expedition proved completely successful, and John of the Isles, with a
numerous train of chieftains who joined him in the rebellion, met the
King at Inverness, and submitted to his authority. He there engaged
in the most solemn manner, for himself and for his vassals, that
they should yield themselves faithful and obedient subjects to
David their liege lord, and not only give due and prompt obedience
to the ministers of the King in suit and service, as well as in
the payment of taxes and public burdens, but that they would coerce
and put down all others, and compel all who dared to rise against
the King's authority to make due submission, or pursue them
from their respective territories." For the fulfilment of these
obligations, the Lord of the Isles not only gave his most solemn
oath before the King and his nobles, on condition of forfeiting his
whole possessions in case of failure, but offered his father-in-law,
the High Steward, in security and delivered his son Donald, his
grandson Angus, and his natural son, also named Donald, as hostages
for the strict performance of the articles of the treaty, which
was duly signed, attested and dated, the 15th November, 1369. [For
a full copy of this instrument, see 'Invernessiana,' pp. 69-70.]

Fordun says that in order to crush the Highlanders, and the more
easily, as the King thought, to secure obedience to the laws, he
used artifice by dividing the chiefs and promising high rewards
to those who would capture or kill their brother lords; and, that
writer continues "this diabolical plan, by implanting the seeds
of disunion amongst the chiefs, succeeded, and they gradually
destroyed one another."

Before his marriage Murdoch had three illegitimate sons. One of
them was called Hector or Eachainn Biorach. He acquired the lands