14 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



the Free Press, and taken down in the presence of the 

 writer, may be accepted as a true statement of their case : 



While the people are thoroughly firm in their demands, it 

 would be a mistake to call their attitude and actions a " no 

 rent" agitation. They are all alive to their obligation to 

 pay rent to the landlord, and where rent is witheld that is 

 done, not in defiance of the landlord's rights, but as the best, 

 and perhaps the only, means they can devise to induce the 

 landlord to consider the claims and grievances of the people. 

 The estate managed by the trustees of the late John 

 Macpherson Macleod consists of about a dozen townships. 

 According to the current valuation roll, lands, etc., of the 

 annual value of ^400 93. are in the occupancy of the 

 trustees. Dr. Martin pays ^133 for Waterstein, and the 

 shooting tenant pays ^"140. The ground officer pays some 

 30 for lands at Colbost, while the rest of the estate is 

 occupied by crofters, who among them pay a rent of about 

 ^"700. The extent of the estate is about 35,000 acres. 

 Ten years ago the rent was ^1257, while now it is ^1397 

 odds, shewing a net increase on the decade of ^139 i6s. id. 

 or slightly over 1 1 per cent. 



The tenants complain that the different townships were 

 deprived of rights anciently possessed by them ; that some 

 townships were by degrees cleared of the crofters to enable 

 the laird or the factor to increase his stock of sheep, and 

 that such of these people as did not leave the estate were 

 crowded into other townships, individual tenants in these 

 townships being required to give a portion of their holdings 

 to make room for these new comers. They also complain 

 of the arrogant and dictatorial manner in which the factor 

 deals with them. So the Glendale crofters, wearied for 

 years with what they have regarded as oppression, have now 

 risen as one man, resolved to unfold before the public gaze 



