THE MACLEODS AND THE MORISONS. 205 



no fewer than five of his followers were killed, while of their 

 opponents, not a man fell. Sir Robert Gordon piously 

 ascribes the remarkable outcome of this fight to the inter- 

 position of Providence in favour of the Macleods, the 

 wicked Brieve and his followers being deprived of the 

 power to resist. Evidently the Morisons had met better 

 men than themselves ; picked swordsmen, perhaps, who 

 had come upon them, apparently by accident, but really 

 with the set purpose of fighting them. 



Among the numerous islands on the coast of Eddra- 

 chillis is one called Eilean na Breitheamh, or the Judge's 

 Island, which derives its name from the following circum- 

 stances. The friends of the Brieve, hearing of his death, 

 came across from Lewis in a galley to bring the corpse 

 home, but owing to contrary winds, they were driven to 

 this island ; whereupon they decided to disembowel the 

 body and bury the intestines, which they did ; and on 

 the wind changing, they set sail again, and arrived in 

 safety at Ness. John Morison was succeeded in the 

 chiefship of his clan by Malcolm Mor Maclan, who was 

 determined to avenge the death of the Brieve when chance 

 should throw John of Sandey in his way. They met at 

 length at Coigeach, when a fight took place, in which 

 the Morisons were worsted and Malcolm himself was taken 

 prisoner. His captor handed him over to Tormod Mac- 

 leod in Lewis, who forthwith made him " short by the 

 head."* He had no qualms of conscience about despatching 

 a Morison. 



The year 1601 was marked by strife in parts of the 

 Long Island other than Lewis. The Lowland colony in 

 Lewis was harassed by the natives ; the two most power- 

 ful clans in Harris and North Uist were at deadly feud. 

 Donald Gorm Macdonald who, on i/th August, 1596, got 

 a charter of Sleat and North Uist, with lands in South 

 Uist, and Benbeculat had married a sister of Ruari Mac- 

 leod of Harris. The marriage proved an unhappy one. 



* Traditions of the Morisons of Ness, 

 f Reg. J/rt. Sig. (i593-i6o8), No. 472. 



