he was a clever fellow, and, notwithstanding the perilous situation in which he was, laughed loud and heartily.  Luckily the unknown person did not perceive that there were people in the hut, at least did not come to it, but walked on past it, unknowing of his risk.  It was afterwards found out that he was one of the Highland army, who was himself in danger.  Had he come to them, they were resolved to dispatch him; for, as Malcolm said to me, ’We could not keep him with us, and we durst not let him go.  In such a situation, I would have shot my brother, if I had not been sure of him.’  John M’Kenzie was at Rasay’s house when we were there[551].  About eighteen years before, he hurt one of his legs when dancing, and being obliged to have it cut off, he now was going about with a wooden leg.  The story of his being a member of parliament is not yet forgotten.  I took him out a little way from the house, gave him a shilling to drink Rasay’s health, and led him into a detail of the particulars which I have just related.  With less foundation, some writers have traced the idea of a parliament, and of the British constitution, in rude and early times.  I was curious to know if he had really heard, or understood, any thing of that subject, which, had he been a greater man, would probably have been eagerly maintained.  ’Why, John, (said I,) did you think the king should be controuled by a parliament?’ He answered, ’I thought, Sir, there were many voices against one.’

The conversation then turning on the times, the Wanderer said, that, to be sure, the life he had led of late was a very hard one; but he would rather live in the way he now did, for ten years, than fall into the hands of his enemies.  The gentlemen asked him, what he thought his enemies would do with him, should he have the misfortune to fall into their hands.  He said, he did not believe they would dare to take his life publickly, but he dreaded being privately destroyed by poison or assassination.  He was very particular in his inquiries about the wound which Dr. Macleod had received at the battle of Culloden, from a ball which entered at one shoulder, and went cross to the other.  The doctor happened still to have on the coat which he wore on that occasion.  He mentioned, that he himself had his horse shot under him at Culloden; that the ball hit the horse about two inches from his knee, and made him so unruly that he was obliged to change him for another.  He threw out some reflections on the conduct of the disastrous affair at Culloden, saying, however, that perhaps it was rash in him to do so.  I am now convinced that his suspicions were groundless; for I have had a good deal of conversation upon the subject with my very worthy and ingenious friend, Mr. Andrew Lumisden, who was under secretary to Prince Charles, and afterwards principal secretary to his father at Rome, who, he assured me, was perfectly satisfied both of the abilities and honour of the generals who commanded the Highland army on that occasion.  Mr. Lumisden has written an account of the three battles in 1745-6, at once accurate and classical[552].  Talking of the different Highland corps, the gentlemen who were present wished to have his opinion which were the best soldiers.  He said, he did not like comparisons among those corps:  they were all best.