2IO 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE failure of the first expedition to Lewis disheartened 

 the Adventurers and exasperated the King. In spite of the 

 undertaking given to the Lewismen, no sooner were the 

 hostages released, than preparations were set on foot for a 

 fresh attempt to conquer the island. In June, 1602, James 

 appointed a Convention of the Estates to be held at Perth 

 on the 26th of that month, for the express purpose of con- 

 sidering a new scheme for " repossing " Lewis, and for 

 bringing the Isles generally under subjection to the Crown, 

 whereby the King's revenue from them might be increased. 

 These matters were duly discussed by the Estates. It was 

 proposed to send an army to Lewis to re-conquer the 

 island, and the King asked for a subsidy of twenty thou- 

 sand pounds sterling to be raised by the Church and the 

 burghs, to carry out the project. On i6th July, James 

 addressed Parliament in a speech lasting half-an-hour 

 " after his accustomed manner when his lords meet " 

 the major portion of which was occupied with his scheme 

 for invading Lewis. He represented to the Estates that 

 it was not consistent with his honour, to submit to the 

 indignities which he had suffered at the hands of the 

 " barbarous " Lewismen. He told his hearers that the 

 people of England were saying, that a King who could 

 not rule a handful of people like the inhabitants of Lewis, 

 was not fit to govern them. 



To this appeal the Estates turned a deaf ear. The 

 truth was, they were tired of hearing about Lewis, and 

 they doubtless realised that it was hopeless to attempt a 

 permanent settlement there. They were willing to endorse 

 the King's fulminations against the islanders ; they were 



