l8o THE SUTHERLAND CLEARANCES. 



but after the witness ; he had no watch. Witness came there, being 

 told by Mr. Sellar, at Auchness meeting-house, to meet him there, for 

 the purpose of removing William Chisholm, and that one out of every 

 house of the tenants of Rossal must come. Witness said there was a 

 woman lying sick in the house who could not be removed, Sellar said 

 that she must be taken away. Witness saw the old woman next day, and 

 her daughter speaking to her, before the ejection, but the old woman 

 could make no answer ; witness did not know what her daughter said, 

 but she asked her something or another ; this was before Sellair came. 

 He heard the sound of her voice, when they were taking her out ; she 

 said, "O teine," or "O the fire!" Mr. Sellar and John Burns came 

 together, and the tenants of Rossal met them at a small house near 

 Chisholm's, where they remained in conversation for a good while. 

 The tenants were for keeping the house whole, but Sellar sent for the 

 officer, and said, "put fire to the house immediately". Fire was put not 

 long, after, and then the woman's daughter brought her out ; the house 

 was burning, before the woman was brought out. There was a heck 

 lying near the house, and Sellar said, there is a nice thing for carrying 

 out the woman ; but they were not for meddling with her at all, as she 

 was so low in body. This conversation about the heck took place before 

 the fire was- actually put to the house, but after it was ordered. The 

 house to which the woman was removed was a small place, not fit for a 

 person to live in. Cross examined The officers came after eleven 

 o'clock, and were there about an hour before Sellar arrived ; there was 

 a byre adjoining to the house, and under the same roof, and Margaret 

 M'Kay was in the byre when the witness came, and it was from the byre 

 that the woman was removed. There was no calf in the byre ; witness 

 was there almost half-an-hour before the men had arrived ; he was in 

 the house, and saw the woman lying in bed in the byre. Witness is a 

 tenant of Mr. Sellar, but has been warned out. Sellar was about 50 

 yards distant when he ordered the house to be set fire to ;. Margaret 

 M'Kay was quite sensible before the ejection ; she used to lie in the 

 other end of the house, but had been removed to the byre. There was 

 a fire in the byre, but no fire-place. By the Court On the Monday 

 before, and before orders were given to put fire to the house, witness and 

 most of the tenants remonstrated against the removal of the old woman ; 

 but Sellar said she must go. Witness does not know whether any 

 furniture was destroyed, but saw a ridge of growing corn, about two 

 inches in height, blackened. 



6th, Hugh M'Beath, at Kenakyle. Witness remembers that some 

 heather, belonging to him, was burnt by John M'Kay, Mr. Sellar's 



