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of the pioneers buried here, James McLaren’s was the next head to Lﬁall He died in the year 1818 Don— ald Gordon came ‘Thus. three of the principal heads of this little community Were call- ed to their eternal rest within lsixt'een years of their landing at Brudenell. I may say here that Isabel McDonald, wife of James Mdliaren, survived her husband for many years, and died at the residence of her son—inelaw, James MCLFiarlane, ef Montague, at the advanced age of ninety-two. Her remains rest in the old cemetery on the south bank of Brudenell. In this connection it may be men- tioned that a legend exists to the effect the-tearly in the histOry of the little colony, previous te-tlie death of Mrs Gordon, the appear ance of a woman and two children was observed. by her and others passing from the north bank «of the river towards this spot, and : disappearing into the forest by which this island was then thick--

ly covered. No Woman or children

were known to be in. the vicinity 'eXcept those {belonging to ' settlement nor although strict search was made were any dissov- ' ered. This event was supposed by the ' people to .have been a fore- shadowing of the death which poc- Cured soon after and of the found- ing of this cemetery .on_ Brudenell Island. 1 ,

Of the history of J1mes Laren previous to his emigrating to Prince Edward Island we know » little except through tradition ' which tells us that he was the son of Donald McLaren» a cattle dealer known to his native compatriots in their native Gaelic . tongue as ”'Don‘ihnul'l mor na mart” or big Donald of the cattle, ,. who owned land in the district of-iBalquhidder in the early part of the eighteenth century and of Robina Stewart of the. Stewarts of Appin, his wife. he-los-t both land and life in 'con- sequence of his complicity ' in ' the unfortunate “rising”. under Prince

next in 18119»:

the

Mc- ’ ,MoLaren, the subject of this short

Charles Edward Stewart in the 'year 1745. After the final defeat {of the rebel force at Culloden in 11746, he was taken prisoner by a iparty of dragoons and was being conVeyed by them to Carlisle for trial and probable execution. While passing through a part of the country well knownvto him at the time when his native hills were thickly shroud-ed in mist, he by some means, contrived" to escape, and plunging down into a deep ravine at the risk of his life man- agedto elude his pursuers,11ut so close was the pursuit andgso vigil- ant... the search the gsunfortunate man was compelled to thrust him— self down into a mess of water soaked bog and dmwing a‘ sod of turf over his heat remained " there until nightilali undier cover of which he made his way ”to the shouse of an acquaintaance who afforded him shelter. and co.ncea.l- ment— runtil his ' death which occur- red. a-~ few weeks later, presumably inconsequenc-e of ' cold and ex- posure endured while lying hidden in the morass. It is supposed that S-i‘r‘Walter Scott- has made use of this incident in‘ describing. a sim- ilar imaginary escape of a char- acter in one of the works of that great author.

In their search for the escaped prisoner the‘ troopers visited MC- Laren’s home ‘which they burned down, after destroyingthe plenish- ing and killing the cattle. James

sketch, who was then three or four’years of age is said to have remembered being carried. out of the burning house in the arms of one of the female relatives to the family who had secreted a cheese in her plaid as necessary food. for the child.“ The cheese unfortunate- ly fell and rolled to the feet of one of the s-oldiers engaged in the work of destruction. He stuck. his bayonet into it and held it up to her, laughing at her look of dis- :c-omfiture at the loss. This episode ibrings fOrcibly. home to our ~1nem-

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