It is said, that our saint penetrated into the Orkney Isles, and with some success, but of his proceedings there we know little. Of those which took place in the Hebrides or Western Islands, which he also blessed with his presence, frequently visiting them, indefatigably preaching in them, supplying them with missionaries, erecting churches, and founding religious communities, there is more extant. Among these Islands, Hymba, where he established a monastery, over which, after some years, he placed his maternal uncle Erwan, seems to have been his favorite retreat, just as Sabhal, or Saul, in our own green isle was of his glorious and saintly progenitor in the faith, St. Patrick. On various occasions, and at different intervals, he made it his abode. There it was that he was visited by four holy founders of monasticism in Ireland--by Comgall, Cainnech or Canice, Brendan of Clonfert, and Cormac Hua Liathain;--there while celebrating mass for them, Brendan saw a very bright flame like a burning pillar, as if rising from his head, which continued from the moment of the consecration to the termination of the sacred mysteries. It was there also that, on another occasion, he had some extraordinary celestial visitations, which lasted for three days and three nights consecutively. There were several monasteries also, founded by himself, or in virtue of his obedience by his disciples, in an island called Ethica, one of which was governed by Baithen, who subsequently succeeded him in the abbacy of Hy. While thus engaged, the saint was at times obliged to exert himself in defence of the new converts against certain marauders, who, though nominally Christian, practised the illicit trade of plundering. On one occasion, he proceeded to excommunicate some of the leaders, who were members of the royal house of the British Scots, but at the risk of his life, one of their partizans having rushed upon him with a spear, but providentially without effect. Adamnan says, that the name of this assassin was _Lamh-dess_ or _Right hand_, and that on his advancing against Columba, Findulgan, a monk of Hymba, where this transaction occurred, being clothed in an outer garment of the saint, threw himself between him and Lamh-dess, who, notwithstanding he used all his might, was not able to transfix it.