Celebration the Jonely kirkyard of Kil-muir, near Portree, in the Isle of Skye, overlooking the stormy waters of the Minch, is the grave of the most. famous of all Highland heroines. There, shrouded in a bed sheet upon which both Bonnie Prince Charlie and Dr. Johnson slept at different. times and in idely differing' circumstances, lies Fora Macdonald, the heroine of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.
This is the bicentenary year of her birth, but upon what day, or in what month she was born, none of her biographers has been adio to determine. In_ these ciroumstances July 12, which was chosen for the unveiling of a memorial tablet, is perhaps as suitable x date as any. The tablet has been attached to the monument which stands to the memory of Flora Macdonald in Kilmuir Kirkyard. It was unveiled by Miss Livingston, of -Flodigarry, a great-great-great-grand-daughter of Flora Macdonald, and the oration was de-ivered by Sir Murdoch Macdonald, M, P. fore Inverness-shire. Another descendant of the heroine, Major Livingston of Flodigarry, and brother of the lady who performe.t the unveiling ceremony, was home irom Egypt ito take part in the celebrations. Dr. ©. G. Vardell, President of the Flora Macdonald College, North Carolina, U.S.A, was also present.
A former marble tablet was dos-troyed by a storm some years ago, She original tablet, also of maral evected on the heroine's grave, was chipped to pieces and carried cif by souvenir seekers. It was after the latter event that the obelisk which now surmounts the grave was erected by public subscription, The story of how Flora Mace. donald helped the fugitive Prince escape, of her subsequent arrest and brief imprisonment, and of the "rear popularity which she had in London, are well known. A fow years after her return to Skye she married Captain Allan Maecdonaid ct Flodigarry, and went with hin to America just as the War of Independence was brewing. Her husband served in the campaign an officer on the British side, and was taken prisoner by the Ameri-cons, but eventually both husband and wife were able to return to Skye, where Flora, Macdonald spent the remainder of her days, dying fat Peinduin Perm on March 5, 1790. She had five sons and four daughters, two of the girls dying in infancy. a Among the many people who came to see the famous heroine in her Highland home were Dr. John-som _and Boswell. Johnson's tribute to Flora Macdonald has proved as prophetic as the subject merited it, being:—"Here is a name that will be mentioned in history, and, if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.