Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 12

494 The Celtic Magazine.
once more, by this step and the consent of the adventurers, at
the disposal of His Majesty, he granted it anew to three persons
only, viz. — James, Lord Balmerino, Sir George Hay of Nether-
cliff, and Sir James Spens of Wormistoun." On the occasion of
Lord Ochiltree's famous expedition, in 1608, vi^hen he entrapped
the Island chiefs aboard the King's ship Moon, at Aros, in Mull,
and carried them prisoners to Edinburgh, his Lordship, in the
report of his proceedings made to the Privy Council, assigned the
lateness of the season as his reason for not having proceeded
against Macleod of Lewis and Macneill of Barra, at the same time
stating that the latter was a depender upon Maclean of Duart, who
had come to terms, and who would answer for Macneill's behaviour.
(To be cojitinued.)
THE TRAGEDY OF CLACH-NAN-CEANN.
A Sgeulachd of the Rannoch Camerons.
Armed with swords and shields and clubs, the three Cameron
men set off quietly and steathily towards the shore. Having
espied the Macgregors sitting carelessly under a bank near the
loch side, they cautiously crept up to the place, sprang upon
them, and clubbed and disarmed the party before they could look
about them or cry for assistance. To do this and bind them
hand and foot with thongs was the work of only a few minutes.
Thereafter they set off southwards with equal quietness and
caution, and, having found three men sitting in one place,
succeeded in clubbing, disarming, and binding them. But,
unfortunately, the fourth man, being at some distance from his
companions, gave a loud cry when he saw what was going on,
which alarmed Ardlarich and his three men in the distance.
This man, however, was quickly overtaken and clubbed, disarmed,
and securely bound like the rest.
But now came the stiffest part of the contest. Ewen and his
brothers were compelled, however, reluctantly to draw their
sword? and march to meet the approaching Macgregors— three