194 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



King and his Council dreaded at this stage his open enmity. 

 Hence his escape from trial on the charges of the Syndicate; 

 and, subsequently, on the charges by Murdoch Macleod. 

 It is quite conceivable that the King and his Councillors 

 actually connived at his release from prison, and that the 

 Syndicate had special instructions to conclude an agree- 

 ment with him, in order to prevent further trouble through 

 his instrumentality. There are no records to show whether 

 or not the agreement between him and the Syndicate was 

 ever signed. If the bargain was actually carried out, its 

 conditions did not long remain in operation. 



Whether or not as the result of the negotiations between 

 Mackenzie and the Adventurers with reference to Torquil 

 Conanach, it is a curious fact that the latter, who was in 

 February described as " of Coigeach," appears on 2nd April 

 in the Privy Council records as " of the Lewis." A com- 

 plaint was on that date lodged with the Council by George 

 Monro of " Mekle Tarrell " that on I5th June, 1599, certain 

 persons named, " all household men " of Torquil, had 

 threatened and " dang " his tenants and " spuilzied " twenty- 

 one " pece of hors and meris." Torquil and his men, not 

 appearing to answer to the summons, were ordered to be 

 denounced as rebels. As showing the intimate relations 

 between Torquil Conanach the " poor unable " as a con- 

 temporary calls him and the Morisons of Lewis, it may 

 be mentioned that among the names of his men are to be 

 found those of" Hucheon Breiff" and " Allane Brieff," who 

 were probably sons of John Morison, the Brieve of Lewis. 

 The denunciation of Torquil Conanach as a rebel must 

 have modified that part of the proposed compact between 

 Kintail and the Syndicate which related to Mackenzie's 

 protegti. 



In the same month, the name of Tormod Macleod, the 

 younger brother of Torquil Dubh, whom Kintail had 

 abducted from school, appears in the Privy Council records. 

 By one John Davidson, Tormod lodged a complaint with 

 the Council against his guardian, setting forth that Mac- 

 kenzie had seized and detained him without just cause. 



