120 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



enumerated in these pages, and many others besides. The 

 people were told that if they surrendered and went to 

 Edinburgh all their grievances would be listened to and 

 fully enquired into, promises which, as the sequel proved, 

 and as those who made them should have known, turned out 

 completely false ; for the only matter of which any discussion 

 was allowed in Court, was the narrow and technical question 

 as to whether the accused were guilty or not of a Breach of 

 the Court of Session Interdict. The following conversation 

 which passed at the meeting will be found interesting in 

 many respects : 



John Macpherson, said, in reply to statements made, that none of 

 the people ever put cattle or sheep on Waterstein. The place was not 

 fenced in, and it was perfectly impossible for the crofters to prevent 

 their . cattle from straying there. He then related how that eighteen 

 years ago Tormore gave grazings for 150 sheep belonging to other ten- 

 ants than those of Glendale ; how, when the Milovaig people were away 

 at the fishing, the shepherds put these sheep on their (the Milovaig 

 tenants') land ; how they were never taken off ; and how, since they 

 were deprived of grazing for 150 sheep for eighteen years, they were 

 entitled to get something in return. They complained to Tormore of 

 the giving of their grazing to other townships, but got no redress. 

 They told the shepherds to take away these sheep to their own lands, 

 but the shepherds, acting under Tormore's orders, would not. 



Captain Macdonald, of Waternish, said, if he (Macpherson) would go 

 to Edinburgh, all this would be heard ; they would be allowed to pro- 

 duce witnesses. 



John Macpherson said the Milovaig tenants had been there for 37 

 years. When Tormore took Waterstein a year or so ago, he came there 

 as a new tenant. Now, before Tormore, then factor, took Water- 

 stein to himself, the crofters offered to take it at the old rent. They 

 would not get it although they had been 37 years in the place. When 

 Waterstein was out, was it not as fair for the crofters, so long there, to 

 get it at the full rent, as it was for Tormore, the factor, to take it ? 

 W r ould the Government support them, and send witnesses after them to 

 Edinburgh to prove this ? 



Captain Macdonald said that any witnesses that would be cited by the 

 Government would be paid. He had heard that Tormore offered to put 



