He
took along with him a force of seventeen hundred men, at the same
time taking three hundred cows from his farm of Strathbraan to
maintain his followers. Ross of Balnagowan sent a party of a hundred
and eighty men, under command of Alexander Ross of Invercharron, to
aid his neighbour of Kintail, while John Gordon of Embo commanded
a hundred and twenty men sent to his aid by the Earl of Sutherland,
in virtue of the long standing bond of manrent which existed
between the two families; but Sir John "retired at Monar, growing
faint-hearted before he saw the enemie". Andrew Munro of Novar also
accompanied Kintail on this, as on several previous expeditions.
The Macdonalds, hearing of Mackenzie's approach, drove all their
cattle to Monar, where they gathered in strong force to guard them.
Kintail, learning this, marched straight where they were; harried
and wasted all the country through which he had to pass; defeated
and routed the Macdonalds, and drove into Kintail the largest
booty ever heard of in the Highlands of Scotland, "both of cows,
horses, small bestial, duinuasals, and plenishing, which he most
generously distributed amongst his soldiers, and especially amongst
such strangers as were with him, so that John Gordon of Embo was at
his repentance for his return.
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