Summer at the Lake of Monteith

128 The Lake of Monteith.
visitor at the house, during the time she resided with her
guardians on the island of Inchmahome.
Cardross was garrisoned by a detachment of Cromwell's
army after the battle of Aberfoyle, in 1653; and here Gen-
eral Monk issued an order to the Earl of Monteith to cut
down the woods of the Glashard, as they gave great pro-
tection to the royalists, and also to raise men to guard the
passes of Monteith and Aberfoyle. He collected from his
estate "forty-two" Grahams, who were known in the dis-
trict as "the forty-twa," or "the black watch." The men
were never disbanded, and this was the original foundation
of the now distinguished "forty-second" regiment. The
original order is still preserved among the Monteith papers
at Gartmore house, and is signed George Monk.
The renowned Marquis of Montrose garrisoned Cardross
for a short period, and an interesting original letter of his
was discovered by the present proprietor, when searching
for material for this article. "Prince Charlie," during the
rebellion of 1745, and while on his route from the north to
Stirling, called at what was then known as the "Ferry Inn,"
and partook of some refreshment. Near this was the once
celebrated "Gout Well," the waters of which were famed
for curing the gout. During the palmy days of this inn,
the well was regularly visited by numbers of cripples who
were affected with that disease; but whether the "impotent
folk" drank of the well, or waited for the "moving of the
waters," I have been unable to determine. One thing,
however, seems certain, that after the present bridge was
built, and the inn demolished, believers in its virtue be-
came " small by degrees and beautifully less," and now