Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

•JO HISTORY OF THE AVESTERN ISLANDS.
prove that she possessed the dominion of the Isles, which,
from all that follows in their history, was plainly not
the fact ; even if the Norwegian and Mann chronicles
were not worthy of superior credit in this case. Here
also is told the tale of the circumnavigation of Cantyre,
elsewhere noticed ; which cannot be true since it was
not in the possession of Donald Bane.
During the abode of Magnus in Mann, he relieved
Anglesea from an attack on the part of William Rufus.
In 1101, there is on record, a protection sent to him to
meet Henry I in Wales for the purpose of joining him
in the conquest of Ireland. It is not known if this meet-
ing took place ; but he was killed in a descent on Roscommon
in 1103. Torfseus thinks that Magnus made
four expeditions to the Isles: one in the time of Crovan,
one in 1088, one in 1098, and the last in 1103 ; but other
historians limit them to 1098 and 1103.
The death of Magnus, under whom Norway and the
Isles had possessed but one king, left the throne of the
latter vacant. Olave, the minor, and a son of Crovan, had
in the mean time been residing at the court of Henry, and
now became king of Mann and the Isles. It is ne-
cessary to remark this ; because, like other events already
noticed, it shows that this kingdom was considered of
importance by the English kings ; while it may also
prove that, whatever was the information or education of
that day, of which English history will inform us, the
same was probably possessed by Olave, and by others,
at this period. And there is abundant reason for sup-
posing that the condition of the Western Isles was far
superior, as a nation, during the Norwegian dynasty, to
what it ever was afterwards. I had occasion formerly to
notice the Norwegian manners of these ages, and we can
also deduce some information from many different sources,