96 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



difficult nature. A band of young men, and stout 

 lads, and girls, occupied a height, from which, with 

 stones, they could command the passage by the road 

 underneath. Here we learned that the people whose 

 writs were served successfully on the 2nd September last had 

 driven their cattle off, thinking that the officers had come to 

 seize them. Further on, we could see that the officers and 

 the policemen were marching along a road, on each side of 

 which were gathered here and there small knots of men, 

 women, and children. As the officers and police force 

 advanced, these knots of people retreated before them all, 

 however, to concentrate at a point just within the march that 

 separates the township of Gedintailler from the township of 

 Balmeanach. The people were angry and excited. Some 

 carried sticks. Others doubtless were quite prepared to use 

 the stones that lay everywhere about. Many wore an aspect 

 of determination which was ominous in the extreme. It was 

 clear that a whole country-side was up in arms against the 

 messenger-at-arms, the police, and the writs. One young 

 fellow, in answer to a question by myself, spoke in a tone and 

 with a look which were the opposite of encouraging ; and 

 only changed his behaviour when he heard that I had come 

 from a newspaper. This much must be said of everyone 

 else ; they were kind and courteous to those who were not 

 connected with the officials who came to visit them ; they 

 seem well disposed too so long as you did not propose to 

 take Benlee from them ; in appearance and demeanour 

 altogether there was nothing when they were away from the 

 officers, but what is creditable. They, however, hate the 

 writs, and all connected with them ; and they entertain a 

 bitter aversion to the very word "police" an aversion 

 deeply rooted in the minds of the youngest because pre- 

 sumably of the recollection of the visit which was made to 



