Appendix A, 459 



The rest of the evicted crofters were thrust in here and there among the XCIX. 



other crofters, who were made to share their rocks and morasses with them. " 



And there they are — 'Na biasta mora g-itheadh nam biasta beaga, agus na Carmichael. 



* biasta beaga deanamh mar a dh f haodas iad ' — The big beasts eating up the 

 little beasts, and the little beasts struggling as best they can — ' the survival of 



* the fittest.' 



One acquainted with these islands is struck with the coincidence, possibly 

 accidental, that the large farms are made from the best crofter townlands, 

 while the crofters are huddled together, generally among rocks and bogs. No 

 crofters have been removed for the present highly respectable and intelligent 

 tacksmen of the Long Island. 



When the crofters had the hiUs, they migrated to them every summer season 

 with their flocks. They remained in the hills till their com was ripe for shearing 

 when they and their cattle returned to the townland — Gaelic, Baile. Apart 

 from the benefit derived by the flocks from the change of grass, the grass ' at 



* home ' thus left free was of inestimable advantage to the stock during autumn 

 and winter. The stock needed but little house feeding, and that mostly during 

 spring. 



The crofters say that the change from the malaria of the plains to the bracing 

 air of the hills was of benefit to themselves, and that as a consequence com- 

 plaints common among them now were then unknown. They talk with 

 delight of the benefit they derived in mind, body, and substance from their 

 life among the hiUs. I entirely agree with them, and believe that these shrewd 

 people are quite equal to their critics. 



There is one place of which the old people speak with particular favour. It ia 

 on the Factor's farm of Ormacleit, out at the mouth of Lochaoineart, and at a place 

 called Airi-nam-ban, the ' shealing of the women.' There had been a religious 

 house here in the olden times, and from this circumstance the place is named. 



These holy sisters had always the good taste to select or get selected for them 

 the best situations for their dwellings. This place is no exception. One of the 

 many beautiful descriptions of a beautiful place, in the old Gaelic tales, ruua 

 thus — 



' Grianan-aluinn aona chrainn, 

 Air chul gaoithe, air aodan greine, 

 Far am faiceniid an saoghal uile, 

 'S far nach faiceadh duin idir sinn.' 



A lovely summer shealing of one tree, 



Behind the wind, in front of the sun, 



"Where we could see the world all, 



But where no man could us see. 

 Here the good nuns had such a place to their heart's desire. Behind rises 

 Benmore 2030 feet high, the base of it winding round this beautiful spot, and 

 sheltering it from the west, north, and east. In front is the Minch and the sea 

 away as far as the eye can reach beyond CoU and Tiree, dotted with white sails 

 bending in various directions. On the left is Skye, with the snow-capped Coolin 

 HiUs, their serrated peaks piercing the ever changing clouds ; while ranged away 

 to the south are the hills of Arasaig, Ardnamurchan, and of Mull, in the fore- 

 ground of which lie, stretched in broken chain, the peaks of the Small Isles and 

 the low-lying Islands of Coll and Tiree. Right below this beautiful summer 

 shealing are ivy-clad sea precipices of great height, the home of the king of birds 

 — Righ-nam-Ian, the Golden Eagle. The fine anchorage, close below to the 

 right, is the sporting ground of varieties of fish. The bent back of the old man 



