and father accompanied the regiment to America, and the Light Company was there attached to the whole Light Companies of the Army, under the command of Colonel Abercromby, under whose command he served during the war. As the memorialists' husband and father was young and active, so his soldier good conduct soon became universally admired; for, independent of the ordinary service, he, on the occasion of Earl Cornwallis's crossing James's river, in Virginia, was ordered to the command of a separate detachment of the Light Infantry left in the rear, to convey them to the army. This detachment was attacked by a superior force of the enemy, but the march was so conducted in the face of the enemy by the memorialists' husband and father for upwards of twenty miles, that only one man was wounded; and the result was that Earl Cornwallis was so satisfied of his good conduct that he ordered his thanks to be delivered to him; and the march was afterwards the subject of public notice in the army.

"That, on the enemy having attacked Yorktown, the memorialists' husband and father was in a very tender state of health from the fatigues of the campaign, so much so that he was well entitled to a place of safety; but, notwithstanding, he continued at his post with such perseverance and propriety of conduct, that he was held up by his brother officers as a fit example for emulation. That at the close of the war, he, in a very tender state of health, returned to Britain, and he died in December 1792, as a half-pay lieutenant-the fatigue which he received in America having much injured his constitution."

Colonel James Fraser of Culduthel writes to the widow in terms thus :

“Madam,--Your late husband, Mr Macdonell of Scotos, served in my Company (Light Infantry) in the 76th Regiment, the last four years of the American War, as lieutenant. He on several occasions distinguished himself as an officer possessed of great courage and ability. When Lord Cornwallis, with the army under his command, crossed the James river, in Virginia, Lieutenant Macdonell (who had been left at New York to bring forward the convalescents of the Light Infantry), arrived at the place of debarkation some days after the army had left it; and, being ordered to follow, he conducted his detachment through our enemy's country so ably that, though attacked by a superior force, he brought them in with only one man wounded, and made several of the enemy prisoners. He on that occasion had the satisfaction of Lord Cornwallis's approbation of his conduct.

During the siege of Yorktown, in Virginia, Lieutenant Macdonell was in a very poor state of health, but could not be prevailed on to quit his post, by which his constitution was very much impaired. Mr Macdonell was on all occasions a good and active duty officer, and ready to volunteer every service of danger that offered. I am, Madam, your most obdt. humble servant,

(Signed) "JAMES FRASER,

"Lieut.-Col. 2nd B. R. and C. F. Regt."

So much for his military services.

He married, as I have stated, in 1788, Anne Fraser of Culbokie, and the young people lived very happily, first at Scotos, and afterwards, on account of his precarious health, at Beaulyside, now known as Dunballoch, where he died.

In a letter from Scotos House, dated 28th October, 1789, to a friend at Inverness, Mrs Macdonell, while expressing her happiness with all her then surroundings, does not forget the country of Mac-Huistean," adding in a postscript-"So this is your great Hunt Week! O, for a sight of all your Beaux and Belles, but believe me, I would not give one look of Knock Airait for it all.”

Eneas Scotos nominated in 1790 as guardians to his children, his wife; his half-brother Charles, described as of the 72nd Regiment; Patrick Grant of Glenmoriston; Captain Allan Grant of Inverwick; Captain Alpin Grant, residing at the Citadel, Inverness: Captain John Grant, yr. of Glenmoriston; Coll Macdonell of Barisdale; William Fraser of Cuibokie; William Fraser, his eldest son; Archibald Fraser, his second son; James Fraser of Gortuleg; and Alexander Macdonell, writer in Inverness, most of whom acted, but the chief burden fell on the widow and her brother, Culbokie the younger.

Debts were constantly pressed for, and legal expenses incurred. Mrs Macdonell was most anxious to save the property, and on 3rd March, 1795, she thus writes to old Scotos, her father-in-law, a letter particularly worthy of remembrance, in face of after events— "Unless some claims are extinguished, matters cannot hold another year, and from whom can sacrifices be possibly expected unless the grandfather and mother step forward? Let us therefore, my dear sir, exert ourselves as far as lies in our power to prevent the sinking of the Scotos family. Let us endeavour to make our memories valued by our offspring when we are no more, and to show the world at present that we go to our utmost in order to support our distressed family. It is true I am the nearest relative to the poor orphans, but if there are any remains of them, they

will be named on you, and know of you, when it is hardly known that there was such as me in the family."

To do old Scotos justice, he was willing to come into any reasonable arrangement; but the fates or mismanagement had so willed that what Mrs Macdonell feared should take place.

Mrs Macdonell removed to Banff, and though in straitened circumstances for some time, and having the misfortune of losing her second son, William, who became an assistant surgeon of the 19th Foot in 1811, she lived long enough to see her only daughter, Helen Grant, well married, and her eldest son, Eneas, holding positions of honour and trust in India.

Eneas Scotos was succeeded by his eldest son, Eneas Ranald Macdonell, seventh and last laird of Scotos, born at Scotos House on 19th December, 1789.

In 1794, being then five years of age, he was infeft in the estate on a precept by Glengarry, with consent of his curators, dated 9th April of that year.

It is known that boys, indeed children, by influence and patronage in those days got commissions, and drew pay. When the Glengarry regiment was embodied in 1794, in which old Ranald Scotos had a lieutenant's commission, as before mentioned, young Eneas Ranald, then five years old, got an ensign's commission, and drew pay.

