EVICTIONS AND THE HIGHLAND CROFTERS. BY AN EX-FACTOR. L MUCH interested by your "Highland Clearances," and by Skaebost's thoughts on the crofter system in the Celtic Magazine for August, permit me, as a Highlander, in close contact, since 1803, with crofters and others who depend chiefly on land for their daily bread in the north of Scotland, to offer some thoughts on a matter of such vital importance to Great Britain. During most of my life I was factor on several large Highland estates, in charge of some thousand families, chiefly cottars and crofters, some entirely terrestial, and others partly amphibious; and having studied farming practically, and also crofting in England, Ireland, and Belgium, I believe I understand the subject sufficiently. Newspaper commissioners and their pupils tell us our Highland soil and climate are so bad that those who hope to exist on crofts in the north are to be pitied for their ignorance, and should be driven into towns, or to those happy regions abroad, where all that man requires is to be had for the taking, without either anxiety or the sweat of his brow. But I am surprised to see, at page 43 of your own "Clearances," even you taking the newspaper view of the subject, as to "the impossibility, in the North-west, of bringing up a family, in anything like decent comfort, &c., on one to four acres of arable land.” Now, I assert, that neither our Highland climate, nor our average soil, nor its being divided into four acre lots, can justly be blamed for the apparent poverty of our crofters; but that the "discomfort and chronic starvation" which you say is their lot lies chiefly at their landlords' doors; as they, forgetting they are their brother's keeper, have allowed them to grow up untaught; and, for want of instruction, they do not even properly try to support themselves in comfort where God has cast their lot, subject of course to the occasional trials of bad seasons and sickness, to be found in all countries, so ordered, surely, lest we forget that "here is not our home," and that, ing from above, nothing can prosper. Indeed, our Highland crofts, w millions of men and women second vigour of mind and body, cannot them. Our crofters, of course, not aware of any people who sists of mere health and str ere they can hire servants Now, as to the unwi to offer some excuses f lords disliking their placed them. H the powers 17 these som 465 ¿va mi u nales vi the least possible trouble to themexcheer my great regret that so very few landed Eve of traiting up their heir (where they d very he kept in the dark till he is so Lis father, that is to be his employ common consequence being that the is the estate is entailed, it is soon A Intense that washes blesome crofters" removed, surprising if a trustee or factor perwolve a righer and a punctually paid in Tule the term would do better in other employte farmor could settle everything with THC, winch now takes him some ures" is the crofters and their followers and the game laws, and so, by poachder und ei They may often escape * por ten i game, I never yet heard of there the best pour vous protany to 'S h ch he and pout tand Perth, hed to ay, Sun open i he co Lowing s where n the 10 He married, secondly, Margaret, daughter of George Mackenzie of Kildun, by whom he had 2. Alexander, who obtained the estate and became progenitor of the Macdonalds of Boisdale, which see. 3. Ann, who married John, second son of Lachlan Mackinnon of Strathardale. He died in 1730, and was succeeded by his son, XXIII. RANALD MACDONALD, fifteenth of Clanranald, who, born in 1692, was then in the 39th year of his age. He refused to take any part in the Rebellion of 1745, though earnestly pressed to do so by Prince Charles, who called upon him immediately on his first arrival in the Long Island. He, however, offered no resistance to his son to join in that unfortunate enterprise; indeed, once the Prince did embark he extended to him every support and encouragement in his power. The particulars of his life are so well known to the reader of the papers on Flora Macdonald and Prince Charles, which have recently passed through these pages from the pen of the Rev. Alexandler Macgregor, that it would be quite superfluous to go into lengthy details here, but we may quote Home's interesting account of the arrival of the Prince in South Uist, his visit to, and reception by, Clanranald. After describing the voyage and arrival of the Doutelle with his Royal Highness on board, Home proceeds to say that "she came to an anchor between South Uist and Eriska, which is the largest of a cluster of small rocky islands that lie off South Uist. Charles immediately went ashore on Eriska. His attendants giving out that he was a young Irish priest, conducted him to the house of the tacksman, who rented all the small island; of him they learned that Clanranald, and his brother Boisdale, were upon the Island of South Uist; that young Clanranald was at Moydart, upon the mainland. A messenger was immediately despatched to Boisdale, who is said to have had great influence with his brother. Charles staid all night on the Island of Eriska, and in the morning returned to his ship. Boisdale came aboard soon after. Charles proposed that he should go with him to the mainland; assist in engaging his nephew to take arms, and then go as his ambassador to Sir Alexander Macdonald and Macleod. To every one of these proposals Boisdale gave a flat negative, declaring that he would do his utmost to prevent his brother and his nephew from engaging in so desperate an enterprise, assuring Charles that it was needless to send anybody to Skye; for that he had seen Sir Alexander Macdonald and Macleod very lately, and was desired by them to acquaint him (if he should come to South Uist, on his way to the Highlands), that they were determined not to join him, unless he brought over with him a body of regular troops. Charles replied in the best manner he could, and, ordering the ship to be unmoored, carried Boisdale (whose boat hung at the stern) several miles outward to the mainland, pressing him to relent, and give a better answer. Boisdale was inexorable, and, getting into his boat, left Charles to pursue his course, which he did, directly for the coast of Scotland, and, coming to an anchor in the bay of Lochnanuagh, between Moydart and Arasaig, sent a boat ashore with a letter to young Clanranald.”* Ranald married Margaret, daughter of William Macleod of Bernera, by whom he had issue *History of the Rebellion. 1. Ranald, his heir. 2. Donald, an officer in the British army, who greatly distinguished himself, and was killed with General Wolf before Quebec in 1760. 