262 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



from Ireland, he became the leader of a band of pirates 

 on the west coast of Scotland, and in March, 1616, the 

 machinery of the law was again put in motion against 

 him. Campbell of Lundy, brother of the Earl of Argyll, 

 with Campbell of Auchinbreck and Campbell of Ard- 

 kinglas, was commissioned to proceed against him and 

 his associates, but Lundy's refusal to act under the com- 

 mission enabled Malcolm again to escape capture. In 

 April, the Tutor of Kintail was charged with the appre- 

 hension of the pirates should they land in Lewis, a 

 contingency which, it was shrewdly suspected, should be 

 guarded against. Malcolm, however, fled to Flanders, but 

 soon found his way back to the Western Isles. With 

 a band of desperate men like himself chiefly Sorley 

 Macdonald and the adherents of the House of Islay 

 he seized a French ship and fitted her out for a fresh 

 career of piracy. They picked up a crew in the Hebrides, 

 and then set out to look for their prey, the latter being 

 the merchants and fishermen frequenting the North Isles, 

 and especially Lewis. They were assured of active help 

 from a number of Harrismen, and in that assurance set 

 sail for the Long Island, landing at Lochmaddy, where 

 they sent word to Harris of their presence. The con- 

 federates discussed the feasibility of a descent on Lewis, 

 and the capture of the merchant ships lying at Stornoway 

 and elsewhere in the island ; and it was agreed to await 

 a favourable opportunity of pouncing on their prey. From 

 Lochmaddy, the pirates went to " Lochchennart " (? Loch 

 Eynort), where they were soon joined by the Harrismen, 

 who told them that the ship of one Robert Alexander, 

 a Burntisland skipper, was lying either in the Bay of 

 Stornoway, or in Lochfurna (? Thurnabhaigh, Loch Grim- 

 shader), and offered to pilot them to her on condition of 

 sharing in the spoil. The pirates gave a ready assent to 

 this proposal, and a night attack was planned. Malcolm 

 Macleod, with forty men armed with muskets and targes, 

 got into the eight-oared boat of the Harrismen and found 

 the Burntisland vessel in " Loche-sturin " (? Loch Storno- 



