iS THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



formulated, each township or combination proceeded to get 

 up petitions embodying their respective cases, and sending 

 them to the trustees, Professor Macpherson, of Edinburgh, 

 and his brother. 



The tenants of Skinidin claim two islands, opposite their 

 crofts, in Loch Dunvegan. Apart from this, they complain 

 that they do not get the quantity of seaweed to which they 

 were entitled. This may appear to some a small matter, 

 but to the cultivator of a croft it is a matter of great import- 

 ance, for seaware is the only manure which he can conveni- 

 ently get, excepting, of course, the manure produced by his 

 cows. The quantity of ware promised to the Skinidin 

 crofters was one ton each, but the one-half of it, they say, 

 was taken from them some time ago, and given to the 

 " wealthy men " and favourites of the place. The result is 

 that they have to cross to the opposite side of Loch Dun- 

 vegan and buy sea-ware there at 313. 6d. per ton. This is 

 not only an outlay of money, which the poor crofters can ill 

 afford to incur, but it also entails great labour, which is 

 attended with no inconsiderable danger to life. The crofters 

 accordingly demand the quantity of ware to which, they say, 

 they are entitled. 



The Colbost tenants, to the number of twenty-five, also 

 sent in a petition, in which they complained of high rents, 

 and stated that owing to incessant tilling the land is becom- 

 ing exhausted, and ceasing to yield that crop which they 

 might fairly expect. In 1848, they say they got Colbost 

 with its old rights at its old rent with the sanction of the 

 proprietor. The local factor, Norman Macraild, subse- 

 quently deprived them of these privileges, while the rents 

 were being constantly increased. They accordingly demand 

 that their old privileges should be restored, and the rents 



