Biggar and the House of Fleming

258 BIGGAR AND THE HOUSE OF FLEMING.
willing to contribute to their comfort ; but the food, clothing,
and money which they sent, were, in many instances, not
admitted, or appropriated by the sentinels to their own use.
After they had continued in this wretched state for some
time, a proposal was made that they should sign a bond not
again to take up arms against the King or his authority.
Nearly a thousand signed this bond, and were set at liberty ;
but the remaining four hundred obstinately refused to sign it,
and no entreaty, nor even the report that they would all be
put to death, could induce them to comply. Day after day
they submitted to the most severe privations, and endured the
most acute sufferings. As the rigours of winter drew on, the
hearts of the authorities began a little to relent, and they were
treated with more indulgence and humanity. A few huts were
erected to shelter them from the inclemency of the weather,
and a more ready access was given to their friends. The con-
sequence was, that about a hundred of them effected their
escape, either by climbing over the walls, or being disguised in
women's clothes ; and a few more, at the earnest solicitation of
some Presbyterian ministers, were induced to sign the bond.
Their numbers were now reduced to 257 individuals. From
the want of sufficient nutriment and exposure to the weather
by day and night, their bodies were fearfully emaciated, and
many of them were afflicted with acute diseases. It was
understood that some of them were now rather disposed to
submit to the requirements of Government ; but the Privy
Council, irritated perhaps by their obstinacy, passed, on the
whole of them, a sentence of banishment to Barbadoes. Early
on the morning of the 15 th November, after they had been
confined in the churchyard nearly five months, they were
marched to Leith, and put on board a vessel belonging to
William Paterson, merchant, Edinburgh, where their suffer-
ings, from want of water, food, and fresh air, and from beiug
jammed together in a narrow hold, were worse than ever.
They sailed from Leith Koads on the 27th November, and on
the 10th of the following month, when passing the Orkney
Islands, were overtaken by a storm, and the ship was ulti-
mately dashed on the rocks. The captain had ordered the
hatches to be locked and chained down ; and when the vessel
struck he refused to open them, but provided for the safety of