Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

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desire to go to the Outer Hebrides, but his friends sternly
objected, giving as a reason that Government cruisers had
been already ordered to scour all the lochs, bays, and
channels of those regions, and that, in consequence, the
chance of his being seized was much greater than if he re-
mained on the mainland. The meeting pondered in deep
suspense, and their almost unanimous decision nearly pre-
vailed on the Prince to remain where he was, under the pro-
tection of his kind and faithful adherents. O'Sullivan alone
objected, and eloquently insisted on the propriety of resort-
ing to the Isles. He strenuously maintained that such was
the only course that afforded any chance whatever of obtain-
ing a vessel to convey his Royal Highness to France. The
discussion became excited and warm ; when one of those
present addressed O'Sullivan, and openly accused him of
previous gross mismanagement in the Prince's cause. This
was held to be confirmed by a letter from Lord George
Murray to Charles, dated at Ruthven on 17th April, 1746,
of which the following is an extract : — " I must also acquaint
your Royal Highness that we are all fully convinced that
Mr. O'Sullivan, whom your Royal Highness trusted with the
most essential things with regard to your operations, was ex-
ceedingly unfit for it, and committed gross blunders on
every occasion of moment. He whose business it was, did
not so much as visit the ground where we were to be drawn
up in line of battle, and it was a fatal error to allow the
enemy these walls upon their left, which made it impossible
for us to break them ; and they, with their front fire, and
flanking us when we went upon the attack, destroyed us,
without any possibility of our breaking them, and our
Athole men have lost a full half of their officers and men.
I wish Mr. O'Sullivan had never got any other charge in the
army than the care of the baggage, which, I am told, he had
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