THE ISLE OF SKYE IN 1882. 25 



the schoolhouse, two youngsters who were on duty there- 

 about gave the signal, and, immediately, it was transmitted 

 far and near with the result of bringing together from all 

 quarters from their spring work a gathering of about 150 or 

 200 men, women, and children, who rushed to meet the 

 officer before he had got near the intended scene of his 

 operation, viz., the townships of Peinichorrain, Balmeanach, 

 and Gedintaillear, and, surrounding him, demanded his 

 business. Upon understanding it, and being shown the 

 summonses, the documents were immediately taken from 

 him and burnt before his eyes, and thereupon he was coolly 

 requested to go to his master for more of them. The officer, 

 who is well known among them, with good tact, humoured 

 them, and so escaped with a sound skin, so that no violence 

 was used ; but it appears the temper of the people was such 

 that had he been less conciliatory, or had he attempted to 

 resist the people, the consequence would have been inevi- 

 tably very serious for him. When they were gathering from 

 the sea-shore, where many of them were cutting sea-ware 

 with reaping-hooks, their leaders judiciously shouted out to 

 leave their hooks behind, which was done, so that the risk 

 of using such ugly arms in the event of a melee was avoided. 

 The officer spoke lightly before proceeding to the place of 

 the resistance he was likely to meet, and thought there 

 would really be none, as he knew the people so well and 

 they knew him, many of them being his relations, but his 

 impressions now of the real state of the people's minds is 

 said to be very different, and he believes there would be 

 no use attempting any legal steps again by the employment 

 of the officers of civil law. The same paper in a later issue 

 says : 



We have received the following narrative of the manner 

 in which the summonses were burned on Friday last : The 



