The messengers, hearing the ominous threat,
notwithstanding Kenneth's personal persuasion, declined on any
account to take the cattle, and marched away "empty as they came."
Before starting from home on this expedition Kintail drove every
one of Glengarry's followers out of their holdings in Lochalsh
and Lochcarron, except a few of the "Mathewsons and the Clann Jan
Uidhir," and any others who promised to submit to him and engaged
to prove their sincerity by "imbrowing their bands in the enemy's
blood." The Castle of Strome, however, still continued in possession
of the Macdonalds.
Mackenzie, after his return home, had not well dissolved his camp
when Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory made an incursion to the
district of Kenlochewe, and there meeting some women and children
who had fled from Lochcarron with their cattle, he attacked them
unexpectedly, killed several of the defenceless women, all the
male children, slaughtered and took away many of the cattle, and
"houghed" all they were not able to carry along with them.
In the following autumn, Alexander MacGorrie made a voyage to Applecross
in a great galley, contrary to the advice of all his friends, who
looked upon that place as a sanctuary which all Highlanders had
hitherto respected as the property of the Church.
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