: The Scottish Journal of Topography Antiquities Traditions &c. Vol. I No. 22 January 29 1848 by Various - Scotland Periodicals

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&c. &c.

No. 22. Edinburgh, Saturday, January 29, 1848. Price 1 1/2 d.

SOME PARTICULARS REGARDING THE FAMILY OF INVERNAHYLE.

COPIED FROM A MANUSCRIPT IN THE POSSESSION OF DR THOMSON, LATE OF APPIN, BY JOSEPH TRAIN.

Donald was accordingly educated in the family of Rab a Pheti, the blacksmith. When he acquired some strength, he was often called to assist his supposed father in carrying on his trade. Being of a strong, athletic make, he performed every task proposed to him with ease, little thinking he had any right to be otherwise employed. One day, when about eighteen years of age, it being his turn to work in the smithy, he took hold of a large hammer, which required the strength of any ordinary man to wield with both hands, and, of course, deemed too unweildly for a stripling of his age, yet he found so little difficulty in managing it, that he wrought it with one hand; and not satisfied with this exertion, he took another hammer of the same size in his other hand, and beat away with both alternately, without much apparent exertion. His supposed father, Rab a Pheti, seeing this, gave up his work and went to the faithful nurse to tell what he had seen. This honest couple, who had as much affection for Donald as though he had been their own child, came to the resolution of disclosing to him the secret they had so long kept of his birth and parentage. Donald was called, and the mournful tale of his father's death, and the risk he ran of sharing the same fate, was circumstantially laid before him. If we can judge by his future actions, we may conclude that he listened to the mournful story with strong emotions. The smith took him in his arms and embraced him. "Your education," he said, "has been necessarily obscure, but I trust the blood that runs in your veins, and the spirit of your fathers, will ever inspire your conduct and direct your steps." The smith then presented him with a sword, tempered with all the art of his trade, praying it might be the means of clearing his way through difficulties, and extricating him from every danger. Donald received it as a valuable token of love. Nor did he allow it long to remain peaceful in its scabbard. Previous to his setting out for Appin, he, by the advice of his foster-mother, Morag, waited on his mother's brother, Macdonald of Moidart, who gave him a very warm and hearty reception, and offered freely to support him with his interest and influence in recovering his paternal property, which had been taken back to the family, on the supposition of his death when a child.

There is still handed down a little roundlet, which narrates this transaction--

"Donal nan Ord, dalt a gothain Alleagan nan luarach leabhair, Thog thu creach o' thaogh Locho, Nach dean Mhac Callen a thoghadh, Na Mhac, na Earo na Otha."

Argyle, much enraged at the affront offered him by Donald, began to think of serious revenge, by raising his whole clan and followers to destroy him; but wisely seeing that this could not be done without some noise, and aware that Donald might be supported by his mother's powerful friends, and also by the Camerons, set on foot a negotiation with the Laird of Appin, to get Donald to make restitution and be peaceful. The result was, that Appin, and his other friends, insisted with Donald that he should come to terms with Argyle, threatening, if he did not comply, to leave him to his fate. Donald, unwilling to split with his friends, and thinking that he had done enough in revenging his father's death, complied, and actually went to Inverary with a single attendant, to hold a conference with Argyle, at his own place, and among his numerous friends. Argyle, who was a man of the world, conceived that, from Donald's rusticity, he could easily, by persuasion, get him into a scrape that might prove fatal to him. But Donald, though he agreed all at once to the terms proposed, got himself easily extricated. Upon Donald's reaching Inverary, he met Argyle in the fields, and is said to have accosted him thus--

"A Mhic Callen griomach ghlais, Is beag an hachd a thagad dhiom, Is nar a Phillis mi air mais Mas a mo a thaghain dhiot."

"Gaire Granda as ainm don Chreig, Is fanaidh i mar sin a ghna; Gheabh a leitheid agad fein, Nan sealadh tu nan eadan do mhna."

When at length they came to talk of business, the terms upon which Argyle offered peace were, that Donald should raise a hership in Moidart, and another in Athole, thinking probably that he would be cut off in these attempts; or if successful against such powerful people, that his disgrace would be less in what was done to his own lands. Donald readily agreed to the terms. He set out openly for Moidart, discovered to his uncle the engagement he had come under, and asked his advice. His uncle told him that the people of certain farms in that neighbourhood having offended him, to go and spoil them; that he, to save appearance, when it came to his knowledge, should pursue him to retake the spoil; but should not be in such haste that Donald ran any risk of being overtaken. Donald did so; carried off his spoil; set fire to two or three farms, and got safe off. The affair made a great noise, and reached Argyle's ears, who was astonished at Donald's rashness. He went next to Athole, and played the same card with equal success; came back to Argyle, and a peace was concluded, though not with much cordiality upon either side.

There is a well-known anecdote, which we cannot pass over in silence. Donald was, on a time, returning from an expedition into Stirlingshire, and, passing through Monteith, called at a tenant's house, where they were preparing a wedding dinner. The Earl of Monteith was at the marriage, and was to partake of the dinner. Donald and his men were hungry, and asked for a supply of meat, which being refused, they were so unpolite as step in and eat up the whole dinner. Upon the Earl's arrival with the marriage people, they were enraged at the affront put upon them. They pursued Donald, and soon came up with him. They called to him to halt, which he did, and one of the Earl's men cried out ironically to Donald and his men, alluding, no doubt, to the quantity of broth they had consumed--

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