Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

HISTOUY OF TIIK WESTERN ISLANDS. 37
Barefoot, the successor to the crown of Norway, undertook
an expedition to recover the rights of his kingdom. He
landed first in Orkney, with one hundred and fifty ships ;
in 1095, according- to some authors, but according to
others in 1097 ; the kingdom of the Isles being then in a
state of anarchy and division. In Orkney, he first settled
the disputes between Erlen the son of Thorfin and his
nephew Haco, which belong to the history of Orkney,
and then reduced to obedience, first Lewis, and after-
wards, Uist, Sky, Mull, Isla, Cantyre,and Mann, ravaging
also the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Torfaeus places
the termination of this expedition in 1099; but the date
of his arrival in Mann is said also to have been in 1098.
I need scarcely say that many of the difficulties in this
chronology, arise from the various methods of reckoning
the year, as Hailes has remarked.
We here enter on Scottish history, and are somewhat
troubled with that of Donald Bane, formerly noticed.
Having fled to the Isles on the usurpation of Macbeth,
he is said to have invaded Scotland, with the aid of the
Norwegian power, at the death of his brother Malcolm;
thus usurping a government, of which the legal line of
heirs were minors. It has further been said that he de-
livered the islands up to Magnus, on condition of receiv-
ing his assistance on this occasion. This is not intelli-
gible. He could not have possessed the islands, because
the Scottish crown did not ; and Magnus could not have
made a compact with him to receive what was already
his own. It is probable that the Scottish account is
merely incorrect by exaggeration. Donald Bane might
have acquired the friendship and assistance of Magnus,
because it must have been the interest of the latter to
foment rebellion and aid an usurper. This has been
magnified for the honour of Scotland : as if it might