1 88 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



the discharge of their duties. They are specially ordered 

 to assist with their whole forces the Lewis colonists, and 

 they are charged to expel from Lewis any who refuse to 

 submit to the Adventurers. They are further charged to 

 " prosequite with fyre, sword, and all kind of hostilitie " all 

 open enemies or secret thwarters of the colonists. Full 

 general powers are conferred upon the lieutenants to do 

 everything necessary for settling the Isles, and they are em- 

 powered to convocate, with the counsel and advice of certain 

 specified landlords, the lieges north of the Dee, as often as 

 they think expedient in the fulfilment of their commission. 

 And lastly, the lieges themselves are charged to obey the 

 lieutenants, who are also empowered to appoint the Lewis 

 colonists as their lawful deputies. In the instructions to 

 Lennox and Huntly, they are charged to pacify the Isles, 

 and to assist the Lewis colonists to enable the King to 

 receive yearly, " ane thankfull payment of the dewiteis con- 

 tenit in thairinfeftment, quhairby his Majestei's rentis salbe 

 greatlie augmente."* And in the performance of this task, 

 the lieutenants are to be counted worthy of great reward 

 as indeed they well deserved to be. The Earl of Enrol, 

 the Earl Marischal, Lord Forbes and others named, are to 

 act as counsellors to the lieutenants' in the matter of raising 

 levies of men for service in the Isles and the disaffected 

 parts of the Highlands. The hands of the lieutenants 

 were further strengthened by an Act of Council, dated 

 I9th November, 1599, making landlords and chieftains of 

 clans answerable for the conduct of their men. And a year 

 afterwards (25th November, 1600) a decree in favour of 

 Lennox was published, transferring to him the rights of 

 jurisdiction over the western seas hitherto held by the 

 Argyll family. 



The powers thus conferred upon the Duke of Lennox 

 and the Marquis of Huntly were of a sufficiently compre- 

 hensive character. In effect, the lives as well as the lands 

 of the Islesmen were handed over to the tender mercies of 



* Reg. ofP.C., Vol. VI., pp. 8-10. 



