TRIAL OF PATRICK SELLAR. 185 



laid off, and then a land-surveyor is employed to examine the ground. 

 Accordingly, a surveyor arrived about the aoth of April, and he intended 

 immediately to set out for Strathnaver, but that gentleman received a 

 letter, stating that his wife was unwell, and requesting that he would 

 return home ; to this the witness consented, and the surveyor was to 

 come back to Sutherland as soon as he could. On the 2oth of May he 

 did return, and went to Strathnaver. He was employed till the 3 1st of 

 May, in laying off the allotments. By the 4th of June every thing was 

 ready for the reception of the people, and between the 3ist of May and 

 that day, they were all present, and every man informed of his allot- 

 ment. The houses were to be built by the tenants themselves, but there 

 were barns to which the people might have removed if they chose, and 

 these barns were at least as good as the houses which they left. Cross- 

 examined Witness knows of no tenant who got notice to remove who 

 was disappointed. There were twenty-seven removed at Whitsunday, 

 1814, and there were allotments for every person, and 123 barns and 

 byres into which the people might have gone. Some of them, particu- 

 larly Hugh Grant, George M'Leod, and John M'Kay refused allotments, 

 and Chisholm, the tinker, got none, because, for two years back com- 

 plaints had been made against him as a worthless character. By the 

 Court The new allotments were so near the places from which the 

 tenants were removed, that they might easily have carried away their 

 corn ; but they had no right to take away the straw, as it belonged to 

 the incoming tenant. 



Here the notice to the tenants in Strathnaver was read by the clerk, 

 as follows : 



" NOTICE is hereby given to the tenants of Strathnaver, and others 

 on the old estate of Sutherland, whose farms are to be set at Golspie 

 this day. 



"That Lord and Lady Stafford have directed that all the grounds 

 from Curnachy on the north, and Dunvieddan on the south side of the 

 river, down to its mouth, including Swordly and Kirktomy, with a 

 sufficient quantity of pasture, is to be lotted out among them, and in 

 which every person of good character will be accommodated. 



' ' And such of the tenants on both sides the water of Brora as may be 

 dispossessed, will also get allotments on the south or north sides of the 

 water of Brora, which includes Knockarthur, Scotlary, and others down 

 to Ledmore plantation on the south, and Askorlmore, Askorlbeag, and 

 other low lands on the north side of the Brora water ; and these lands 



