158 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



who, by the way, was by this time in his grave ! 

 " personalie gif thai can be apprehendit," otherwise by 

 open proclamation at the market crosses of Inverness, 

 Dumbarton, Inveraray, and other places, to appear before 

 the Council to answer under the pain of rebellion 

 " tuicheing the gude reull and quieting of the His and 

 Hielandis." This invitation is curiously ingenuous : it 

 arouses the suspicion that the stern Lords of Council were, 

 after all, not devoid of a sense of humour. How it was 

 received by the chiefs we are not informed ; but it may 

 be taken for granted that they treated the proclamation 

 with derision. That they could be " personalie appre- 

 hendit " was clearly not anticipated : there is great virtue 

 in a " gif." And yet, on 29th September, 1585, John 

 Gordon of Petlurg gave caution in the sum of 5,000 merks 

 to enter Ruari Macleod of Lewis, " presentlie deliverit to 

 the said John, to be transported to George Erll of 

 Huntley" before the Privy Council or the Justice, upon 

 fifteen days warning. From this it would appear that the 

 old chief had actually got into the clutches of the law, but 

 we find no record of the subsequent proceedings, if any, 

 against him. 



In 1586, a complaint was made by the united burghs 

 against a number of Highland chiefs, for obstructing the 

 fishings in the northern parts of the kingdom, and for 

 exacting extortionate dues from the fishermen. Among 

 the chiefs so charged are found the names of Ruari Macleod 

 of Lewis, Torquil Macleod of Coigeach (Torquil Conanach), 

 Macleod of Harris, Donald Gorm of Sleat, and Colin 

 Mackenzie of Kintail. The culprits were ordered under 

 pain of rebellion to answer these charges, and to find 

 caution for their future good behaviour. Having failed to 

 appear, they were forthwith denounced as rebels. 



The order of 1585 was probably the outcome of a 

 deadly feud between Clan Donald and Maclean of Duart, 

 into which practically the whole of the chiefs of the 

 Hebrides had been drawn. It is unnecessary to explain 

 minutely the origin of this feud. Suffice it to say that 



