Upon the disbanding of the Regiment, old Scotos was again a wanderer. The last letter from him I find is dated 12th October, 1809, and written from feebleness, to dictation, but he adds in his own handwriting these pathetic words:"N.B.-My situation is such that should there not be a farthing of my annuity due, I would at present apply to you for ten or twelve pounds.-Glasgow, Miller Street. I cannot see what I write. God help me."

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However imprudent he may have been in becoming involved for others, he was, quite unnecessarily and improperly, from nonpayment of his annuity regularly, frequently in great straits. The following is a good specimen of his letters, addressed to the brother of a priest who had been sometime at Barra :-"I had accounts lately of honest Captain Archie Sandaig's decease. His friends, however, have the consolation to know that he departed this life as he lived-a good Christian. I suppose my son Charles has left Inverness; I expect a line from him by the return of the man who brings this to Fort-William. You would no doubt hear of your brother's coming this summer to reside on the mainland. He had too much of the Macdonell pride, or rather scruples, which you'll call superstition, to yield in what he thought contrary to his duty, to the King of Barra."

He lingered on, tended by the loving hands of two daughters, until the month of June, 1811, when, presuming that he would not have been more than 21 in 1745, his age would be 87. Mrs. Donald M'Eachen, Kinsadel of Morar, who died at a very advanced age not long since, was in Ranald's employment at the time of his death. She was full of anecdotes regarding the old man, describing him as a tall, fine-looking old man, spare, but strongly built, who attributed the good health he had enjoyed during his chequered carcer to his having invariably adhered, as his favourite food, to Scotia's staple, porridge and milk.

It is understood in the family that, as stated by Mr Mackenzie, Donald Scotos had by his third wife a son, Archibald. The papers I have would rather point to Archibald being a son of Mary Cameron by a second husband named Macdonald; for in all his letters, even though addressing a Macdonell, which he does distinctly, he signs "Macdonald;" he never refers to Ranald Scotos as his brother; and Ranald in one letter, in 1784, referring to a debt due to his stepmother, says it may be pursued for in name of her son, Mr Archibald, at Liverpool”—hardly the way one would refer to a brother consanguinean. The matter is, however, of no moment. I give one of the priest's letters as a specimen of many others, from Liverpool, all couched in the

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same sensible tone, but entirely destitute of any family pride or territorial status:

"Dear Sir,--By a letter lately received from Major Macdonald, I understand he has put into your hands £23 19s 6d, moneys advanced to the Adjt. of his regiment. You will please to remit the same, as soon as convenient, to James Fraser, Esq., Writer to the Signet, in Edinburgh, where it will be called for. I likewise advanced, a good while back, two guineas to a Mr Macpherson of Fasnakyle, and a companion of his, who were returning home, and in want of money. I desired them to pay the same to you. Should be glad to know whether they performed their promise; suspect they have not, as too many of my countrymen are apt to forfeit their word on such occasions. Mr Fraser informed me some time ago that the curators have at length come to a resolution of selling the Scothouse estate. There never was a more favourable opportunity, for lands, I am assured, go off remarkably high at the present moment in these parts. What an irreparable loss does the folly of one man bring upon a whole family! But so it must be; for regard should be had to the just claims of the creditors. Believe me, Dear Sir, your most obedient humble servant. (Signed) "ARCHD. M'DONALD.

"Seel Street, 4th of October, 1802."

Ranald Scotos left by his first wife an only son, Eneas, and by his second wife three sons, Charles, Donald, and John, and eight daughters, Elizabeth, Helen, Katherine, Flora, Anne, Clementina, Margaret, and Marjory, but these are not given as their order in seniority.

The three sons all entered the army between 1786 and 1791. John died unmarried, and Charles left no male issue. Donald entered the Indian service, and on his coming home for good a colonel, married Anne Macdonell of Rhue and Lochshiel. Colonel Donald Macdonell, on his return from India, where he had accumulated a fair fortune, was exceedingly kind-hearted, indeed lavish to his numerous relations and connections. The giving of a small piece of tobacco used to be considered a great compliment to a poor person, and Colonel Donald, who always carried a big spleuchan, never gave a less measure than from his waist to the ground, which, as he was a tall man, would be the handsome present of a full yard of tobacco twist. His big whisky bottle was well known, and in high popular repute among the people of Morar, Arisaig, and Knoydart. His adherence in his latter days to a firm who had befriended him in youth, though warned of his

danger, proved of serious consequence to his family. Colonel Donald's eldest son is Mr Eneas Ronald Macdonell of Morar, a worthy scion of the Scotos and Glengarry families. Mr Macdonell tells me that his last recollection of old Glengarry, who was killed in 1828, was his coming to visit his father at Traigh shortly before. He had a fine deer he had shot, which a lot of his men bore up to the house. Glengarry, who remained with Colonel and Mrs Macdonell for several days on this occasion, showed, as after mentioned, greater consideration to Colonel Donald than to the head of the family.

One of Ranald's daughters, Katherine, died young. Her father, speaking of her in 1794, says "Katie's only chance to recover or live, in the opinion of the physician attending her, is to come to the Highlands in place of London as I intended. By all accounts the dear girl is quite exhausted and emaciated, though once exceedingly handsome." She appears by this letter to have been engaged to a gentleman in Bordeaux, a young man of fortune and great prospects in France and Ireland."

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Of the others, all fine-looking women, most lived to a considerable age, and Helen, Clementina, and Marjory were married. These ladies had much to contend with after their mother's death in 1793, but were fortunate enough to have many friends, who estimated them highly. There is one particularly nice letter, dated London, 22nd October, 1810, from Mrs Irvine, sister of Mr Gordon of Wardhouse, in reference to the sisters Flora and Anne, then with her. Marjory, Mrs Galbraith, was the last survivor, and died in her nephew's house at Traigh at an advanced age.

I now return to Eneas VI. of Scotos, who, though he predeceased his father, was propelled into the succession in 1788, on his marriage with Anne Fraser of Culbokie (contract dated Guisachan, 11th November, 1788). He was careless and extravagant, but good natured and kind-hearted to a degree, which increased the family burdens during the short time of his possession, prior to his death on 9th December, 1792.

In a memorial presented in name of his widow and eldest son in 1796 to the Duke of York, it is stated

"That the memorialists' husband, in the year 1777, obtained a lieutenant's commission in the 76th Regiment, commanded by Colonel John Macdonell, and, on their being formed, he was attached to the Light Company, under the command of Captain James Fraser, now Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2nd Battalion of the Rothesay and Caithness Fencibles; that the memorialists' husband

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:

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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 underhis 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