122 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



Peter Mackinnon said they had been slaves, and it was a fine thing 

 to see the Union Jack of Great Britain coming in there to take them 

 away. The Union Jack should do away with slavery. The Glendale 

 people had been slaves since ever he was born. 



Captain Macdonald said it was to put this right that he came to give 

 them advice. 



Peter Mackinnon defied any one to say he ever broke the law. At 

 last election Tormore said to him If you go against me with Lochiel 

 "if you go against me" you will cause all the proprietors in Skye to 

 go against you. 



Mackinnon, continuing, said the sun and the moon would change their 

 courses before the conditions asked would be given. He was, of course, 

 only speaking for himself. He referred to requirements two and three 

 only. It was impossible, he added, to keep stock off ground that was 

 not fenced, especially at this time of the year. It would cost 20 a- 

 year to keep a herd for the purpose, and how could he, with a single 

 cow, pay that money ? Such conditions were entirely out of all question. 

 He declared that no one could fulfil them. Why would not the pro- 

 prietor or tenant fence Waterstein ? Surely every one who had a pro- 

 perty was bound to defend it. Were the crofters to guarantee that their 

 stock was not to wander on the proprietor's land ; would the proprietors 

 guarantee that the factor's stock should not wander on the crofters' 

 land ? That was only fair, because the proprietor put up no fences. 

 The four townships of Bracadale had been crowded down upon those 

 living in Glendale evicted from Bracadale. It was utterly impossible 

 for them to exist under present circumstances. The proprietors had 

 dealt with them in a bloodthirsty way. Tormore promised them Water- 

 stein, but would not give it them although they offered the same rent 

 as was paid by the former tenant. 



John Macpherson said Tormore was giving grazings for 150 sheep for 

 1 8 years. There were 150 sheep on the Milovaig pasture all that time. 

 They now wanted the factor to pay the crofters for the grazing of their 

 sheep for the last 18 years. 



A crofter (excitedly) said although they took all the men away from 

 Milovaig to Edinburgh, it would not stop this agitation. (Applause). 

 They might be imprisoned, but the agitation would not be put down. 

 They must get more land before the agitation would stop. 



Captain Macdonald You are young men, and I am an old man. 

 If you take my advice you will give yourselves up. 



A crofter asked who was to support their families while they were 

 away? 



