388 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



still in the hills, he told the King, but had not joined the 

 enemy. " Nor do I wish he should, for he would add too 

 much strength to them." If tolerable conditions were 

 offered to him, he would probably " come over and be a 

 peaceable subject to you, and if he should join the enemy, 

 ten times so much will not reduce him." The " tolerable " 

 conditions suggested by Tarbat, embraced an indemnity 

 and protection for his person and estates; a payment of 

 1,000 to repair the damage done to Brahan Castle and 

 estate by the garrison ; and relief from the oath, as bearing 

 on his religious belief, " because he is a Papist." 



There is a notable statement in Tarbat's letter to King 

 William, which deserves special attention. " One thing," 

 he declares, "all the clans desire, which is as much for your 

 advantage as theirs, which is, that all these superiorities be 

 bought from the Highland lords, so that they may hold their 

 estates immediately of you, and having them immediate 

 vassals." By assuming these superiorities, and by keeping 

 a small garrison in Lochaber, and a man of ability, " being 

 no Highlander," as lieutenant-governor there, " you will be 

 indeed master of the Highlands much as ever King of 

 Scotland was." Lochiel and Glengarry Lord Tarbat calls 

 the " activest " of the chiefs, Maclean and Macdonald (of 

 Sleat) the " most powerful." The distribution of 10,000 

 among the chiefs would, he thought, be sufficient to satisfy 

 them ; and he expressed his willingness to go north, pre- 

 sumably to treat for peace.* Tarbat had considerable 

 confidence in his own influence with his fellow-Highlanders, 

 and more particularly with his own clan. Some years 

 previously, he boasted to Mackay that he would overturn 

 in eight days, more than Seaforth could advance in six 

 weeks, in the country of the Mackenzies. But he did 

 nothing to confirm this boast. 



An instructive contrast to Tarbat's pacific views are 

 those given in a memorial, drawn up, apparently, by an 

 Englishman, relating to affairs in Scotland at this period. 



* Cal. of State Papers (Nov., i69i-Dec., 1692), pp. 60-2. 



