478 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



food provided were of the worst description. The trade 

 developed some of the bad features of the Kanaka labour 

 traffic in the South Sea Islands, previous to its purification 

 by the Queensland Government. 



A vessel named the Philadelphia called in at Stornowuy 

 Harbour, and the master proceeded to kidnap boys off the 

 beach, and lock them up on board his ship, without the con- 

 sent of their parents or employers, who were debarred from 

 access to them. Lord Seaforth's obnoxious factor was help- 

 less to rescue them. There was neither judge nor magistrate 

 in the island, the only person having legal authority being 

 the factor himself. His jurisdiction, as then limited by law, 

 extended only to levying the rents ; judging in small cases 

 where the debt or damage did not exceed 405., and in cases 

 of assault, battery, and other minor offences ; and sentencing 

 offenders to the stocks. Recently, he had been offered a 

 seat in the Commission of the Peace ; but, as by the law of 

 Scotland, one justice of the peace had no power to try an 

 offence, he was debarred from dealing with a case of kid- 

 napping, like that in which the captain of the Philadelphia 

 was engaged. Nor, owing probably to his unpopularity, 

 was he able to get anybody to assist the civil officers in 

 seizing the offenders, the inhabitants of Stornoway, in the 

 state of public feeling which existed, being indisposed to 

 interfere. He had to content himself, therefore, with lodging 

 a formal protest against the captain and his owners, and 

 with reporting the circumstance to Seaforth, who petitioned 

 the Home Office for a military detachment to be stationed 

 at Stornoway, to prevent such irregularities in the future. 

 Strong action was necessary, for no fewer than seven ships 

 were cruising about Lewis, and the mainland coast, cajoling 

 the people into emigration and employing, where necessary, 

 means like those used by the Philadelphia for obtaining 

 recruits.* But the Government hesitated to send a military 

 force, fearing that this step would defeat its own object. 

 Any measures appearing to operate as a forcible check to 



* Home Office Papers ', 2nd June, 1774, pp. 219-20. 



