34^ HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



nition and officers, of whom Lord Forrester was the most 

 prominent, suggests, however, that the efforts which were 

 being made on the Continent had not proved altogether 

 fruitless. 



Seaforth, accompanied by Lord Balcarres, left his col- 

 leagues at Lochaber, and returned to Stornoway to perfect 

 his defensive measures. To his great chagrin, he failed to 

 secure the support of his clansmen in the crisis which was 

 now at hand. They regarded his seizure of the Fortune's 

 men as a youthful indiscretion which bade fair to involve 

 them in his own ruin. As their chief, they owed him 

 respect and sympathy, but they repudiated his precipitate 

 action and declined to associate themselves with it. From 

 which circumstance, it may be inferred that even at this 

 period, the blind attachment which in earlier times bound 

 the clans to their chiefs, and led them to espouse their per- 

 sonal quarrels, irrespective of the merits of the dispute, 

 was showing signs of weakening. Such being the attitude 

 of Seaforth's clan, -we are prepared for the fact that many 

 of " the chief inhabitants " of Lewis fled from the island 

 before the arrival of the English ; and Seaforth himself 

 again crossed the Minch, leaving his natural brother in 

 charge of his interests in Lewis.* 



The prospect of the English meeting with no resistance 

 from the Lewismen caused Lilburn to issue fresh instruc- 

 tions to Cobbet. The latter was ordered to leave one of 

 his companies at Orkney, and when he had garrisoned j 

 Stornoway with four or five companies under Major Bird j 

 (the future governor of Lewis), to make for Kintail and 

 seize and garrison Eilean Donain Castle ; then to pro- 

 ceed to the coast of Lochaber, whence he was directed to 

 sail for Mull, and seize as many as possible of the Macleans, 

 who were active enemies of the Commonwealth. Two of 

 Colonel Cooper's companies, one of Major Bird's, and one | 

 of his own (Cobbet's) were considered by Lilburn to be 

 sufficient to garrison Lewis. Cobbet was further instructed 



* Scott. Hist. Sec., Vol. XVIII., pp. 160, 186, 221. 



