360 FIELD AND FERN. 



Forest, whose "park" is let to Mr. Sellar for 

 sheep pasture and shooting, was the regular shoot- 

 ing ground of the proprietor of the island, and for 

 thirty years Archibald and his brother Alexander 

 Stewart were its tacksmen, and reared first- rate 

 black cattle and black-faces on it. The rod-fishing 

 throughout Lews is far superior to anything of 

 the kind in the Hebrides or Skye. Its sole proprie- 

 tor, Sir James Matheson, M.P., has improved the 

 island to a great extent by roads and bridges, and 

 established several schools. He has also done much 

 to improve the native cattle by the introduction of 

 West Highland bulls, and brought over thorough- 

 bred sires and Arabs as well. Some of the smaller 

 tenants have improved black-faces, but the Cheviots 

 are gradually putting out the small Island breed of 

 sheep which are brought to the Stornoway market, 

 and the best of which only kill when they come to 

 three-year-old wedder estate, from 71bs. to lOlbs. a 

 quarter, and clip from 21bs. to 31bs. 



Of" The Seven Hunters/' that mysterious group to 

 the North, we do not presume to speak. Macdonald 

 of Balranald has a large herd of big West Highlanders 

 in. North Uist ; but the cattle in the Uists are not 

 thought quite equal to those in Barra. In Skye, 

 Macdonald of Waternish, Mackinnon of Corrie, Nichol 

 Martin of Glendale, Macrae of Knock, Captain 

 Cameron of Talisker, and Stewart of Duntulm, have 

 all large Highland herds. Stewart of Ellanriach got a 

 gold medal for the best cow at Paris, but he has not 



