226 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



troubles in Lewis. On the 2nd of that month, the King 

 sent a letter to the Privy Council of Scotland, charging the 

 members with remissness in dealing with matters connected 

 with the Isles. He greatly marvels that nothing has been 

 done, the spring having arrived, which was the best season 

 for making preparations, and seeing that the partners of 

 Lewis, who had been harassed so much last year, were 

 fearing that trouble was again brewing. He mentions that 

 the Marquis of Huntly and the Earl of Argyll, on the 

 occasion of their last visit to London, had completed 

 arrangements with him for reducing the Isles to order, and 

 that nothing now remained but to carry out their plans, 

 He tells the Council that if Huntly and Argyll were 

 responsible for the delay, he should have been advised of 

 their remissness. But if the Council were to blame, he has 

 just cause to weary of continuing to be their instructor, and 

 reminding them of his orders, " as tutoris are accustomat to 

 repeat thair lessonis to thair childrene." He concludes by 

 hoping that this admonition would save them from further 

 reproof. This letter, written in the best fatherly style of 

 King James, is the first clear intimation we have of a 

 comprehensive scheme for " dealing " with the Hebrides, 

 the- outcome of which we shall presently notice. 



There is a curious charter under the Great Seal to 

 Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail, dated iyth March, 1607* 

 In addition to his properties on the mainland, the Island 

 of Lewis, with Assynt and Waternish, is included in the 

 grant.* Sir Robert Gordon informs us that the grant of 

 Lewis was obtained through Kintail's friend, the Chan- 

 cellor, after the Adventurers had returned to Fife ; and 

 this statement is probably correct. The fact seems to be 

 that the leaders of the colony went south to represent to 

 the King their unenviable position, and that Mackenzie 

 took advantage of their absence to obtain the charter, 

 construing, possibly, their departure into an abandonment 

 of the enterprise. He was in Edinburgh, doubtless on this 



* Reg. Mag. Sig. (1593-1608), No. 1,879. 



