446 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



Sinclair, and the Prince was his son. Their ship, when 

 homeward bound from Ireland, was wrecked off the Mull 

 of Kintyre. Their present boat and crew were hired at 

 Mull to take them to Lewis, where they hoped to find 

 a vessel to convey them home. The pseudo-merchant's 

 son made himself very agreeable. He took an interest 

 in the household arrangements of Mrs. Campbell ; went 

 cod fishing with her son ; and on his way home from 

 the fishing, helped to lug a cow out of a bog. But before 

 he left, his identity became known. A party of armed 

 men, headed by the Rev. Aulay Macaulay, landed on 

 the island, and, meeting Donald Campbell, disclosed to 

 him the rank of his guest. The story is, that they were 

 bent on securing the reward of ^"30,000 offered by the 

 Government, and that an effort was made to induce 

 Campbell to co-operate with them. Campbell indignantly 

 rejected the bribe, and told them he would defend the 

 Prince, if necessary. He sent his son to his house to warn 

 Charles and his followers, who immediately armed them- 

 selves and prepared to fight. Seeing how their scheme 

 had failed, Macaulay and his friends sneaked away.* 



On 1st May, Donald Macleod was sent to Stornowayf 

 in a boat lent by Campbell, to endeavour to charter a 

 vessel, ostensibly for the Orkneys, but really, of course, 

 to take the Prince to France. He went to work very 

 cautiously, and ultimately found a suitable ship in a brig 

 of 40 tons, owned and commanded by a Captain Mac- 

 aulay. Donald was well known in Stornoway, and his 

 story that he wanted the vessel to go to the Orkneys, 

 to take a cargo of meal for Skye, occasioned no surprise ; 

 for he had on former occasions effected similar charters. 

 The bargain was struck, the freight being 100. Macleod 



* This story, which is given in Buchanan's Hebrides (pp. 66-7), has every 

 appearance of truth. For the credit of the Macaulays of Lewis, it may be 

 hoped that the reverend leader of the party was influenced by his political 

 and religious convictions, rather than by considerations of pelf. 



In his Journal^ which is rather an incoherent document, O'Neil says- 

 that he went to Stornoway with Macleod, but in his declaration made to the 

 Government authorities soon after his capture, the correct version is given. 

 (See Appendix H.) 



