io6 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



to the Shetlands is clear from the Shetland traditions. The 

 Rev. George Low, who travelled through the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands in 1774, relates a tradition of Foula, an island at 

 the southern extremity of the Shetlands, according to which 

 the Lewismen as the invaders were invariably called 

 pillaged Foula and burnt the wood, lest it should be a 

 shelter to the natives on future occasions. The Foula 

 tradition goes on to say that the Lewismen crossed from 

 that island to Sumburgh Head, at the extreme south of 

 Mainland, where they were defeated in a great battle. Low 

 himself, on visiting Sumburgh, dug up remains which con- 

 firmed the tradition : and he found that the spots where the 

 sand blew off and revealed human bones, were called by the 

 natives " the Lewismen's graves." 



Dr. Samuel Hibbert, who also wrote a description of the 

 Shetland Islands, refers to the same tradition, and gives 

 fuller details. He states that the Lewismen were opposed 

 by one of the Sinclairs of Brow, who marshalled the men 

 of Dunrossness on the Plains of Sumburgh, and attacked 

 the invaders on landing. A stiff fight ensued, which re- 

 sulted in the total defeat of the Lewismen, all of whom 

 were killed and buried in the links of Sumburgh. This, 

 says Dr. Hibbert, was the last of many battles between the 

 Lewismen and the .Shetlanders. In the parish of Sand- 

 sting, on the west coast of Mainland, Dr. Hibbert found 

 the remains of an enclosure on the banks of the coast, 

 which, according to tradition, was constructed by the Lewis- 

 men for the purpose of holding their booty previous to their 

 departure home. A nice piratical reputation these accounts 

 attach to the Lewismen of old. Verily, the instincts of 

 their Viking ancestors were strong within them. 



