THE CROFTERS' COUNTRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1774, 23 February 1888, Page 3

THE CROFTERS' COUNTRY

I Concerning the daer raid m Lewis tho special reporter of the North British Mail gives an interesting account. He says : — Throughout Tuesday the work proceeded briskly, and although it cannot bo definitely ascertained how many were killed, I may state I had it from at least niue of those who were engaged m the affray that over 200 were killed. I have heard it said that the number exceeded 400, but I am Inclined to think that 200 was about the figure. The number of wounded has been put down at 2CO or 300. Daring the day boatß from Harris, each manned by a strong crew, were cruising along the South Ooaot of Park, because it was rumored it was the intention to drive the deer into the sea. The men of Harris expected to be able to pick up some of the deer. When they saw there was no hope of getting venison m thia way they came ashore and joined the Locks men m the chase. On returning to camp part of the spoils was prepared for cooking. The tent was inadequate to hold all at one time, and relays were fed. THE OLD MA»'S OB ACE.

The econe on Tuesday evening was evidently a singularly strange one." When the deer wera fliyed and cut up Into pieces ready for cooking, grace was said by an elderly man. One of tho raiders <rho was present, said to me, "There was never euch a grace said before meat." Ii was not, let it be observed, when the venison was cooked that the blessing wbb aeked ; It was when the butcher had completed cuttlog and flaying. The old man said m his blessing "that this is a red-letter day m the history of the crofter movement ; that the angels were rejoicing and the spirits of their forefathers along with them; that the Highlanders were beginning to understand the bountiful provision that their Father m Heaven h*d mtde for them, if they only used the means He put within their roach. He prayed that be might live to see the dny when a church would be erected on the spot on which the oamp was atanding to commemorate this great day."

THE FEAST OF VFNISON. After the blessing the raiders began roasting, frying, stowing, boiling, and broiling the venison. They lad cooking utensils of every diacrlption. One man told me that ho Baw a 'doer's bead with the antlers and a bit of Kb mouth," revolving round above a biuz'ng peat fire. The peat fires were co large and the drippings caused such a flirce that for eorae time there wbb danger of the oamp Igniting, The wind was from the northeast, and I heard It stated that the emell from the savoury venison was felt at the shooting lodge of Atlillno, five miles distant. Over a hundred men remained on Tuesday night m camp, and round the blazing fires yarns were tod and Gaelic songs Bang. Even worship was engaged m.

A MIDNIGHT VISIT TO THK CAMP — TJKrAR&IiLELKD BCENK. Tho sight on entering was pictnreEqwo m the extreme. Behind were iholo'ty peaks of Silver Hill and Moro Mdieidy, and m front the placed waters of Loch Seaforth, deep and dark without a ripplo. The night was one of the loveliest, and m every respect favorable both to travoller and raider. The interior was of such an extraordinary character lhat there is probably no scene m Highland history, at anyrato since Culloden, to compare with it. Juflt imagine viewiDg a tent 100 ynrds long with its open face illuminated by five prat firep, each as large as an ordinary hay rick Over the ono m the centre there was suspended a magnificent specimen of a royal slag's head Within 10 of yards this fico there was another of equal size, above which was the entire carcase of a deer broiling, and there was alf-o ao immense cauldron conta niug another stag reduced into chops, or what is known m the South as Irish stew Immediately behind the fires were the Highlanders, either reclining on cocchos of heather or sitting ipright on stones and boulders, pretty much ia the f aehioa of their forefathers when they roamed m the ancient forests of Caledonia before the Saxon set foot on British soil. »

A RAIDEIt'S KIiOQUENOE Bafore partaking of tho v< nison presented to up, two of the raidovH addressed us m terms somewhat as follows : Tho first, a young man of medium height, strongly built, and of a somewhat cultured nnd intellectual cast, said m Gaelic : — " Our forefathers Be'ectod Park us tho spot ! above a'l others m the pnrish of Lochs j where (-Jod, our Father' in Heaven, intended that they should dwell. But now wo are slaves, while the land of our fathers is consocrnted to deer. We are worße than slaves ; we are not a conquered race ; we have not been sold as shackled slaves, while all our earnings havo been' devored by idlers. Now years of destitution and famine have come, and if we were ordinary slaves our masters would feed us ; but those who claim f upremacy over ub will not move a finger to save us from death . Not one of us | would be hungry if we had posaesion of the land we traversed to-day, and from which we have taken tho spoils on which we are now feasting. I would be ashamed to open my mouth m the presence of honorable men if I had taken even a pin that belonged to another ; but I am not ashamed of having |takoa & door off the hills."