2 3 o HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



undertaken by the Marquis, without the assistance from 

 others which his appointment as the King's lieutenant 

 would involve. But the most remarkable of the proposals 

 was that which provided that the service was to be ended, 

 " not be aggreement with the countrey people, bot be extir- 

 patioun of thame"* 



That this brutal order was given at the instigation of 

 the King is clear, for the preliminary negotiations had 

 been submitted to him, and the definite proposals, as set 

 forth above, were obviously the result of the correspon- 

 dence. That the Council would make such a stipulation 

 on their own initiative is altogether incredible. 



Without hesitation, Huntly agreed to extirpate the 

 whole population of the Isles in question within a year, 

 and waived his stipulation for a lieutenancy to assist him 

 in the work. He " craved," however, a commission of 

 lieutenancy and justiciary over the islands after their 

 subjugation, with the special object of preventing the 

 re-setting of the people. But the money question blocked 

 the way to a final agreement between the parties. The 

 massacre of hundreds of fellow-Scotsmen was a matter 

 of little moment, compared with the rent of the lands 

 of which they were to be robbed. Huntly, a cautious 

 man of business, tacitly refused to leave the rent to be 

 fixed by the Comptroller. He offered 400 pounds Scots, 

 three-fourths of which was to be for Uist, and the balance 

 for the rest of the islands, with an exemption from pay- 

 ment for one year. 



The Council considered his terms to be very reasonable, 

 with the exception of the feu-duty, which they thought 

 was a very " meane " offer. A report of the negotiations 

 was forthwith prepared for the consideration of the King, 

 with whom lay the final decision. The letter sent by 

 the Council to James reported that all the conditions had 

 been arranged with Huntly, except the rent, which, he 

 argued, should be low, in view of the expense entailed 



Reg. of P.O., Vol. VII., pp. 360-2. 





