224 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



by these defections, Neil Macleod and his friends became 

 more troublesome, and by the summer of 1606, the colonists 

 were in a parlous state. It was under these circumstances 

 that the Adventurers sent a memorial to the Privy Council, 

 describing the events connected with the colonisation of 

 Lewis, and complaining of the aggression of the natives, 

 which was hampering their work so grievously. The 

 names of the islanders whom they charge with harassing 

 them are detailed. The spelling suggests that they were 

 taken down from dictation by some one unacquainted with 

 Gaelic, and the phonetic rendering is not a little curious. 

 The list commences with the names of Neil Macleod and 

 his nephew, Malcolm. 



According to the statement of the colonists, " a number 

 of the poor inhabitants and labourers of the ground had 

 submitted themselves to their rule, glad to be rid of the 

 tyranny and oppression " of the insurgents. The latter not 

 only remained in Lewis against the will of the complainers, 

 but molested the "poor country people" who had submittted, 

 compelling them by threats to join their ranks. The 

 insurgents were also charged with holding secret communi- 

 cation with their neighbours in the other islands, urging 

 them to act in concert with them against the Lowlanders, 

 and preparing for a general and open rising, to the " heavie 

 hurt and prejudice " of the colonists. 



In reply to these charges, the Council, on 3ist July, 1606, 

 ordained that letters be sent to the Officers of Arms and 

 Sheriffs of the district, directing them to denounce the 

 persons named in the complaint, and put them to the horn.* 



Truly, the Island of Lewis proved anything but a bed of 

 roses to the Lowland colonists, or at best, a bed of roses so 

 plentifully strewn with thorns as to make their settlement 

 the reverse of comfortable. It is probable that their 

 statement about the country people the agriculturists and 

 non-fighters was correct. But that the secret sympathies 

 of the latter lay with their compatriots there can be little 



* Reg. of P.C., Vol VII., pp. 229-30. 



