40 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



Hebrides. Alexander II. of Scotland, who had designs on 

 Man and the Hebrides, and was vainly endeavouring to 

 negotiate their cession by Hakon, was particularly anxious 

 to detach Ewen from the Norwegian interest. But all his 

 efforts proved unavailing ; neither threats nor promises 

 would induce Ewen to throw off his allegiance to Hakon. 

 The King determined to use compulsion, and Ewen in 

 alarm fled to Lewis for safety. Alexander pursued him, 

 but died of a fever in the Sound of Kerrera, near Oban. 

 Such was the position when Ewen, in his capacity of 

 Administrator of the Hebrides during an interregnum, 

 found himself called upon to repair from Lewis to Man 

 to prepare for the accession of his son-in-law. The Manx- 

 men, suspecting his motives, and resenting his assumption 

 of the regency, drove him from the island. Magnus was 

 in 1252 unanimously elected by the islanders as their ruler, 

 and in 1254, his title of " King of the Isles " was confirmed 

 by his suzerain. 



In pursuance of his father's policy in respect of the 

 Hebrides, Alexander III. of Scotland re-opened negotia- 

 tions with Norway, but Hakon remained obdurate, and a 

 rupture between the two Kings was only avoided by the 

 friendly mediation of England. In 1262, matters reached 

 a crisis, which was brought about by the depredations of 

 William, Earl of Ross, son of Ferchard Mac-an-t'sagairt, 

 and other chiefs of the West, with the connivance, prob- 

 ably, of the Scottish King. Skye was ravaged, and the 

 invaders were accused of committing such barbarities as 

 child-spearing, thus rivalling the atrocities of the Norse 

 pirates, with whom the tossing of infants from spear to 

 spear was a common practice. The complaints which 

 reached Hakon, and the well-grounded belief that further 

 depredations were contemplated, left him no recourse but 

 to organise an expedition for the purpose of re-asserting 

 the authority of Norway, and protecting her subjects in the 

 Hebrides. The time had come for a final trial of strength 

 between Norway and Scotland. 



In the spring of 1263, Hakon commenced his prepara- 



