48 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



Whether if published earlier this Protest would have had 

 any effect it is hard to say. Probably not. As it was, it only 

 appeared in the Times the day before that fixed for the trial. 

 By that time the arrangements were complete. Some days 

 before then Mr. Macdonald, the accused's agent, finding that 

 the trial was to proceed summarily, had gone to Skye and 

 precognosced a large number of witnesses, several of whom 

 were cited for the defence. On the morning the . Protest 

 appeared in the Times the accused and the witnesses for the 

 prosecution and defence left Portree for Inverness, the trial 

 having been fixed for the nth of May, 1882. 



On that day the accused took their place at the Bar of 

 the Sheriff Court in the Castle of Inverness. The hour of 

 commencement was noon, and by that time the Court-house 

 was crowded. Sheriff Blair, the presiding judge, was accom- 

 panied on the bench by Sheriff Shaw, late of Lochmaddy. 

 Besides numerous members of the Faculty, there were 

 around the bar Mr. Alex. Macdonald, factor, Portree ; Mr. 

 Macleod, secretary of the Skye Vigilance Committee, 

 Glasgow ; Dean of Guild Mackenzie; Bailie Smith; Mr. 

 Alex. Macdonald Maclellan; Mr. MacHugh; Mr. Cameron 

 of the Standard, and several others. 



The indictment set forth that Alexander Finlayson, tenant or 

 crofter ; Donald Nicolson, tenant or crofter ; James Nicolson, now or 

 lately residing with the said Donald Nicolson ; Malcolm Finlayson, 

 son of, and now or lately residing with, the said Alexander Finlayson ; 

 and Peter Macdonald, son of, and now or lately residing with, Donald 

 Macdonald, tenant or crofter, all residing at Balmeanach, had all and 

 each, or one or more of them, been guilty of the crime of deforcing 

 an officer of the law in the execution of his duty ; or of the crime of vio- 

 lently resisting and obstructing an officer of the law in the execution of his 

 duty, or persons employed by and assisting an officer of the law in the 

 execution of his duty ; and also of the crime Dassault, or of one or other 

 of these crimes, actor or actors or art and part, in so far as Angus 

 Martin, now or lately residing at Lisigarry, near Portree, in the parish 



