{ 56 ) 



The adjoining 

 farms also still 

 occupied by 

 crofters. 



sea on three sides, and along their landward bounda- 

 ries they touch two other farms — Kirkapol and Vaull, — 

 which are wholly occupied by crofters like themselves. 

 E-uaig was one of the farms which, having a shore much 

 exposed to southerly and south-easterly gales, furnished 

 in former days a very large supply of the finest drift or 

 deep-sea seaweed, which made the best kelp. As this 

 kelp was largely credited to the tenants who collected 

 and burnt it, the rent was increased so as to include 

 some portion of the value, and the rental of the farm 

 in 1808 was as high as ;^320. But this rental had 

 long been reduced to less than one-half, and in 1847 

 it stood at ^150. Up to the end of the last century 

 it was not held by crofters at all, but by a single 

 tenant of the ''tacksman" class. It has some excel- 

 lent strong land, a still larger portion of light sandy soil, 

 some very fine meadow pasture, a good deal of natural 

 shelter among rocky knolls, and a very favourable 

 exposure. In 1808 it had been divided between 16 

 tenants. In 1847 there were still 15, and at present 

 the number of tenants is reduced to 1 2. This reduc- 

 tion has been effected upon the plan already detailed 

 — by taking advantage of vacancies as they arose, and 

 consolidating the possessions. One of these crofts is 

 close upon the border-line of /^30, and the others 

 range from /^S to /^ig. I should have selected 

 them as representing a very comfortable class of the 

 Tyree crofters. I was among them last year. I saw 

 some crofts cultivated with neatness and cleanliness 

 decidedly above the average, and not one word of 

 complaint of any kind was addressed to me. If these 

 crofters now complain that their crofts are too small, 

 they have only to select from among themselves those 



