THE STORNOWAY CHARTER. 299 



Lewes and continent nixt adjacent, and hes caused thame 

 be answered of all such commoditeis as these bounds 

 affoords, as namelie, with fishes and beaves (black cattle), 

 quhilks, with the hyde and talloun (tallow), with manie 

 uthers commoditeis, they transport to Holland." Accord- 

 ing to the burghs, the Earl had been misled by " the 

 insinuatiouns and projects of strangers, who ar ever bussie 

 to pry in the secreits and mystereis of nighbouring estats 

 where the hope of gayne is apparent," and who had " inculcat 

 in his eares manie great hopes and projects of wealth and 

 credite by erecting of a burgh in the Lewes and planting of 

 a colonie of strangers thairin." A doleful picture was 

 drawn of the injury these strangers had inflicted upon the 

 trade of the country. Ruin stared the Scottish traders 

 in the face, their families being left destitute, and their 

 shipping being about to be sold for want of employment* 

 Against this weighty indictment, Seaforth simply argued 

 that the burghs had no standing to pursue him, and that 

 he was responsible to the King alone for any breach of the 

 Act. But this objection was overruled, and the Earl was 

 ordered to observe the Act within his bounds. And the 

 burghs obtained a letter from the King to the Lords of the 

 Exchequer, charging them to withhold the charter. 



The discomfiture of Seaforth gave rise to unexpected 

 developments. In July, the Convention of burghs formu- 

 lated a scheme for confirming them in possession of the 

 Lewis fisheries, and for securing the necessary powers to 

 erect a free burgh in the island and improve the fishing 

 industry. This was an artful move which, if successful, 

 would at one stroke have frustrated any " open-door " 

 policy. John Hay was authorised to conduct the negotia- 

 tions on behalf of the burghs ; and the Convention could 

 have hardly have made a better selection for the purpose. 

 While these arrangements were in progress, the King 

 wrote the Lords of Exchequer, instructing them to endea- 

 vour to effect an amicable arrangement between Seaforth 



* JReg, of P.O., Vol. III. (2nd series), pp. 95-6. 



