THE ENGLISH FISHING SETTLEMENTS. 315 



he exercised an unquestioned authority over the neigh- 

 bouring chiefs. By his wife, Margaret Seton, daughter of 

 Alexander, Earl of Dunfermline, Lord High Chancellor of 

 Scotland, he had a son, Alexander, who died in his youth ; 

 and two daughters, the elder of whom, Anna, married 

 Alexander, second Lord Lindsay, who was created Earl of 

 Balcarres by Charles II. in 1651. We shall meet Lord 

 Balcarres later on. Anna Mackenzie's second husband 

 was Archibald, ninth Earl of Argyll, who was beheaded in 

 1685. Seaforth's younger daughter, Jean, was married to 

 John, Master of Berridale, their son being George, sixth 

 Earl of Caithness. Seaforth was succeeded by his brother 

 George, who was served heir to Lewis on 24th May, 1633. 



The new Earl professed as great a friendship for the 

 fishing venture in Lewis as did his predecessor. Captain 

 William Buxton, who had been deputed to ascertain his 

 views, submitted to Secretary Nicholas a report, which 

 was entirely favourable. Seaforth entertained Buxton at 

 Chanonry, and promised to do all in his power to assist 

 the undertaking. The natives of Lewis, and the Lowland 

 fishermen (the " Highlanders " and the " Scotch ") were 

 greatly influenced by Seaforth's attitude, and when Buxton 

 visited " Leeas " (Lewis) in May, 1633, he found that the 

 general prospects were decidedly rosy. His imagination 

 pictured great hauls of herring, ling, and cod, sufficiently 

 large, in his estimation, to supply London with plenty of 

 fish during the " hard time of winter." 



Soon after Buxton's visit, Seaforth was called upon by 

 the Council of the Corporation to " explain " his interest 

 in anchorage and ground-leaves in Lewis, and he desired 

 to be heard thereon at the next Council meeting on 

 ist July. Thus early, these dues claimed by the heritors 

 of the Hebrides promised to be a fruitful source of trouble 

 to the Englishmen. The ancient custom was to exact, for 

 ground-leave and anchorage, the following dues, viz. : 

 From each boat, a barrel of ale or of meal at the owner's 

 option ; for each anchor laid on shore, six shillings and 

 eight pence ; a payment of three pounds in money for 



