offer similar acknowledgments, for
information respecting her unfortunate ancestor; and for an original
letter of his Lordship; and she must also beg to express her obligations
to William Constable Maxwell, Esq., and to Mrs. Constable Maxwell, of
Terregles, the descendants of the Earl of Nithisdale, for their
courteous and prompt assistance. To James Craik, Esq., of Arbigland,
Dumfriesshire, she is indebted for a correspondence which continues, as
it were, an account of that family during the later part of the year
1745. To Sir Fitzroy Grafton Maclean, Bart., she owes the account of his
clan and family, which has been printed for private circulation. She is
also grateful to a descendant of the family of Lochiel, Miss Mary Anne
Cameron, for some interesting particulars of the burning of Achnacarry,
the seat of her ancestors.

In some of these instances the information derived has not been
considerable, owing to the total wreck of fortune, the destruction of
houses, and the loss of papers, which followed the ruthless steps of the
conquering army of the Duke of Cumberland. Most of the hereditary
memorials of those Highland families who engaged in both rebellions,
perished; and their representatives are strangely destitute of letters,
papers, and memorials of every kind. The practice of burying family
archives and deeds which prevailed during the troubles, was adopted but
with partial advantage, by those who anticipated the worst result of the
contest.

In recalling with pleasure the number of those to whom the Author owes
sincere gratitude for kindness and aid in her undertaking, the name of
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Esq. renews the remembrance of that store of
antiquarian information from which others, far more worthy to enjoy it
than herself, have owed obligations. The Author has also most gratefully
to acknowledge the very kind and valuable assistance of Archibald
Macdonald, Esq., of the Register Office, Edinburgh, to whom she is
indebted for several original letters; and of Robert Chambers, Esq., to
whose liberality she is indebted for several of her manuscript sources,
as well as some valuable advice on the subject of her work. To Dr.
Irvine, Librarian of the Advocate's Library, Edinburgh, the Author
offers, with the most lively pleasure, her sincere acknowledgments for a
ready and persevering assistance in aid of her undertaking. Again, she
begs to repeat her sense of deep obligation to Mr. Keats, of the British