THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 225 



doubt, notwithstanding the statement of the colonists to 

 the contrary. Two points may here be noticed. The first 

 is, that the policy of exterminating the islanders was 

 definitely abandoned, if, indeed, it was ever seriously 

 attempted on a wholesale scale. Either the impossibility 

 of giving effect to it, or its unnecessary and inhuman 

 nature, determined the Lowlanders in adopting milder 

 measures. The second point is, that the elaborate precau- 

 tions taken against any assistance being given to the 

 insurgents by their fellow-Islesmen proved ineffective. 



That the Lewismen were not only secretly but openly 

 assisted by their neighbours, is proved by a commission 

 granted on 3Oth September, 1606, to Mackenzie of Kintail. 

 Mackenzie was charged by the Council to convocate the 

 lieges of Inverness and Nairn in the King's name, and 

 proceed with fire and sword, by sea or land, against certain 

 chieftains, notably Macneill of Barra and the Captain of 

 Clan Ranald, who had gathered together their followers, 

 invaded Lewis, assailed the camp of the colonists, and 

 " committit barbarous and detestable murthouris and 

 slauchteris upon thame." Kintail was ordered to "tak 

 and slay " the invaders, or carry them to Edinburgh for 

 trial, and was empowered to proceed to Lewis for the 

 relief of subjects " distressit and grevit " by them, or 

 prisoners in their hands ; this end to be accomplished by 

 force or " policie," as he might see fit.* 



There is no record of Kintail's doings in connexion with 

 this commission. Whether he carried it out by force or 

 by " policie," it is impossible to say, but in view of the fact 

 that there does not seem to have been a serious outbreak 

 in Lewis for six months afterwards, it may be assumed 

 that the powers with which he was invested bore fruit.t 



In March, 1607, there occurred a recrudescence of the 



* Reg. ofP.C., Vol. VII., p. 255. 



t In October, 1606, a minister named John Ross was ordered to be banished 

 to Lewis, as a punishment for having taken part in the General Assembly held 

 at Aberdeen on 2nd July, 1605. lie was to exercise the functions of his 

 ministry in the place of exile. He had plenty of scope there, if his mission 

 was to the natives. 



