Dundee rode forward for the purpose of surveying the force with which he was to contend, and then drew up his own men with as much skill as their peculiar character permitted him to exert.

It was desirable to keep the clans distinct.

Each tribe, large or small, formed a column separated from the next column by a wide interval.

One of these battalions might contain seven hundred men, while another consisted of only a hundred and twenty.

Lochiel had represented that it was impossible to mix men of different tribes without destroying all that constituted the peculiar strength of a Highland army, [363] On the right, close to the Garry, were the Macleans.