398 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



to his Majesty King James VIII." did not tend to diminish 

 his sense of importance. It was not until 8th of October 

 that the combined forces marched to give battle to the 

 Whig clans. They encamped at the Clairs, preparatory to 

 attacking Sutherland's levies at Alness, where these had 

 arrived three days previously. On loth October, they 

 reached Alness, only to find that on the previous day, the 

 enemy had fled. Sutherland's raw soldiers inferior in 

 numbers, and some of them armed with long spear-pointed 

 poles were hardly fit to cope with Seaforth's army, and a 

 panic had seized them, clear evidence of which is afforded 

 by the fact that they threw away their arms and left their 

 cannon behind. The Earl of Sutherland and his son, Lord 

 Strathnaver, with Lord Reay, made good their retreat into 

 Sutherlandshire, attended by only forty men, the remainder 

 of their forces being left to shift for themselves. Sutherland 

 subsequently excused his flight, by stating that he dismissed 

 his men to enable them to secure their crops. Munro, the 

 younger, returned home to Castle Foulis, which was gar- 

 risoned and fortified by his father. Seaforth, puffed up by 

 his success, endeavoured to turn his bloodless victory to 

 good account, by summoning the Munroes, the Rosses, and 

 others, to find security for their peaceable behaviour, 

 threatening them with his enmity if they failed to obey. 

 Kenneth Sutherland, Lord Duffus, who accompanied him, 

 was sent to Tain to proclaim the Chevalier, while the Earl 

 proceeded to enforce his authority upon the Whig clans.* 

 At Kincraig, he received the submission of several Rosses, 

 Macleod of Cadboll, and Macleod of Geanies. He is 

 charged by Munro of Foulis, and by Rae the historian, 

 with having abused his triumph by gross acts of cruelty 

 and oppression. " Goths and Vandalls," says Munro, 

 " never shewed more barbarity than the Earl of Seafort 

 practised on my people " ; and he then proceeds to give 

 particulars of the offences. The truth, however, is to be 

 found in the report of Munro of Culcairn, who states that 



Seaforth MSS. in Brit. Mus. 



; 



