ANTIQUITIES. 
conflicts happened betwixt the two 
clans, of which the most remark- 
able was at Innernahavon, in Ba- 
denoch. About the year 1296, 
Macintosh having received advice 
that the Camerons were assembling 
their numerous clans and depend- 
ents, to drive off his cattle, soon 
collected a superior force, consisting 
of several smaller clans, under the 
general name of clan Chattan. 
But, when the adverse hosts were 
in view of one another, an unsea- 
sonable difference arose betwixt 
the Macphersons and Davidsons. 
Though both agreed that Macin- 
tosh should command the whole, 
Macpherson of Cluny, and David- 
son of Innernahavon, contested for 
the next post of honour, each af- 
firming that he was the eldest 
branch of the clan Chattan. This 
dispute being referred to Macin- 
tosh, he gave his decision in favour 
of Davidson ; which Cluny resented 
so much, that he drew off his men, 
who stood by, idle spectators, while 
the Camerons overpowered the 
Macintoshes and Davidsons, a part 
of them being only saved by the 
coming on of night. Macintosh, 
taking advantage of the darkness, 
sent his own bard towards the 
camp of the Macphersons; but by 
a circuitous route, as if he had come 
_ from the camp of the Camerons, 
There the bard, speaking as if in 
the person of a Cameron, often 
repeated the following sarcastic 
lines : 
Tha luchd na failleadh air antom, 
San bolz-shuileach donn na dhraip: 
Cha ba bhur cairdeas ruinn a bhann, 
Ach ba bhur Jamhan a bhi tais. 
The meaning of this is, the false 
party are on the hillock, and the 
man with big brown eyes (by this 
expression was marked out Macin- 
A37 
tosh) in distress: it was not out of 
friendship to us, but merely your 
own cowardice. This reproach 
nettled Macpherson so much, that 
he called up his men, and, attack- 
ing the Camerons that same night, 
when he was least expected, made 
a great slaughter, pursued them far, 
and killed their chief, Charles Ma- 
calonair, ata hollow place in the 
hills; which, in memory of that 
has been ever since known by the 
name of Coire Thearlaich, 2. e. 
Charles’s Caldron. 
Though the above conflict termi- 
nated the dispute with the Came- 
rons, there arose another betwixt 
the Macphersons and Davidsons, 
that filled that part of the High- 
lands with numberless disorders for 
an hundred years; so that king 
Robert III. found it necessary to 
send the Earls of Crawford and 
Dunbar, two of the principal noble- 
men in Scotland, with an armed 
force, either to reconcile or subdue 
them. These two leaders, finding 
that to subdue them would be dif- 
ficult, and to reconcile them im- 
possible, brought them at last to 
submit to the only terms suited to 
their own distempered dispositions. 
These terms were, that their future 
superiority should be determined by 
the event of a combat of thirty of 
each side. They were to fight in 
presence of the king, with only 
their broad swords, on the North 
Inch of Perth. 
When the appointed day arrived, 
the Macphersons wanted one of 
their number, It was proposed to 
balance the difference by with- 
drawing one of the Davidsons: but’ 
these were so earnest for a share of 
the honour of the day, that none 
of them would consent to be the 
man let out. In this perplexity, 
Ee 3 one 
