THE ISLES AND THE COMMONWEALTH. 345 



to resist the invasion of the English. In order to strengthen 

 Stornoway, he sent to Kintail for his guns, and constructed 

 a fort on a small peninsula (Holm) near the town, where 

 he placed two great guns and four sling pieces. No time 

 was to be lost. A fleet of men-of-war and merchant ships 

 i with provisions was getting ready at Leith for the conquest 

 ! of Lewis, the military force being under the command of 

 Colonel Cobbet. The expedition attracted a considerable 

 amount of public attention throughout the kingdom, the 

 i general feeling being that the seizure of the island was a 

 1 strategic and commercial measure of the first importance ; 

 I inasmuch as it would strike a deadly blow at the Dutch 

 j fishing industry, further the trading interests of the Common- 

 l wealth, and overawe the neighbouring districts.* During 

 the month of July, Seaforth was occupied in pushing 

 i forward his preparations for defence ; and Crawford was 

 I hurried out of Stornoway to France, with the subscriptions 

 1 which had been collected throughout the Highlands for 

 j the King. The Earl then left Lewis to consult with his 

 confederates at Lochaber, taking with him the men of the 

 Fortune, whom he set at liberty ; Lilburn, notwithstand- 

 ing, still keeping Pluscardine and Sir John Mackenzie in 

 ! prison pending the reduction of Lewis. A crisis was now 

 approaching, and the Royalist leaders at Lochaber fully 

 realised the gravity of the situation. The King's com- 

 mission was read ; the Earl of Glencairn was appointed 

 Commander-in-Chief ; and a general rising of the clans 

 appeared imminent. Middleton, who, taken prisoner at 

 Worcester, had escaped from the Tower of London, was 

 in Holland working energetically for the assistance of the 

 Dutch, his efforts being seconded by Colonel Drummond. 

 The latter proposed to the States the pawning of Lewis, 

 Skye, and other fishing centres, if they would send a fleet 

 to Scotland.-j- But the Hollanders were slow to commit 

 themselves. The arrival of a ship at Lewis with ammu- 



* Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 564 ; Merc. Pol. (Vol. XLV., pp. 2597-8, 2989). 

 .Seaforth is said to be playing * Rex " in Lewis. 



t Scott. Hist. Sec. t Vol. XVIII. , pp. 235-7. Thurke, Vol. I., p. 460. 



