_Ian_ or MacIans of Ardnamurchan, and the Clan _Alaster_ or MacAlasters of Loup in Kintyre. The most important clans after the Macdonalds were, in Argyll, the Clan _O’Duibhn_ or Campbells, whose original seat was the district of Lochow and Ardskeodnich, and who succeeded to their power. In the Isles the Clan Leod or Macleods of Dunvegan and Glenelg, and those of Lewis, descended from two brothers, were the most powerful; and next them the Clan _Gilleoin_ or Macleans of Dowart and Lochbowie, and the Clan _Neill_ or Macneills of Gigha and of Barra, and here we see the oldest cadets occupying quite as prominent a position as the main line. The other clans of Argyll and the Isles were, in Cowall, the Clan Lachlan, and the Clan _Ladmann_ or Lamont, and between Loch Fine and Lochow the Clan _Neachtan_ or MacNaughtons; while Glenorchy was the original seat of the Clan Gregor, and in Lochaber the _Clanchamron_, or Camerons of Lochiel, had their home. In Lochaber and Colonsay were the Clan _Dubhsithé_ or Macduffies, and in Mull and Skye the Clan _Fingaine_ or Mackinnons and the Clan _Guaire_ or Macquarries. [Sidenote: Meaning of Clann, and the personal names from which their patronymics were taken.] This word Clann signifies simply children or descendants, and the clan name thus implies that the members of it are or were supposed to be descended from a common ancestor or eponymus, and they were distinguished from each other by their patronymics, the use of surnames in the proper sense of the term being unknown among them. These patronymics, in the case of the _Ceannciné_ or chief and the _Ceanntighs_ or heads of the smaller septs, indicated their descent from the founder of the race or sept; those of the members of it who were of the kin of the chief or chieftain showed the personal relation; while the commonalty of the clan simple used a derivative form of the name of the clan, implying merely that they belonged to it. This system is quaintly described by John Elder, clerk, in his letter to King Henry the Eighth in 1542 or 1543. He says—‘Now and pleas your excellent Majestie, the said people which inhabitede Scotland afore the incummyng of the said Albanactus (as I have said), being valiant, stronge, and couragious, although they were savage and wilde, had strange names, as _Morrdhow_ .i. Mordachus; _Gillicallum_ .i. Malcolmus; _Donyll_ \.i. Donaldus, and so fourth. Then their sonnis followinge theame in manheid and valianntnes, called theameselves after this manner of wyse, leaving their proper names unexpressede, _Makconyll_ .i. filius Donaldi; _Makgillecallum_ .i. filius Malcolmi, etc., and so they have contenewide unto this daye.’[464] Thus the head of the whole Clan Donald was simply Macdonald, the chief of the Clan Ranald of Glengarry, _Macmhicalastair_, the captain of Clan Ranald, _Macmhicalain_, and one of the commonalty simply _Domnaillach_ or a Macdonald. Besides the clans the statutes distinguish what they term surnames.