Observed) James Macdonald Should Lay Himself Out to Get Me a Meeting With Donald Macleod, Miss Flora Macdonald, and Any Others If They Came in His Reach That Could Be Useful in Making a Discovery of Facts and Men. to Which Mr. Macdonald Answered, He Would Do All That Lay in His Power. [125] lucky _interlined_. [126] See ff. 767, 879. [127] The passage within brackets is scored through as delete by Bishop Forbes. [ED.] I then took occasion to acquaint Captain MacLeod about a report that had passed currently in Kingsburgh's name after he had set out from Edinburgh in his return to Sky. The report was this, that Kingsburgh [Sidenote: _fol_. 264.] should have declared to several persons that the Laird of MacLeod should have writ him a letter, desiring him to deliver up the Prince, if he should happen to come in his way, and representing to him what a service he would thereby do to his country; and that the said Laird should have come to Kingsburgh (as the story gave out) either at Fort Augustus or in the Castle of Edinburgh, desiring to have that letter up from him again, which Kingsburgh refused to comply with. Several persons (knowing that I had frequently and familiarly conversed with Kingsburgh) had come to me enquiring about the above report if I knew anything of the matter. My answer always was, that as Kingsburgh had never so much as made the most distant hint to me about any letter whatsomever from the Laird of MacLeod, I could say nothing either as to the truth or the falshood of that report. After informing Captain MacLeod about this story as above, I told him what a desire I had to have this particular cleared up, that if the report was false and calumnious it might be contradicted, and if true, it might be recorded in _futuram rei memoriam_; and then asked him if he would be so good as to take from me a memorandum to Kingsburgh about this matter. He said he would with all his heart, and that he would likewise lay himself out to expiscate facts and transmit exact accounts of them to me by any sure private hand [Sidenote: _fol._ 265.] that should come in his way. Here follows an exact copy of the MEMORANDUM, etc. To ask particularly at Kingsburgh if ever the Laird of MacLeod sent him a letter about delivering up the Prince; and whether or not he should have at any time desired to have that letter up from him again. If such a letter be in Kingsburgh's hands, it could be wished he would be so good as to give a copy of it.[128] Thursday, August 13th, 1747. [128] See ff. 701, 793, 851, 1056, 1631. [Sidenote: 22 Aug.]