declaration of war, or even any good ground for it,
had attacked the King of Spain's fleet on the coast of Sicily, and
entirely ruined it, which so exasperated the Cardinal Alberoni, who then
governed Spain with the title of first Minister, that he resolv'd to
assist King James, and so revenge himself on the Whigs, who had been the
occasion of the breach of faith he complained of.... One difficulty
still remain'd,--which was to get the chiefs of the King's friends, who
were in France, advertised of this, which the Cardinal desired me to
undertake. The Earl Marischal had brought with him from the Duke of
Ormonde a little billet containing these words--"Pray have entire
confidence in the bearer," and signed Ormond, to be given to him who
should be sent; and with this and about 18,000 crowns, I set out from
Madrid the 19 of February,[74] and three days after arrived at St.
Sebastian, where I deliver'd 12,000 crowns to the Prince Campo Florido,
for the equipment of the frigats destin'd for Scotland, and with the
little money which remain'd entered France privately....

All things being now ready, we embark'd the 19th of March in a small
barck of about 25 tunns, in the mouth of the Seine, and shaped our
course to pass betwixt Dover and Calais, and so round the Orkneys to the
Isle of Lewis, which was our place of rendezvous; but the wind
continuing at east forced us the Friday after, March 24, to alter our
course, and stand away for St. George's Channel, or the back of Ireland,
as we should think best.... From thence we stood for Cape Clear and the
west coast of Ireland, and after favourable but blowing weather, arrived
the 4 of April, N.S. in the isle of Lewis, where we enquired if no ship
had touched there lately from Spain, or if there was no particular news
in the country; but finding them ignorant of any thing that could give
us light into what we wanted to be informed of, we remain'd there some
days, and at last had accounts that two frigats were come to an anchor
on the other side of the island, on which I went with all haste there,
not doubting but it was those we were longing for. I found them already
sailed, but a gentleman of the country informed me that they were the
same, and were gone some miles farther to Stornoway, the only toun or
rather village on all the island. I went the same night there, and found
them in the harbour at an anchor, and the men still aboard....

The Marquesses of Seafort and Tullibardine