The Labor enquirer., 1885-01-24
A VISIT TO SKYE.
concluded from First Page. ]

A VISIT TO SKYE.
Concluded from First Page.
purchase money it will not be wondered
at that the men Of the Kilmuir estate are
the most active in the present agitation,
The condition of his Crofters is much
more deplorable than that OF. the other
Crofters in the island. Evicted from all
the crofts which are in any sense capa-
BILE ofcultivation, deprived of their rights
of pasturage and Of gathering seaweed
for manure, most Of the men on the es-
tate have nothing left to enable them
selves or their families to, endure the
seventies of the winter season. A few
sacks are the most they have in the way
of bedding, while they have nothing
left to buy even their usual miserable
food of thin oatmeal and sour milk. All
is gone to the landlord the fruits of the
earth and the fruits Of the sea for they
have to sell the fish they risk their lives
in catching to pay rent. To enforce
the tyranny of q man like this who
openly acknowledges his anxiety to get
rid of the Crofters and to get the land
for sheep farmers, the powers Of govern
sment have been inYokedl It's no won
der the Crofters despair of getting atten-
ton at Westminster and are taking mat
ters into their own hands. Some little
time back an incident happened on this
estate which the Crofters, who are ''in
all things too superstitious," attributed
to judgment of God on Major Fraser.
After some very heavy rains the burn
which runs down Glen zig was swollen
to mountain torrent carving every-
thing before.it. Never had it been SO
strong before; swerving from its regular
course it swept away the churchyard
from the hillside and carrying with it
this dreadful freight rushed down to-
wards the bay. Straight in the course it
had forced for itself lay the doctors
house, and it seemed as if nothing could
save it, but strange to say the trees,
stones, and debris. which 1t had washed
down, formed themselves INTO an em-
bankment and the doctors house was
.sese Turned to one side, the torrent
dashed off to the right, and descended
on Major Fraser's house which had lair
right out of the course. The house was
carried away down to its foundations
the caretaker who alone was in the house
was drowned, and when the food had
abated there in the very spot where the
house had stood were left stranded the
corpses of men who but few months
previously had been evicted by order o1
Major Fraser. "The dead haye risen uI
in Judgment against him" said the Croft.
ers, and the IMPRESSION made on them
by that scene has never been removed
The house has eyerbeen rebuilt; but
it was close to this spot, which is also
memorable as being within two miles o,
the tomb of Flora Macdonald, that the
first display of military force was made
On Tuesday morning the whole force o.
300 marines and 80 police landed. After
some delay ch arger, in the shape of 8
shaggy Highland pony Of the proportions
of large mastif, was obtained for Colo
mel Monroe, and off we started to march
to Stafin bay, about ten miles distant
The bugle band played bravely when
ever an old woman came in sight with s
view to striking dismay into her heart
but SO well had the Crofters obeyed tht
instructions of their leaders that hardly
twenty people were seen during ths
whole ten miles. 1t was brilliant day
so as morning walk our march wal
splendid, but as military demonstra
ton. it was most lamentable failure
On arriving at Stafin 30 marines were
left as a guard to half q dozen police, tht
remainder being embarked on the For
ester which had steamed round to NEE
them. We sailed back to Uig bay. Tit
sheriff, like the Duke of York, hac
marched his men to the top of the hill
and marched them down again. ia
Our first march was exactly repeated
on all subsequent occasions and nothing
more ridiculous can be imagined. Tit
marines, officers and men, were disgustet
with their work. disgusted with the sher
if, and never failed to show that theil
sympathies were with the Crofters
Meanwhile the sheriff had continued hi
favors to the London correspondents
myself amongst them, and had gone sc
far as occasionally to doff his official dig
nifty and show himself in more genia
humor. He was soon to have . rude
awakening. ~E
So quiet had been the attitude of The
Crofters that it was resolved by tie lead
ers to continue the meetings and agita
tion as if nothing had happened. Ac
cordingly when it was known that the
troops would land in Glendale, on Friday
21st November, it was decided to hold q
meeting on the side Of a hill at the foot
of which the troops would pass. The
horns, by which meetings in Skye are
summoned. we're sounded and some 700
Crofters shortly appeared.
And every tutt of broom gives life
To plaided warriors arm'd for strife,
We set to work at once and passed an
unanimous vote that the agitation should