( 9 ) 



crofts was not made arbitrarily by any favouritism, roup, and no custo- 

 but was settled by public roup. No right of possession ^ssm"d aimed ^o^r 



either by custom or otherwise was claimed or thought thought of by 



^ ^ , , 1 • 1 T rri, tenants. 



01 by any tenant or sub-tenant on the island. Ihey 



had generally held by Lease for definite periods, or as 

 sub-tenants at will under the individual Tacksmen. 

 The new arrangement was made when the Leases 

 came to an end, and when the proprietor by virtue of 

 the expiry of these Leases came again into full posses- 

 sion of the land. The small tenants were taken Conditions of Lease 

 bound to build the houses and the march fences ^^jj^pj^g^^^^^g^'^^!^* 

 between each other at their own expense ; and as com- 

 munity of possession could not be abolished upon the 

 common pasture land, as it was now abolished on the 

 arable land, the tenants were taken bound to submit 

 to and observe any regulations laid down by the 

 factor for the " souming," or amount of stock to which 

 each tenant should be limited. The prohibition of 

 ploughing up the sandy land, or links, completed the 

 principal regulations which were laid down, and which 

 sufficiently indicate both the wretched husbandry of 

 the preceding times, and the real source from which all 

 improvement came in the times which were to follow. 



Two years later, in 1778, a farther report, going in Eeport on Island 

 detail into each farm, emphasises the same principles"^ ^''^ 

 of improvement, — remarks on the poor and scanty 

 kinds of grain which were raised in the Island, — 

 points out that the ignorance of the people was due 

 principally to their total isolation and want of com- 

 munication with the mainland, and recommends the 

 establishment of regular sailing packet-boats. Notes 

 upon this report, in the Duke's handwriting, make it 

 ^evident that he had gone minutely into it ; and that, 



