90 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



sent to the Braes crofters registered letters requesting them 

 to withdraw their stock from Benlee without delay. These 

 letters were, in the ordinary course, sent to the district post- 

 office. Delivery of two or three was accepted, but on their 

 contents becoming known the rest of the crofters resolved to 

 have nothing to do with them, and refused to take delivery. 

 A copy of one of these letters appeared at the time in the 

 Aberdeen Free Press. The burden of its contents was a 

 request to the crofters to pay up their arrears and remove their 

 stock from Benlee, otherwise proceedings would be taken 

 against them. The rents had not been paid, the stock was 

 still on Benlee, and the threat by Lord Macdonald's agents 

 was immediately followed up ; the Court of Session granted 

 notes of suspension and interdict against the crofters with 

 regard to the grazings of Benlee. Mr. Alexander Mac- 

 donald, Messenger-at-arms, Inverness, proceeded from 

 Inverness with the Court of Session writs in his possession. 

 On Saturday morning, the 2nd of September, he left Portree 

 for the Braes to serve the writs, accompanied by Lord 

 Macdonald's ground-officer. Gedentailler is the township 

 nearest to Portree, and on arriving there the officer of Court 

 proceeded to serve the^documents on the different crofters. 

 He appears to have gonon smoothly enough there, but word 

 seems to have been sent to Balmeanach, the largest of the 

 three townships, that the 'officer and his companions were 

 approaching. Thereupon the women and children of 

 Balmeanach gathered in large numbers, covering their heads 

 with handkerchiefs to disguise themselves as well as they 

 could. They proceeded towards Gedentailler, and met the 

 officers on the way. There the second Battle of the Braes 

 began. Stones and clods were flying freely, the officers 

 thought it expedient to beat a retreat, and the writs were not 

 served in the township of Balmeanach, or Peinachorrain. 



