EMIGRATION AND ITS CAUSES. 481 



traffic under the direct control of the Government, in order 

 to minimise the evil results which were anticipated.* The 

 fears of the Government as to the attitude of the Highland 

 emigrants, were not justified by events. In the American 

 War of Independence, there were Highlanders on both 

 sides, but the majority remained faithful to the Mother 

 Country, among them the Royal Highland Emigrant Regi- 

 ment. The Long Islanders who settled at Cross Creek, 

 North Carolina, were specially distinguished, alike for their 

 loyalty and their misfortunes. 



Lewis was not the only island of the Outer Hebrides to 

 be affected by the emigration fever. From North Uist, a 

 great rush to America occurred between 1769 and 1773. 

 The old Statistical Account of North Uist says that in 

 four years between 1771 and 1775 several thousands 

 emigrated from the Western Highlands and Isles alone. 

 In a pamphlet published in 1784, the statement is made, 

 that between the years 1763 and 1775, the number of 

 Highlanders who left their homes to settle in America, 

 reached a total of 20,000. 



A body of emigrants left South Uist under peculiar 

 circumstances. Alexander Macdonald of Boisdale, who 

 figured so prominently during Prince Charlie's wanderings 

 in the Long Island, changed his religion and became a 

 Protestant. He was essentially a " pre-forty-five " man, 

 whose relations with his tenantry were little influenced by 

 the economic changes which were going on around him. 

 To him, his tenants were still his children, or his serfs, 

 according to the point of view. With all the zeal of a 

 new convert, he endeavoured to force them to follow his 

 example by renouncing their religion. He summoned 

 them to his presence, and bade them sign a form of 

 renunciation which was read to them ; the alternative 

 being eviction from their homes. In the old days, the 

 example of their chief would have been sufficient justi- 

 fication for the clansmen to comply with such a demand ; 



* Home Office Papers, 25th April, 1774, and I4th August, 1775. 



