cial request, the audience was a private one, and I was
further especially requested to oblige by coming in my full Highland
dress. The audience lasted fully an hour. Such an interest did
Napoleon's first and most fortunate Marshal take in everything that was
Highland, not even the skiandhu escaped him.

I now come to _your_ family portion of the audience.

As we chatted on, old Bernadotte (leaning familiarly upon my O'Keachan
claymore) was pleased to say in that _suaviter in modo_ for which his
eagle eye so fitted him, "Yes, I repeat it, you Highlanders are
deservedly proud of your country. Your forefathers and your people are
a race apart, distinct from all the rest of Britain in high moral as
well as martial bearing, and long, I hope, may you feel and show it
outwardly by this noble distinction in dress. But allow me to observe,
Sir, that in your family name, in the name of Mackenzie, there is a very
predominant lustre, which shall never be obliterated from my mind.
Pray, are you connected in any way with Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the
celebrated North American traveller, whose name and researches are
immortalised by his discoveries in the Arctic Ocean, and of the river
which since then does honour to his name?" I informed His Majesty that
as a boy I had known him well, and that our family and his were nearly
connected. This seemed to give me still greater favour with him, for,
familiarly putting his hand on my shoulder-brooch, he replied that _on
that account alone_ his making my acquaintance gave him greater
satisfaction. He then proceeded to tell Lord Blomfield and me how your
father's name had become familiar to him, and so much valued in his
eyes. He said that at one time Napoleon had arranged to distract the
affairs of Britain by attacking her in her Canadian possessions--not by
a direct descent upon them, but by a route which men expected would take
England quite by surprise and prove infallible.

That route was to be up the Mississippi, Ohio, etcetera, up to our
Canadian border lakes. For this arrangements were to be made with
America, New Orleans occupied as a _pied a terre_ by France, etcetera,
etcetera. The organisation and command of this gigantic enterprise, as
Bernadotte said, "was given to me by the Emperor, with instructions to
make myself master of every work which could bear upon it, and the
facilities the nature of the country afforded. Foremost amongst these
the work of your namesake (S