THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 235 



order of the Council was sent on I3th August, charging him 

 to deliver the fortresses to the Commissioners nominated by 

 the colonists, within six hours after being so charged, under 

 pain of being declared a rebel and being treated accord- 

 ingly. The result of this peremptory order is not stated ; 

 it appears, however, to have proved effective. But the 

 castle was not long in the hands of the colonists before it 

 was again surprised and captured by the Lewismen, under 

 Neil Macleod and Donald Cam Macaulay, Angus, a brother 

 of Donald Cam, being killed on the South Beach by a shot 

 from the castle during the fray. The natives then pro- 

 ceeded to demolish some of the houses of the colony, 

 fortifying others and victualling them against a siege. 

 The Council now had recourse to one of their own number, 

 Mackenzie of Kintail, to help them. On 3rd September, 

 Kintail received a commission of six months' duration to 

 recover Stornoway Castle and the other fortresses, held by 

 the " rebellious thevis and lymmaris of Lewis." For this 

 purpose, he was empowered to convocate the lieges, invade 

 Lewis, and pursue Neil with fire and sword, using all kinds 

 of " weirlyke ingyne " for reducing the forts. Incidentally, 

 the commission declares that those of the Lewismen who 

 had submitted to the colonists were treated by Neil with 

 barbarous cruelty ; a statement which may not have been 

 without foundation.* 



Here, again, we are without particulars of Kintail's 

 doings in Stornoway, but whether or not he succeeded in 

 reducing the castle and the other fortresses, he failed in 

 restoring order and re-instating the colonists in quiet 

 possession of the island. The Lowlanders were ruined ; 

 the colony was broken up ; the survivors shook the dust 

 of Lewis off their feet and returned home disillusioned, 

 disheartened, and discomfited. Thus ended in disaster the 

 second attempt to colonise the island, and to conquer the 

 intractable natives. 



* Reg. */ />.., Vol. VII., p. 435. 



