456 



Highlands and Islands Commission. 



XCIX. 



Alexander 

 Caruiicbael. 



many ways capable and excellent, in those days wished to acquire more land 

 for himself, relations, or friends he seems to have felt no more compunction 

 in destroying the well-being of scores of comfortable crofters, than were they so 

 many sheep. This wiis the common occurrence of the times. 



Nor, incredible as it may seem, was it till years afterwards that some of those 

 absentee proprietors came to know, and that accidentally, of these whole- 

 sale removals of scores of their peaceable, loyal, industrious tenants, and of 

 this practical destruction of hundreds of their crofter population. 



That these and many similar proceedings should have paralysed the whole 

 crofter population of the Western Islands was only natural. Nor does it need 

 a man to live and travel among the islands for a quarter of a century to see 

 and to be convinced that the people of those Western Isles have not yet 

 recovered from the effects of that paralysation. 



Barra. 



The Islands of Barra form an oblong group. Of these islands, eight are 

 inhabited. The Southern Isles of Barra were of old called the Bishop's Isles, 

 because they belonged to the bishop of the see. The head of this wild pre- 

 cipitous chain of islands is still called Beamaraidh an Easpaig, Bearnarey of 

 the Bishop, occasionally Barra Head— Gaelic, Ceann Bharraidh. 



The Southern Isles of Barra are famed for birds. These are principally the 

 Puffin, Razorbill, and the Guillemote, Gaelic, Buigire, Dui'-eineach, and 

 Langaidh. The Manx Shearwater, Gaelic, Scrab, was extremely abundant 

 there at one time ; but since the advent of the Puffin, it is now practically extinct. 



Both these last are burrowing birds. The Puffin is vicious to a degree, his 

 wonderfully strong, sharp, coulterneb bill cutting keenly as a lance. 



Of old the crofters of Miuley paid their rents in birds to Macneill of Barra. 

 These birds were principally the young of the Shearwater, and called by the 

 people Fachaich, ' fatlings.' 



The land was divided into crofts called Clitig, Feoirlig, Leth-Pheighinn, and 

 Peighinn. The Clitig is half the Feoirlig, the Feoirlig is half the Leth- 

 Pheighinn, and Leth-Pheighinn is half the Peighinn, ' Penny.' 



The Penny Croft paid two barrels, the Halfpenny Croft one barrel, the Farthing 

 Croft one half barrel, and the Clitig Croft one fourth barrel of Fachaichto 

 Macneill. 



Probably not less than twenty barrels of these birds went to Macneill yearly, 

 and ail from the small island of Grianamal, behind Miuley ! 



TJie proprietor came over to Miuley a fortnight before, and remained till a 

 fortnight after Lammas Day — Gaelic, La Lunastain. The people were not 

 allowed to go to the rocks till he came ; when he left, they had the free range of 

 the cliffs. 



The people of the Southern Isles do not now kill many birds, being too much 

 occupied otherwise. 



The people of Miuley do not seem to have used ropes as they do in Saint Kilda, 

 but to have clambered among the rocks like goats. These rocks are wonderfiilly 

 grand. Mr Campbell of Islay and the writer measured the highest of these in 

 October 1871, when the barometer showed nearly 800 feet above the sea. The 

 place is named Aonaig, and this particular rock is called Biolacreag. The face 

 of the cliff is as smooth and perpendicular as the wall of a house, and goes sheer 

 down into the Atlantic. 



This precipice was the crest of the ancient Macueills of Barra, and ' Biolor 

 rccag ' formed the rallyii g cry of the clan. 