3. Margaret, who died unmarried. He was succeeded by his eldest son, XXIV. RANALD MACDONALD, Sixteenth of Clanranald, who was, with Macdonald of Kinlochmoidart, and his brother, and young Glenaladale, the first to join the Prince in 1745. We cannot do better than continue the account from Home of how young Clanranald finally consented to join His Royal Highness. Continuing the previous quotation, he proceeds"In a very little time, Clanranald, with his relative Kinlochmoidart, came aboard the Doutelle. Charles, almost reduced to despair in his interview with Boisdale, addressed the two Highlanders with great emotion, and, summing his arguments for taking arms, conjured them to assist their Prince, their countryman, in his utmost need. Clanranald and his friend, though well-inclined to the cause, positively refused, and told him (one after the other) that to take arms without concert or support, was to pull down certain destruction on their own heads. Charles persisted, argued, and implored. During this conversation, the parties walked backwards and forwards upon the deck; a Highlander stood near them, armed at all points, as was the fashion of his country. He was a younger brother of Kinlochmoidart, and had come off to the ship to inquire for news, not knowing who was on board. When he gathered from their discourse that the stranger was the Prince of Wales; when he heard his chief and his brother refuse to take arms with their Prince, his colour went and came, his eyes sparkled, he shifted his place, and grasped his sword. Charles observed his demeanour, and, turning briskly towards him, called out, Will not you assist me?' 'I will, I will,' said Ranald, though no other man in the Highlands should draw a sword; I am ready to die for you.' Charles, with a profusion of thanks and acknowledgments, extolled his champion to the skies, saying he only wished that all the Highlanders were like him." Without further deliberation the two Macdonalds declared that they also would join, and use their utmost endeavours to engage their countrymen to take arms. Immediately Charles, with his company, went ashore, and was conducted to Borrodale, a farm which belonged to the estate of Clanranald. Having once decided to join he proceeded at once to raise his vassals and command those of Arasaig and Moydart to attend him, and bring their arms. These amounted to about 250 men. A list of their names and arms is still preserved. * The standard being, a few days after, raised at Glenfinnan, they proceeded to Perth, from whence Clanranald, at the head of 500 men, was despatched to Dundee, where he arrived on the 7th of September, and next day, Sunday, the 8th, proclaimed James VIII. as King. He then threw open the prison, took possession of all the public arms and ammunition he could find, and allowed all the prisoners their liberty. On the following day he searched several private houses for arms, and in all cases where he found any, he took possession and gave a receipt for them. On the 10th, by special command, he returned and joined the Prince at Perth. From that day he took a distinguished part, at the head of his men, in all the * Printed in the Appendix to the Clanranald Family History. proceedings of the Highland army; at Prestonpans, Gladsmuir, where the Clanranald, with their chief, was placed, as a distinct mark of honour, on the right of the front line; in the march to England and retreat to Scotland, and in the final and disastrous engagement with the King's troops on Culloden Moor. An eye-witness at Duddingston relates an incident which indicates his position and lofty bearing, "One day young Clanranald was conversing with the Young Pretender with his head covered, and Major Macdonald (Glenaladale) standing behind Clanranald uncovered." He was wounded in the head at Culloden, but managed to escape to his grandmother's house in Inverness, after which he proceeded, with his men, to Moydart, where he remained in concealment for a considerable period. The King's troops in time followed him, and, on one occasion, he escaped capture only by a miracle. A mean, base countryman, bribed by the enemy's officers, pointed out his hiding place, on the side of a steep hill; but hearing them approach he threw himself down the precipice at the risk of being dashed to pieces on the rocks, and marvellously escaped, though so near as to hear one of the soldiers saying, "the nest is warm, but the bird is flown." A few days after three French ships of war arrived in Loch-nan-uagh, which were placed under Clanranald's command as Commodore, a commission in his favour as such having been brought from France in one of them. Here Clanranald again met the Prince, and strongly recommended him to distribute a sum of forty thousand pounds, brought from France for his use by these ships, among the more necessitous of those who had suffered so much in his cause, and were now without houses, food, or shelter; the whole country having been given to the flames, and all their cattle driven away by the King's troops. During the whole time Prince Charles was in hiding in the Long Island Clanranald remained concealed in Moydart, waiting an opportunity to remove to some other part of the country, from which he could effect his escape to the Continent. This he ultimately managed in spite of the attempts of the Government to capture him. He succeeded in finding his way to Brahan Castle, the seat of the Seaforths, where he met a daughter of Basil Hamilton, and sister of the Earl of Selkirk, whom he had engaged to marry some time before. She was a relation of his own, her mother being a sister of Ranald's grandmother. The marriage was celebrated in presence of Lady Fortrose, her husband, Viscount Fortrose, who had the forfeited estates, but not the titles, restored to him some time previously, being from home, and supposed to know nothing of his interesting visitors; for he kept out of the Rebellion, and was, so far, on friendly terms with the Government. Leaving Brahan Castle Clanranald and his Lady proceeded to Cromarty, where they embarked on board a ship bound for London under the names of Mr and Mrs Black. They arrived at their destination safely and unmolested, and soon after effected their escape to Paris. Here, finding it necessary to procure some means of subsistence, he endeaveavoured to obtain an introduction to those in power in France. Prince Charles shortly after came to Paris, and Clanranald requested his Royal Highness to introduce him to Louis XV,, "to whom the Prince declared that he was the only person who had served him without fee or reward. He soon after got some military employment from the Court of France, and continued so employed until he be |