Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

to a place of safety. In the meantime she sent out a
patrolling party of five men armed with muskets to watch
the road from Inverness, of whom the blacksmith, a clever
fellow of the name of Fraser, assumed the command. On
the approach of the Earl of Loudon's army, during the night
of the 1 6th of February, 1746, the smith placed his men at
intervals along the roadside, and ordered them to fire at the
head of the advancing column, raising a shout, and calling
on the " Camerons " and " Macdonalds " to advance —
thus leading Loudon's men to believe that they were
confronted by a large body of the Prince's army ! Donald
Ban MacCrimmon, Macleod of Macleod's piper, was killed
by the blacksmith's shot, close by Macleod's side. Loudon's
men, thinking they had to contend against a superior force,
made a hasty retreat to Inverness ; known in history as the
" Rout of Moy ". The poor piper was the only person killed,
and the Macleods carried his body to Inverness.
Donald Ban MacCrimmon was reputed the best piper of
his day in the Highlands. When leaving Dunvegan, he had
a presentiment that he would never return from this expedition,
and he composed on that occasion that plaintive air, " Cha
Till mi Tuilleadh," or " MacCrimmon's Lament," which he
played on his pipes as the independent companies of the
Macleods were leaving Dunvegan, while their wives and
sweethearts were waving them a sorrowful farewell. To this
air MacCrimmon composed a feeling Gaelic song, the senti-
ments of which are well brought out in the English imitation
by Sir Walter Scott, as follows : —
Macleod's wizard flag from the grey castle sallies,
The rowers are seated, unmoored are the galleys ;
Gleam war-axe and broadsword, clang target and quiver,
As MacCrimmon plays " Farewell to Dunvegan for ever".