and the children of most part of his gentlemen, with their wives, into the Rathlin with all his pledges, which be all taken and executed, as the spy saith, and in all to the number of 600. Sorley then also stood upon the mainland of the Glynnes and saw the taking of the island, and was like to run mad for sorrow (as the spy saith), turning and tormenting himself, and saying that he then lost all that ever he had.' Essex had nothing but praise for all concerned, which indeed they deserved, if barbarity is to incur no blame; but no one seems to have wasted a thought on such considerations, and Queen Elizabeth vouchsafed her unqualified thanks.[307] [Sidenote: A useless fortified post in Rathlin.] [Sidenote: The Scots supreme on the Antrim coast.] Essex wished to found a permanent fortified post in Rathlin. Norris remained behind to reap the harvest and to hold the island until Sidney's pleasure should be known. In the meantime, Sorley Boy, though he had lost his children, had not lost heart. He chose his time and swept away all the cattle from Carrickfergus. The garrison pursued him, got into difficult ground, and were disgracefully beaten, owing to one of those panics to which regular troops were always subject in their encounters with Highlanders. Some attributed all to the prevailing dissipation, and yet Carrickfergus was hardly a Capua. About forty Scots put the English to flight and killed sixty of them, including Captain Baker and his lieutenant. When Sidney came to Carrickfergus a month later he found it 'much decayed and impoverished, no plough going at all, where before were many; ... cattle few or none left; churches and houses, save castles, burned; the inhabitants fled, not above six householders of any countenance left remaining; so that their miserable state and servile fear were to be pitied.' Of so little use had the Rathlin massacre been that the Lord Deputy found the Scots 'very haughty and proud by reason of their late victories had against our men, finding the baseness of their courage.' The coast from Larne to the Bann was full of corn and cattle, and in the undisputed possession of Sorley, who was willing enough to come to terms, but very suspicious and afraid of the opinion of his own followers. Sidney abandoned Rathlin at once, saying that it was easy at any time to take, but very expensive and useless to keep. There was a scarcity of water about the fort, and the 'Race of Rathlin' is one of the stormiest pieces of sea on our coast. 'The soldiers brought thence being forty in number, they confessed that in this small time of their continuance there, they were driven to kill their horses and eat them, and to feed on them and young colts' flesh one month before they came away.' Such was the real value of a position where, in the opinion of Essex, 100 men 'would do her Majesty more service, both against the Scots and Irish, than 300 can do in any place within the north parts.' Sidney