THE NORSE OCCUPATION. 21 



their right to the Isles from a grant by the Scottish 

 King. 



The expedition of 1093 was entirely successful in its 

 results, and Magnus returned to Norway, leaving, ap- 

 parently, the ex-governor, Lagman, now a vassal of the 

 Norwegian Crown, to rule in Man and the Isles as his 

 Viceroy. The Northern Hebrides, being so far removed 

 from the seat of government, appear to have soon become 

 troublesome, for we find that Magnus sent from Norway, 

 in 1097, a governor named Ingemund to rule over them. 

 He could not have made a worse selection. No sooner 

 had Ingemund arrived in Lewis, than he sent messengers 

 to the chief men of the North Isles, commanding them 

 to appear before him and acknowledge him as their 

 prince. Clearly, he had not come from Norway to serve 

 his Royal master, but to enjoy himself. The worst 

 governor who ever mismanaged a colonial possession 

 of Great Britain, in the days when England used her 

 colonies as a dumping ground for convicts, was an 

 angel of light compared with Ingemund. He and the 

 kindred spirits who accompanied him from Norway, 

 behaved like a band of pirates, instead of a company of 

 duly-accredited law-givers. They gave themselves up to 

 revelry, robbery, and rape, and respected no law, human or 

 Divine. But they had inflammable material to deal with, 

 and the smouldering rage of the dishonoured Levvismen 

 soon broke out into a fierce flame of terrible vengeance. 

 The Hebridean chiefs had come to submit, but they 

 remained to slay. They planned to slaughter the Nor- 

 wegians during the night, and thus rid themselves of their 

 oppressors. Ingemund and his retinue were caught like 

 rats in a trap ; their house was set on fire ; escape there 

 was none ; the vengeful swords of the islanders despatched 

 those who fled from the merciless flames ; and not one of 

 the licentious crew survived. Thus perished ignobly the 

 governor whom Magnus had sent to attend to his interests 

 in the Outer Hebrides. 



Magnus of Norway was not the man to submit tamely 



