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STORIES OF
Scotland/' but they are not so smooth or ap-propriate as Mrs. Grant's. As for the air, it seems more ancient than Mrs. Jordan's time, and most likely she altered it, or had it altered, for her own vocalization. There is a decided military flavour about the whole composition, and in all probability she sang it as a compli-ment to the Duke of Clarence during his absence on war service.
The ancient pibroch—" Donald Dhu"— written by Sir Walter Scott in 1816, belonged to the clan Macdonald, and is supposed to refer to the expedition of Donald Balloch, who in 1431 launched from the isles with a consider-able force, invaded Lochaber, and at Inverlochy defeated and put to flight the earls of Mars and Caithness, though at the head of an army su-perior to his own.
The playing of the air on the bagpipe, though it may freeze the marrow of the Sassenach, has a very inspiring effect on the Highlander, as the following anecdote will prove. At the battle of Quebec, in April, 1760, whilst the British troops were retreating in confusion, the general complained to a field-officer of Fraser's regiment of the bad behaviour of his corps. " Sir/' answered he with some warmth, " you did very wrong in forbidding the pipes to play
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