In 1796 a peremptory order having been issued that all officers must join their regiments, Mrs Macdonell and her son presented a petition to the Commander-in-Chief, narrating

"In the year 1794 Glengarry received a letter of service to raise a regiment of fencibles, wherein the memorialist, Ann Macdonell, her brother, Captain Simon Fraser, and uncle, Captain Archibald Fraser, obtained Companies, and several of the memorialists' more distant relations obtained ensigncies and lieutenantcies. That on this occasion Glengarry, knowing her situation, and her husband's services, and on account of the many relations she had in the regiment, gave an ensigncy to her eldest son, Eneas R. Macdonell, the other memorialist, a young man at his education, the pay of which is the only support she and her other children have. He has since remained in the regiment, none of the subaltern officers complaining of his absence. Of late he has been required to join, which his state of health does not at present admit of.

"The memorialists make this humble application to His Royal Highness, imploring that, on account of their husband and father's services, and of their own destitute situation, the said Eneas R.

Macdonell will be allowed to remain at his education for a year, against which time he will use every exertion to join his regiment.”

The boy got some extension, but ultimately joined, as appears by a letter of his grandfather's in 1800 from Galway, wherein he says, "Angus, poor fellow, behaves well," and he continued in the service until the regiment was disbanded. The first family to take up Mr Charles Grant in his design on the representation of the county, at the beginning of the century, was that of Glenmoriston. Eneas Ronald Scotos was their near relative, and influence was brought to bear in his favour with success. For some reason (could it have been because Scotos was a Catholic?) Mr Grant did not wish that his intervention should be made public.

Culbokie, writing to a friend from Edinburgh on 17th July, 1807, says "Angus Scotos is off this day at three o'clock in the mail coach, for his destination. Mr Charles Grant has behaved very handsomely, as well with regard to the manner as the fact of Angus's appointment; but he insists it shall be secret, so let it not come from us. I did not allow him to call on the Grants (James Grant, W.S.), or anyone here, for fear of discovery." He sailed for India in September, 1807, as appears from a document signed by him on the 14th of that month at Portsmouth, prior to embarkation. Though the debts were pressing, the whole were not serious, not exceeding £5000, independent of annuities of £150 to old Scotos and £50 to the young widow. Some of the heritable creditors, such as Glenalladale and Strathaird, would not have pushed matters to an extreme had their interests been regularly paid. It has been noted that the rental had increased six-fold between 1771 and 1795, and in the proceedings for a judicial sale in 1802, it was sworn that the rent when again let, might reach £500, if not £600 a year. There were numerous substantial friends who might have interfered to save the estate without running any personal risk, as is clear when it is stated that the estate actually realised, at a public sale in Edinburgh on 6th July, 1803, over sixteen thousand pounds. The upset price fixed by the Court was no less than £15,390 5s 7d (and which even at the last hour should have opened the eyes of the friends of the family), and after competition, was knocked down for behoof of Grant of Glenmoriston, who no sooner had it than he became involved in serious questions of marches with Glengarry, and these ended some 15 years later in the acquisition of the Scotos estate by Glengarry. By Whitsunday, 1804, the connection of Eneas Ronald Macdonell and his family with Scotos ceased, and the lands since 1818 or so have been re-incorporated with Knoydart.

There are several of Eneas Ranald's letters from India, all showing an affectionate and cheerful nature. He had the desire and ability to recover the estate at an early period of his career, and applied to Glengarry, but on the authority of one who was so informed by Scotos himself, Glengarry never answered his proposal. That Glengarry, who had begun to feel the pinch of incumbrances, all created by himself, was not unfavourably disposed to the Scotos family, is shown by the fact that he offered to deal with Col. Donald, but the latter was too chivalrous, and would not supersede his nephew.

Eneas Ranald, on his retirement from India, took up his residence at Cheltenham, and lived just long enough to become Chief of Glengarry, on the death of Charles Macdonell, last male descendant of Alastair Dubh, on 28th June, 1868. Eneas Ranald died 24th October of that year. By his marriage with the daughter of Archdeacon Wade, he had, with other issue, Eneas Ranald, born 1847, who predeceased his father, leaving a son Eneas Ranald, now Chief of Glengarry, whose personal qualifications in every respect worthily sustain the best traditions of the race of Mac-Mhic-Alastair.

I use the spelling of "Scotos" as it is commonly done, although of old it was written " 'Scothouse." "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," yet to the heir or heirs of Mac-Mhic-Alastair the object of winning back not only Scotos but Glengarry intact; the revivication, not only in name but in reality, of a family renowned in poetry and song, which, though it committed errors, still was known and respected for hundreds of years, and which has made its mark in the history of the Highlands, is worthy, not merely the struggle of one life, but whatever number of lives may be necessary to ensure ultimate fulfilment. In this pursuit, let him and them have and hold as sure an aim as that predecessor of whom it was written

"'Nuair a ruigeadh do luaidhe

Cha gluaiseadh iad eang."

12th FEBRUARY, 1890.

The paper for this evening's meeting was by the Rev. John Macrury, Snizort, entitled "Old Gaelic Songs with Historical Notes and Traditions." Mr Macrury's paper was as follows: