Forasmuch as a number of the chieftains and principal men of the Isles and continent next adjacent are come in and presented themselves before the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council, and have given satisfaction unto the said Lords anent their obedience and conformity in time coming, so as that now there is no part of the Isles rebellious and disobedient but the Lewis, which being possessed and inhabited by a number of thieves, murderers, and an infamous byke of lawless and insolent limmers under the charge and command of the traitor Neil Macleod, who has usurped upon him the authority and possession of the Lewis, and they, concurring altogether in a rebellious society, do commit many murders, slaughters, riefs, and villianies, not only among themselves but upon his Majesty's peaceable and good subjects who resorted among them in their trade of fishing, and by their barbarous and savage behaviour against his Majesty's good subjects they have made the trade of fishing in the Lewis, which was most profitable for the whole country, to become always unprofitable, to the great hurt of the commonweal. And the Lords of Secret Council finding it a discredit to the country that such a parcel of ground, possessed by a number of miserable caitiffs, shall be suffered to continue rebellious, whereas the whole remanent Isles are become peaceable and obedient, and the said Lords understand the good affection of Kenneth, Lord Kintail and his willing disposition to undergo all pains and trouble in his Majesty's service. Therefore the said Lords has made and constituted, and by the tenour hereof makes and constitutes, the said Kenneth Lord Kintail, his Majesty's justice and commissioner over the whole boundaries of the Lewis, to the effect under-written, with full power, commission, and authority to him to convocate his Majesty's lieges in arms, to levy and take up men of war, to appoint captains and commanders over them, and with them to pass to the Lewis, and there, with tire and sword, and all kind of hostility, to search, seek, hunt, follow, and pursue the said Neil, his accomplices, assistants, and partakers, by sea and land, wherever they may be apprehended, and to mell, confiscate, and intromit with their goods and gear, and to dispone thereupon at their pleasure, and to keep such of their persons as shall be taken in sure firmance till justice he ministered upon them, conform to the laws of this realm, courts of justiciary within the said bounds to sit, begin, affix, hold, and continue suits to be made called "absentis to amerchiat," trespasses to punish, all and sundry persons inhabitants of the Lewis suspected and delayed of murder, slaughter, fire-raising, theft, and reset of theft, and other capital crimes, to search, seek, take, apprehend, commit to prison, and to enter them upon panel by dittay to accuse them, and to put them to the knowledge of an assize, and as they shall happen to be found culpable or innocent of the said crimes, or any of