THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 219 



where they were befriended while they formed fresh plans 

 for harassing the colonists, the King ordered that no such 

 assistance be given in future, and commanded the lieges 

 by proclamation at the market cross of Inverness and at 

 other needful places, that none of them were to presume to 

 " resset " or supply any of the inhabitants of Lewis, their 

 wives or children, nor show them any "comfort, countenance, 

 or relief." On the contrary, they were to seize any of them 

 or their goods that came within their bounds, and detain 

 them until they could be conveniently handed over to the 

 Commissioners ; failing which, they were to be counted as 

 part-takers with the Lewismen, and punished severely.* 



These elaborate preparations for the re-conquest of the 

 island appeared to spell disaster for the natives. The toils 

 seemed at length to be closing around them ; every avenue 

 of escape was to be closed. We shall see how the uncom- 

 promising spirit of these proclamations was carried out. 

 Incidentally, there is light thrown on the methods of war- 

 fare adopted by the Lewismen. They present a close 

 analogy to those of the Boers in the South African War, 

 after their resistance had degenerated into the guerilla 

 attacks of predatory bands. When pursued, the natives 

 dispersed, apparently to Harris, the Uists, Barra, and per- 

 haps to Skye, where they found the same active, though 

 secret, sympathy as the Boers experienced among their 

 compatriots, when chased by the British troops. Safe 

 among their brother Hebrideans, the Lewismen concocted 

 their plans for fresh raids on the Lowlanders, just as the 

 " peaceful agriculturists " of the Transvaal and the Orange 

 Colonies assisted their brother Boers in organising the 

 means of harassing the foreign invaders anew. And in 

 respect of elusiveness, the Lewismen had their De Wet in 

 the person of the redoubtable Neil Macleod. The plan 

 adopted by James and his Council for effectively stopping 

 the supplies of the Lewismen and forcing them to surrender, 

 embodies the precise principle upon which the advocates 



* Keg. of P.C., pp. 84-90. 



