272 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



how he left Edinburgh in the month of April to visit his 

 " barnes," who were at school in Glasgow. During his 

 absence, Coll Keitach, with his followers, came to the North 

 Isles, and passed to Donald Gorm's land in North Uist, 

 where he was " reset " and supplied with provisions by 

 Donald Gorm's wife (a daughter of Mackintosh) and by 

 young Donald Gorm, Lord Kintail's brother-in-law. Coll 

 was persuaded by Donald Gorm's wife and nephew, and by 

 the Clan " Neill Vaine, the speciall tenents " of North Uist, 

 to pay a hostile visit to Macleod's island of St. Kilda ; and 

 they provided him with two pilots for the purpose. The 

 attacking force slew all the horses and cattle in St. Kilda, 

 sparing nothing but the lives of the inhabitants. They 

 returned to North Uist, where they shared the spoil with 

 their supporters, and then sailed for I slay. Macleod 

 goes on to state that after Sir James Macdonald had 

 escaped from prison in Edinburgh, he went to Lochaber, 

 Morar, and Knoydart, thence to Sleat, where he got a big 

 boat and " entercomed " (intercommuned) for some time 

 with Donald Gorm, some of whose men of the " Clan 

 Tarlich" (? Maclennans) threw in their lot with him. 

 From Sleat, Sir James proceeded to Eigg, where he met 

 Coll Keitach and his followers, the total number of the 

 rebels being twelve or thirteen score ; but what their 

 future plans might be, Macleod was unable to say. He 

 recommends Lord Binning, however, to commission the 

 Superiors of the Isles to pursue the rebels with fire and 

 sword in three companies, the first under the command of 

 Maclean of Duart and Maclean of Lochbuie, the second 

 under Donald Gorm and the Captain of Clan Ranald, and 

 the third under the direction of himself (Ruari Macleod), 

 the lord of Coll and Mackinnon, with Kintail's forces, 

 co-operating. Let each company do its best, proceeds 

 Rory Mor, and " he that doeth best therein have the 

 greatest honour and perferment of his Majestic and 

 Counsal." He points out that the rebels were of the same 

 blood as Donald Gorm and Clanranald, but that the 

 Macleans were deadly enemies of Sir James and his men. 



