As soon as Tormaid arrived in the island, his brother Neill and
all the natives assembled and acknowledged him as their lord and
master. He immediately attacked the camp of the adventurers, which
he forced, burnt the fort, killed the greater part of their men,
took the commanders prisoners, whom he released, after a captivity
of eight months, on their solemn promise not to return again to the
island, and on their giving a pledge that they should obtain a pardon
from the king for Tormaid and his followers for all past offences.
After Tormaid had thus obtained possession of the island, John
Mac-Donald-Mac-Houcheon apprehended Torquill Connaldagh, and carried
him into Lewis to his brother, Tormaid Macleod. Tormaid inflicted no
punishment upon Connaldagh, but merely required from him delivery of
the title-deeds of Lewis, and the other papers which he had carried
off when he apprehended his father Roderick Macleod. Connaldagh
informed him that he had it not in his power to give them up, as
he had delivered them to the clan Kenzie, in whose possession they
still were. Knowing this to be the fact, Tormaid released Torquill
Connaldagh, and allowed him to leave the island, contrary to the
advice of all his followers and friends, who were for inflicting the
punishment of death upon Torquill, as he had been the occasion of all
the miseries and troubles which had befallen them.
The Breve of Lewis soon met with a just punishment for the crime he
had committed in betraying and murdering his master, Torquill Dubh
Macleod. The Breve and some of his relations had taken refuge in the
country of Assynt. John Mac-Donald-Mac-Houcheon, accompanied by four
persons, having accidentally entered the house where the Breve and
six of his kindred lodged, found themselves unexpectedly in the same
room with them. Being of opposite factions, a fight immediately
ensued, in the course of which the Breve and his party fled out of
the house, but were pursued by John and his men, and the Breve and
five of his friends killed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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