An Laoidheadair Gaelic na ain spioradail

INVASION OF AKGYLEtsHIKE. 175
oft'iom 1200 to 1500 rank and file, he ©mbarked tor the
express purpose of destroyiiig the internal part of Argyleshire,
stock and branch ; annihilate the Campbells, and
all others who took their part in carrying on the work of
reformation. With this force he landed at CiUciaran,
(now called Campbehon,) where he was made welcome by
the clans, who, as already noticed, had pledged themselves
not only to protect, but to support his father. These
clans held great sway in the county, especially Sir Alexander
Macdonald, lord of Kintyre and the isles, had 1000
infantry and three troops of cavalry in readiness for service ;
Macdougall (styled lord of Lorn) had a corps of infantry
at hand ; and Sir Allan Maclean of Duart Castle, with
his numerous and respectable followers, possessing most of
all Mull, Morvin, Sunart, and Adnamurchan, a corps of
from 700 to 1000 efìective raen ; besides the Macneils,
Ihe 3Iacalisters, the Macmillans, and other clans of less
influence, promised their assistauce by providing small
detachments to be in readiness in case an attack was made
on Dunavartich. la this flattering (vve may say formidable)
state of security, Coll Macdonell was left in that garrison,
under the charge of as many men as it could accommodate,
by his son, Alexander, who, with the levy he
brought from Ireland, raarched north, animated by a
spirit of hatred and revenge, to complete the destruction
of what his father had left undone.
Alexander marched forward through Kintyre to Tarbert
without doing much mischief to the inhabitants, they
being chjefly tenants and vassals to the clans, who became
bound to support him, fartherthan find them in provision
and quarters. Arrived at the passes, ordered his men to
march in loose order over Sliabh-gaoil, (an extensive
mountain many miles in length,) and to descend upon the
Campbell'scountry, Ceantarbert, Knap,Killdusgalan, &c.,
vvith a determination to exterminate three parishes, then
called Tireitagan, Kaolasraid, and Crapadal, (all descriptively
termed,) with powers to massacre every person who
aJttempted to oppose them.
Jie raoved hiiuself, in a small fleet of galleys by the west.