PRINCE CHARLES AND THE LONG ISLAND. 461 



curds were solid ! His astonished hostess then saw, for 

 once in her life, a prince in a passion, and it required the 

 tact of Neil MacEachain to smooth matters over. That 

 humorist offered to take a stick, and beat the unlucky 

 woman within an inch of her life. Charles, thinking he 

 was in earnest, begged him to do no such thing for fear 

 she would run off and betray them ! Towards evening, 

 the guide, who had gone to Clanranald's house, returned, 

 bringing with him a letter from O'Neil and a supply of 

 food. A good meal and a sound sleep on a bed of heather, 

 prepared by MacEachain, restored the Prince to his 

 accustomed good humour. 



On the following morning, he sent a letter to O'Neil, 

 desiring him to return that night, but O'Neil replied that 

 he was waiting for Flora Macdonald and Lady Clanranald, 

 who were to arrive at Nunton on the following day. The 

 fact was that they were busy getting his dress ready, and 

 making the other necessary arrangements ; matters upon 

 which, the impatient Prince, man-like, had vague notions. 

 Flora Macdonald had in the interval been in communica- 

 tion with Hugh Macdonald of Baleshare, on the subject of 

 harbouring Charles in North Uist ; but Baleshare, fearing 

 to give offence to his chief, Sir Alexander Macdonald, had 

 declined to agree to the proposal. The Prince spent the 

 next day with his attendant in the booman's house, and on 

 a hill in the vicinity, from which a good view of the coast 

 was obtainable. At last, on the morning of the 27th, 

 Lieutenant Ruari Macdonald and one John Macdonald 

 arrived to say that the boat and crew were ready. The 

 four then went to the above mentioned hill, where Mac- 

 Eachain left the Prince in charge of the Macdonalds, and 

 set out for Nunton to hurry the ladies. When he arrived 

 I there, he found them ready to leave. O'Neil went by land 

 to join the Prince, and Flora Macdonald, Lady Clanranald, 

 her daughter, Angus Macdonald of Milton, and Neil Mac- 

 Eachain set out by boat to Rossinish. The Prince was 

 waiting to receive them, and it was a merry party that sat 

 down to supper that evening. They had hardly begun 



i i 



