INTRODUCTION. Xxi 



off close to the skull." In reply to Mr. Fraser-Mackintosh, 

 the witness continued " Dr. MacLean was not long in 

 possession before he began to remove the people. Mac- 

 Caskill had the place a year or two when he commenced 

 the Clearances. The people were warned to remove. They 

 were so ignorant at that time that they would remove for 

 anything. The whole of Minginish was held by Mac- 

 Caskill. It is now in the hands of two tenants. All the 

 people removed by Dr. MacLean and MacCaskill were in 

 comfortable circumstances. They had cattle and horses and 

 sheep at that time. I am not aware that any of the people 

 were in arrear, but Macleod of Macleod was due some of 

 them money for making roads. The Clearances from Mac- 

 Lean's land were made in the time of the last landlord, and 

 those of MacCaskill in the present landlord's time. The 

 MacCaskill family came to poverty at last ; they went to 

 the dogs. I never saw it [cutting off the ears] done by any- 

 body else but himself. This mark is well-known as ' the 

 thief s mark'." 



The following proceedings, almost incredible, were de- 

 tailed by John MacCaskill, Shoemaker, Ferrinlea : " I have 

 learned from older people than myself that the Clearances 

 commenced about 70 years ago. MacCaskill had only Rhu- 

 dunan in his possession at that time, and Glenbrittle was 

 occupied by crofters in comfortable circumstances ; he 

 cleared it, and made a sheep run of it. There was then a 

 church in Glen Inch, there is nobody there now to use it. 

 The church is in ruins, and the manse is converted into a 

 shepherd's house. The clearances were made on the one 

 side by MacLean and by MacCaskill on the other. About 

 a dozen families all in comfortable circumstances were re- 

 moved from Tusdale." 



In reply to Mr. Fraser-Mackintosh, he said "There used 



