Query is directed to ascertain the following 

 point : — Where are the ancient letter books of 

 the Admiralty preserved ? And at what date do 

 the earliest documents connected with that de- 



