( IS ) 



or rearing." Bat this was not all. Preying upon the 

 tenants of these small possessions there was besides a 

 whole host of cottars who had no land of their own, Large number of 

 — but who, nevertheless, kept cattle and horses for^^^^^^^* 

 the collection and transport of sea-weed, and these 

 cattle and horses being wholly unrestrained by 

 adequate fences, impoverished still more the common 

 pasture, and must have trespassed continually even on 

 the crofts themselves. Very naturally, Mr. Maxwell 

 denounced this condition of thino;s as a ''shameful 

 abuse and oppression upon the tenants, hampered 

 as they themselves were for want of room." Every- 

 thing else was of a piece. The barley raised upon the 

 Island is described as "of the meanest quality:" 

 and it appears from many passages of the corres- 

 23ondence of this time, that it had been largely 

 used for illicit distillation. From a careful calcu- 

 lation of the maximum produce of the crofts, con- 

 sisting of '' one mail land," it is shown that, 

 allowing only about one-sixth part for rent, the 

 remaining five-sixths could not support the tenants 

 *' except in penury." Mr. Maxwell pointed out the 

 great difficulties in the way of remedying a state of Difficulty of 



thino;s so desperate, — difficulties increased tenfold by ^^"^e^y^ng 



. . "^ desperate state 



the mental condition of the people. *^ It is proper," of affairs. 

 he says, "to remark to your Grace that the general 

 poverty of the tenants, in consequence of the practice 

 of breaking down their possessions into inconsiderable 

 shares — their stubborn attachment to old customs — 

 the idleness of their habits — and their total ignorance 

 of any better system of management, oppose very 

 arduous obstacles to the improvement of the Island." 

 Not that Mr. Maxwell had any doubt of its great 



