384 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



his estates would be ravaged by fire and sword. At the 

 same time, he instructed the Earl of Sutherland, Lord 

 Reay, and Ross of Balnagown, all staunch Whigs, to hold 

 in readiness 1,000 men under Major Wishart to occupy 

 Lewis, should Seaforth persist in his obstinacy. Notwith- 

 standing these preparations, Mackay was unwilling to give 

 effect to them. Seaforth's men were " all Protestants, and 

 none of the most dangerous enemies," although the Earl 

 was a Catholic ; and the General, himself a sound Protestant 

 and, what was better, a man of sound principles, was averse 

 from making the innocent Mackenzies suffer for the stub- 

 bornness of their chief. He therefore sent a secret intimation 

 to Seaforth of his intention, hoping that at the eleventh 

 hour, the Earl would re-consider his decision.* In the result, 

 Mackay was relieved from an unpleasant duty. Seaforth 

 surrendered and was sent to Edinburgh under a strong 

 guard, but was released on giving security for himself and 

 his friends. Probably he had to thank his uncle, Lord 

 Tarbat, for the leniency of the Government. 



In June, 1690, after negotiations with the Government, 

 undertaken with the express sanction of King James, the 

 Jacobite leaders agreed to a cessation of hostilities until 

 ist October ; and we find that Seaforth was compelled to 

 provide further security against taking up arms until the 

 expiry of that date. The Earl of Breadalbane a name 

 of sinister import to Highlanders conducted the negotia- 

 tions on behalf of the Government. In order to make the 

 submission of the Jacobites permanent, he was entrusted 

 with a sum of .15,000 or 20,000 to buy up the claims 

 which the Earl of Argyll and other Superiors exercised over 

 their feudal vassals. No more unfortunate choice of an 

 agent could have been made. A contemporary describes 

 Breadalbane as being " cunning as a fox, wise as a serpent, 

 but slippery as an eel." Before the Highlanders, he posed 

 as a friend of theirs and of King James ; before the Govern- 

 ment, he posed as a zealous partisan of King William. But 



* Mackay's Memoirs, pp. 101-2. 



