34 
MEMOIR OP DR. WALKER. 
by thirty-seven scholars, who were all making ex- 
cellent proficiency in reading, writing, and arith- 
metic, under Donald Campbell, a very capable and 
diligent teacher. In the island and parish of Barra 
there are at present thirteen hundred people who 
are Papists, and only about fifty Protestants. For 
many years the Popish parents would not send their 
children to the Protestant school, but they have 
since got over that scruple, and send them now 
without reluctance. I was accompanied by Donald 
M‘Neil of Vatersay, Esq., ruling elder in the parish, 
a man of excellent principles and understanding, and 
the chief support of the Protestant interest in this 
and the neighbouring islands. The good character 
which he and the other Protestants in the island 
gave of the schoolmaster, I had reason to think, 
upon examination, to be very just. lie is at the 
greatest pains to make the Popish children mandate 
those passages of Scripture that are most subversive 
of Popery, and to ground them in our catechisms 
and Confession of Faith, and is indeed a very assi- 
duous and useful master. He complained much that 
he had great difficulty to live upon his salary, 
which is nine pounds, and if the society could aug- 
ment it four or five pounds, it would be no more 
than what he really deserves, and what the impor- 
tant station he is placed in requires. 
“ On the 31st July, I examined the charity school 
in South Uist, of which Donald M‘Queen is master. 
He was seven years schoolmaster in the Harris, be- 
fore the year 1738, when he was removed to South 
