History of the Clan MacLean from its first settlement at Duard Castle, in the Isle of Mull, to the present period

108 History of the Clan MacLban.
ment. He first proceeded to ravage and plunder the isles of Rum and Eig,
then occupied by the Clanranald, and the isles of Canna and Muck, belonging
to the Clanian. Having burned and subdued these islands, he then, with his
foreign auxiliaries, made a descent upon the mainland of Ardnamurchan, and
for three days laid close seige to Maclan's castle of Mingarry, his sanguinary
followers, at the same time, spreading themselves in every direction throughout
the lands belonging to that chieftain, laid it waste with fire and sword. In
the midst of these successes, Sir Lachlan received a message from the com-
mander of the "Florida," requesting the return of the Spanish force, as the
ship was prepared to take her departure. MacLean of Treshnish at the same
time sent a communication to his chief that the Spaniard was about to take
his leave without settling with the people for the provisions supplied. Sir
Lachlan remonstrated with Captain Fareija on the injustice thus contemplated,
and the wily Don promised every satisfaction should be given ere he left the
country ; at the same time, he urgently requested the return of his men. Sir
Lachlan, determined that his cunning ally should not, if possible, escape with-
out discharging the obligations upon him, thought it proper to detain three of
the principal officers as hostages, but permitted the rest of the Spaniards to
return to the ship ; at the same time, he sent Donald Glas, son of John Dubh
MacLean of Morvern, on board the "Florida," to receive an adjustment of the
demands of his people. No sooner, however, had Donald Glas set foot on
board the " Florida," than he was disarmed and made prisoner, and cautioned,
at the peril of his life, to attempt any communication with his friends.
Exasperated to the utmost fury by such treatment, and finding that the
Spaniard was making preparation for immediate departure, Donald at once
resolved that he should not escape unpunished, even though the fearful step he
was about to take for this purpose was destruction as certain to himself as to
his foes. Finding the cabin in which he was confined to be in the immediate
vicinity of the powder magazine, he found an opportunity in the night time to
force his way into it, and laying his train in as concealed a position as possi-
ble, he waited the period when the final decision of Don Fareija might force
him to the desperate step contemplated. At daylight on the following
morning, Donald Glas was, in derision, summoned on deck to take a last fare-
well of the towering hills of Mull and Morvern, the beloved mountains of his
native soil. Finding by the preparations going on that his own abduction and
treachery to his kinsmen was in reality meditated, he requested a few attend-
ants that accompanied him on board to make the land as speedily as possible ;
and slipping a letter for his chief into the hand of one of them, he returned