PRINCE CHARLES AND THE LONG ISLAND. 463 



excellent spinner of flax. The dress selected for " Betty 

 Burke " was coarse and homely, suited to the station of 

 the wearer. It consisted of a " callico gown with a light 

 coulered quilted pettycoat, a mantle of dun camelot made 

 after the Irish fashion with a hood joined to it." The 

 gown was thickly stamped with purple sprigs ; and it is 

 significant of the hold which the Prince's romantic escape 

 had upon the public mind, that a Leith tradesman after- 

 wards copied the pattern and found it a paying inspiration. 

 Neil MacEachain tells us that Charles found the hood 

 specially troublesome ; he could not keep his hands from 

 adjusting it, and he "cursed it a thousand times." The 

 transformation of the Prince into a tall Irish girl having 

 been satisfactorily accomplished, all was ready for the 

 journey. O'Neil was left behind, much against his own 

 will and probably that of the Prince. But Flora Macdonald 

 was inflexible on this point : O'NeiPs foreign air and ignor- 

 ance of Gaelic were dangerous factors which could not be 

 ignored. Possibly, too, she was not sorry to get rid of an 

 admirer who appears to have pestered her with his atten- 

 tions. The Irish officer returned to Milton with Angus 

 Macdonald. 



While Charles and his companions were waiting on the 

 shore for the friendly shades of evening, they were alarmed 

 at seeing five wherries making towards them. They sup- 

 posed they were the boats which had landed the Campbells 

 in Benbecula the night before. The fire which they had 

 kindled on the beach was at once put out, and they hid 

 I behind the rocks, awaiting further developments. Luckily 

 for them, the wherries did not stop, but proceeded on their 

 way southwards. That was the last glimpse the Prince 

 caught of his enemies in the Long Island. At eight 

 o'clock on the evening of 28th June, the hazardous voyage 

 " over the sea to Skye " was commenced. The boat's crew 

 consisted of Ruari and John Macdonald, John MacVurich, 

 Duncan Campbell, and Ruari Macdonald of the Glengarry 

 family. Neil MacEachain was to appear in the capacity 

 of servant to Flora Macdonald. 



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