ound a more favourable opportunity of exciting an
intestine commotion in Great Britain; for Scotland was quite unfurnished
with troops; king George was in Germany; the duke of Cumberland, at the
head of the British army, was employed in Flanders, and great part of
the highlanders were keen for insurrection. Their natural principles
were on this occasion stimulated by the suggestions of revenge. At the
beginning of the war a regiment of those people had been formed, and
transported with the rest of the British troops to Flanders. Before they
were embarked, a number of them deserted with their arms, on pretence
that they had been decoyed into the service by promises and assurances
that they should never be sent abroad; and this was really the case.
They were overtaken by a body of horse, persuaded to submit, brought
back to London pinioned like malefactors, and tried for desertion. They
were shot to death _in terrorem_; and the rest were sent in exile to
the plantations. Those who suffered were persons of some consequence in
their own country; and their fate was deeply resented by the clans to
which they belonged. It was considered as a national outrage; and the
highlanders, who are naturally vindictive, waited impatiently for an
opportunity of vengeance.

THE ELDEST SON OF THE CHEVALIER DE ST. GEORGE LANDS IN SCOTLAND.

The young pretender being furnished with a sum of money, and a supply of
arms, on his private credit, with-out the knowledge of the French court,
wrote letters to his friends in Scotland, explaining his design and
situation, intimating the place where he intended to land, communicating
a private signal, and assuring them he should be with them by the middle
of June. These precautions being taken, he embarked on board of a small
frigate at Port St. Nazaire, accompanied by the marquis of Tullibardine,
sir Thomas Sheridan, sir John Macdonald, with a few other Irish and
Scottish adventurers; and setting sail on the fourteenth of July, was
joined off Belleisle by the Elizabeth, a French ship of war, mounted
with sixty-six guns, as his convoy. *

* The Elizabeth, a king's ship, was procured as a convoy, by
the interest of Mr. Walsh, an Irish merchant at Nantes; and
on board of her fifty French young gentlemen embarked as
volunteers.

Their design was to sail round Ireland, and land in the western part of
Scotland; but falling in with the Lion, an English ship of the line, a
very ob