ITS WORK IN THE LEWIS 61 



gave a detailed account of various injuries inflicted upon their 

 servants by the islanders. ^ They averred that on 19th 

 January, 1635, two of their ships were driven ashore at Storno- 

 way, the vessels, however, being saved with goods and 

 crew. A certain fisherman of Crail, called Thomas Lindsey, 

 had then come forward, asserting himself to be deputy of 

 Lord Linlithgow, Vice-Admiral of Scotland, and had seized 

 the ships and cargoes as wreckage. This man, when re- 

 monstrated with by the Enghsh seamen, had not only 

 vihfied their certificates, but had affirmed that King 

 Charles had no jurisdiction in the Isle of Lewis, and had 

 vowed to be the death of every Englishman in the island. 



Again, while the vessels of the Association had been 

 fishing in the lochs, the highlanders had come upon them, 

 armed " with swords, bows and arrows, and other warlike 

 weapons," and had carried away their kettles and other 

 necessary articles, pretending that these were seized in 

 lieu of the usual duties due to the landlords. Such "in- 

 solences " as these had become of too frequent occurrence 

 to be patiently endured any longer, and it was therefore to 

 be expected that the Association should petition the king 

 to order his Council to take measures to punish the daring 

 islanders. 2 The committee had already resolved to send 

 four " judges " to Stornoway to settle all matters in dispute 

 regarding the fisheries and the conduct of the fishermen, 

 declaring that " in matters of difference touching ground 

 leave, erecting of houses, drjdng of nets, payment of duties, 

 or other questions whatsoever concerning the fishing 

 business, the parties grieved should repair to the judges 

 deputed for redress, and not be compelled to sue or answer 

 in any other court." ^ 



With reference to this decision, complaint was made 

 on June 24th, 1635, at a meeting of the Council of the 



1 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 291, No. 4. " Ihid. vol. 291, No. 4. 



^Ihid. vol. 291, No. 6. 



