Forbes, of Sir John Hill's regiment 200

Fryday, 17 Aprile.
Lieutenant Charles Ross, of Sir John Hill's regiment 100[13]

It is more than probable that some names should not be inserted above,
as the name Graeme, for it may belong to the clan Graham of the
Highlands, or else to the debateable land, near Carlisle, which is more
likely. We know that where they had made themselves adverse to both
sides, they were forced to emigrate in large numbers. Some of them
settled near Bangor, in the county of Down, Ireland. How large a per
cent, of the subscribers who lived in the lowlands, and born out of the
Highlands, would be impossible to determine. Then names of parties, born
in the Highlands and of Gaelic blood have undoubtedly been omitted owing
to change of name. By the change in spelling of the name, it would
indicate that some had left Ulster where their forefathers had settled,
and taken up their residence in Scotland. It will also be noticed that
the clans bordering the Grampians were most affected by the excitement
while others seemingly did not even feel the breeze.

The Darien Scheme at best was but suppositious, for no experiment had
been tried in order to forecast a realization of what was expected.
There was, it is true, a glitter about it, but there were materials
within the reach of all from which correct data might have been
obtained. It seems incredible that men of sound judgment should have
risked everything, when they only had a vague or general idea of
Paterson's plans. It was also a notorious fact that Spain claimed
sovereignty over the Isthmus of Panama, and, even if she had not, it was
unlikely that she would tolerate such a colony, as was proposed, in the
very heart of her transatlantic dominions. Spain owned the Isthmus both
by the right of discovery and possession; and the very country which
Paterson had described in such radiant colors had been found by the
Castilian settlers to be a land of misery and of death; and on account
of the poisonous air they had been compelled to remove to the
neighboring haven of Panama. All these facts, besides others, might
easily have been ascertained by members of the Company.

As has already been intimated, the Scots alone were not drawn into this
vortex of wild excitement, and are no more to be held responsible for
the delusion than some of other nationalities. The English people were
seized with the dread of Scottish prosperity re