N u m b e r s o f
I N H A B I T A N T S »
mouths to confume them, in the Preibtyery of Skie *, near thirteen!
thoufand: migrations, and depreflion o f fpirit, the laft a common!
caufe of depopulation, having fince the year r.750 reduced thj
number from fifteen thoufand to between twelve and thirteen: o n l
thoufand having croffed the Atlantic, others funk beneath poverty!
or in defpair, ceafed to obey the firft great command, encreasJ
a n d MULTIPLY.
In that year the whole rent o f Skie was three thoufand f i J
hundred pounds. By an unnatural force fome of the rents ara
now doubled and trebled. People long out o f all habit of in«
duftry, and ufed to the convivial tables o f their chieftain, w c r *
unable inftandy, to fupport fo new a burden r in time not verjl
long preceding that, they felt the return of fome of their rents*
they were enabled to keep hofpitality; to receive their chieftai*
with a well covered board; and to feed a multitude, of pool*
Many of the greater tackmen were o f the fame blood with the»
chieftains ; they were attached to them by the ties of confangui*
nity as well as affedtion: they felt from them the firft a£t of op*
preffion, as Cafar did the wound from his beloved Brutus.
The high advance, of the price of, cattle is a plea for th e h ig *
advance o f rents; but the fituation of the tackman here is par*
ticular: he. is a gentleman,, and hoafts the fame blood with h i*
laird: (of five hundred fighting men that followed Macltod ini
*745 in his Majefty’s army,, four hundred were o f his kindred*
has been cherilhed by him for a feries o f years often with paternaM
* Which comprehends Rum, Camay, Muck and Mgg, befides the /even parite!
in this great ifland.
affefliont
afeftion: has been ufed to fuch luxuries as the place affords; and
cannot inftantly fink from a good board to the hard fare o f the
common farmer. When the chieftains riot in all the luxuries o f
South Britain, he thinks himfelf entitled to fhare a due degree of
the good things of this life, and not to be for ever confined to
the diet of Brochan or the compotation o f Whijky. During the
feudal reign their love for their chieftains induced them to bear
many things, at prefent intolerable. They were their pride and their
¡glory: they ftrained every nerve in fupport of them, in the fame
manner as the French through vanity, refufe nothing to aggrandize
their Grand Momrque.
Refentment drove many to feek a retreat beyond the Atlantic:
they fold their ftock, and in numbers made their firft efiay. They
found, or thought they found, while their paffions were warm, aa
¡hippy change of fituation : they wrote in terms favouring of romance,
an account of their fituation r their friends caught the
contagion •, and numbers followed; and others were preparing to
follow their example. The tackfmen from a motive o f independency
: the poor from attachment; and from excefs o f mifery.
Policy and humanity, as I am informed, have of late checked
this fpirit fo detrimental to the public. The wifdom of legifla-
turemay perhaps fall on fome methods to conciliate the affedtions
of a valuable part of the community: it is unbecoming my little
knowlege of the country to prefume to point out the methods.
It is to be hoped the head will, while time permits, recollect the
tie of the moft diftant members.
The proper produdts of this and all the Hebrides, are men and
cattles the ufe o f the firft need not be infilled on, for England
Z z 2 cannot