Thus
died the most skilful and best chieftain - had he possessed equal wisdom
and discretion - then alive among the Macdonalds of Glengarry.
The Mackenzies immediately took to their boat, pursuing Macdonald's
galley to Loch na Beist, where, noticing the enemy's whole fleet
coming out against them, John Tolmach Macleod recommended his men
to put out to sea; but finding the fleet gaining upon them, they
decided to land in Applecross, where they were nearly overtaken
by the enemy. They were obliged to leave their boat and run for
their lives, hotly pursued by the Macdonalds; and were it not that
one of Mackenzie's men - John Mac Rory Mhic Mhurchaidh Mathewson -
was so well acquainted with the ground, and led them to a ford on
the river between two rocks, which the Macdonalds missed, and the
night coming on, they would have been unable to escape with their
lives. The Macdonalds retraced their steps to their boats, and
on the way discovered the body of Alexander MacGorrie, whose death
"put their boasting to mourning," and conceiving his fate ominous
of additional misfortunes, they, carrying him along with them,
prudently returned home, and disbanded all their followers.
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