5i4 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



Excise. Successful efforts to reclaim waste land had been 

 made by Mr. Chapman Seaforth's factor near Stornoway, 

 as well as by Campbell of Ensay in Harris, Lord Mac- 

 donald's factor in North Uist, Macdonald of Balranald, 

 and Maclean of Boreray. Land which had been practically 

 worthless was by these efforts let, on an average, at I5s. 

 an acre. The two chief causes of the backward condition 

 of the Uists and Barra, were the non-residence of the 

 proprietors and the neglect of fishing and agriculture, 

 consequent upon the manufacture of kelp. The fishermen 

 of Barra, notwithstanding, are described as the most active 

 and prosperous in the Hebrides, which is attributed to the 

 system in vogue of apportioning by lot the fishing banks, at 

 an annual general meeting of the islanders. The portion 

 allotted to each man's family was carefully respected by his 

 neighbours, and an " admiral " was annually elected to 

 arbitrate upon all matters of dispute. This system of 

 marine runrig long survived, lots being cast for the fishing 

 banks on St. Bride's Day. The natives of Barra are des- 

 cribed by Macdonald as being "among the very best 

 seamen in the British Empire." 



In A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland by Nicholas 

 Carlisle, published in 1813, there are some useful particulars 

 about the Outer Hebrides. The absence of roads in Lewis 

 is commented upon, and Lord Seaforth's exertions to 

 remove that drawback are described. Information of 

 economic and antiquarian interest is given about the other 

 islands of the group. Roderick Macneill of Barra, whom 

 James Macdonald called " an active improver and a man of 

 sound sense and great benevolence," is also praised by 

 Carlisle for his encouragement of agriculture. Kelp- 

 making did not, after all, monopolise attention. 



Dr. John Macculloch's Western Islands is perhaps 

 the best work on the conditions which prevailed in the 

 Outer Hebrides, during the first quarter of the nineteenth 

 century. It comprises a thoughtful, if necessarily hurried, 

 study of the questions which lay at the root of the poverty 

 of the people; and if the writer's attitude towards them is 



