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was　alienated　otherwise　than　by　violence　or　forfeiture。　　Since
money　has　been　brought　amongst　them；　they　have　found；　like　others；
the　art　of　spending　more　than　they　receive；　and　I　saw　with　grief
the　chief　of　a　very　ancient　clan；　whose　Island　was　condemned　by　law
to　be　sold　for　the　satisfaction　of　his　creditors。

The　name　of　highest　dignity　is　Laird；　of　which　there　are　in　the
extensive　Isle　of　Sky　only　three；　Macdonald；　Macleod；　and
Mackinnon。　　The　Laird　is　the　original　owner　of　the　land；　whose
natural　power　must　be　very　great；　where　no　man　lives　but　by
agriculture；　and　where　the　produce　of　the　land　is　not　conveyed
through　the　labyrinths　of　traffick；　but　passes　directly　from　the
hand　that　gathers　it　to　the　mouth　that　eats　it。　　The　Laird　has　all
those　in　his　power　that　live　upon　his　farms。　　Kings　can；　for　the
most　part；　only　exalt　or　degrade。　　The　Laird　at　pleasure　can　feed
or　starve；　can　give　bread；　or　withold　it。　　This　inherent　power　was
yet　strengthened　by　the　kindness　of　consanguinity；　and　the
reverence　of　patriarchal　authority。　　The　Laird　was　the　father　of
the　Clan；　and　his　tenants　commonly　bore　his　name。　　And　to　these
principles　of　original　command　was　added；　for　many　ages；　an
exclusive　right　of　legal　jurisdiction。

This　multifarious；　and　extensive　obligation　operated　with　force
scarcely　credible。　　Every　duty；　moral　or　political；　was　absorbed　in
affection　and　adherence　to　the　Chief。　　Not　many　years　have　passed
since　the　clans　knew　no　law　but　the　Laird's　will。　　He　told　them　to
whom　they　should　be　friends　or　enemies；　what　King　they　should　obey；
and　what　religion　they　should　profess。

When　the　Scots　first　rose　in　arms　against　the　succession　of　the
house　of　Hanover；　Lovat；　the　Chief　of　the　Frasers；　was　in　exile　for
a　rape。　　The　Frasers　were　very　numerous；　and　very　zealous　against
the　government。　　A　pardon　was　sent　to　Lovat。　　He　came　to　the
English　camp；　and　the　clan　immediately　deserted　to　him。

Next　in　dignity　to　the　Laird　is　the　Tacksman；　a　large　taker　or
lease…holder　of　land；　of　which　he　keeps　part；　as　a　domain；　in　his
own　hand；　and　lets　part　to　under　tenants。　　The　Tacksman　is
necessarily　a　man　capable　of　securing　to　the　Laird　the　whole　rent；
and　is　commonly　a　collateral　relation。　　These　tacks；　or　subordinate
possessions；　were　long　considered　as　hereditary；　and　the　occupant
was　distinguished　by　the　name　of　the　place　at　which　he　resided。　　He
held　a　middle　station；　by　which　the　highest　and　the　lowest　orders
were　connected。　　He　paid　rent　and　reverence　to　the　Laird；　and
received　them　from　the　tenants。　　This　tenure　still　subsists；　with
its　original　operation；　but　not　with　the　primitive　stability。
Since　the　islanders；　no　longer　content　to　live；　have　learned　the
desire　of　growing　rich；　an　ancient　dependent　is　in　danger　of　giving
way　to　a　higher　bidder；　at　the　expense　of　domestick　dignity　and
hereditary　power。　　The　stranger；　whose　money　buys　him　preference；
considers　himself　as　paying　for　all　that　he　has；　and　is　indifferent
about　the　Laird's　honour　or　safety。　　The　commodiousness　of　money　is
indeed　great；　but　there　are　some　advantages　which　money　cannot　buy；
and　which　therefore　no　wise　man　will　by　the　love　of　money　be
tempted　to　forego。

I　have　found　in　the　hither　parts　of　Scotland；　men　not　defective　in
judgment　or　general　experience；　who　consider　the　Tacksman　as　a
useless　burden　of　the　ground；　as　a　drone　who　lives　upon　the　product
of　an　estate；　without　the　right　of　property；　or　the　merit　of
labour；　and　who　impoverishes　at　once　the　landlord　and　the　tenant。
The　land；　say　they；　is　let　to　the　Tacksman　at　six…pence　an　acre；
and　by　him　to　the　tenant　at　ten…pence。　　Let　the　owner　be　the
immediate　landlord　to　all　the　tenants；　if　he　sets　the　ground　at
eight…pence；　he　will　increase　his　revenue　by　a　fourth　part；　and　the
tenant's　burthen　will　be　diminished　by　a　fifth。

Those　who　pursue　this　train　of　reasoning；　seem　not　sufficiently　to
inquire　whither　it　will　lead　them；　nor　to　know　that　it　will　equally
shew　the　propriety　of　suppressing　all　wholesale　trade；　of　shutting
up　the　shops　of　every　man　who　sells　what　he　does　not　make；　and　of
extruding　all　whose　agency　and　profit　intervene　between　the
manufacturer　and　the　consumer。　　They　may；　by　stretching　their
understandings　a　little　wider；　comprehend；　that　all　those　who　by
undertaking　large　quantities　of　manufacture；　and　affording
employment　to　many　labourers；　make　themselves　considered　as
benefactors　to　the　publick；　have　only　been　robbing　their　workmen
with　one　hand；　and　their　customers　with　the　other。　　If　Crowley　had
sold　only　what　he　could　make；　and　all　his　smiths　had　wrought　their
own　iron　with　their　own　hammers；　he　would　have　lived　on　less；　and
they　would　have　sold　their　work　for　more。　　The　salaries　of
superintendents　and　clerks　would　have　been　partly　saved；　and　partly
shared；　and　nails　been　sometimes　cheaper　by　a　farthing　in　a
hundred。　　But　then　if　the　smith　could　not　have　found　an　immediate
purchaser；　he　must　have　deserted　his　anvil；　if　there　had　by
accident　at　any　time　been　more　sellers　than　buyers；　the　workmen
must　have　reduced　their　profit　to　nothing；　by　underselling　one
another；　and　as　no　great　stock　could　have　been　in　any　hand；　no
sudden　demand　of　large　quantities　could　have　been　answered　and　the
builder　must　have　stood　still　till　the　nailer　could　supply　him。

According　to　these　schemes；　universal　plenty　is　to　begin　and　end　in
universal　misery。　　Hope　and　emulation　will　be　utterly　extinguished；
and　as　all　must　obey　the　call　of　immediate　necessity；　nothing　that
requires　extensive　views；　or　provides　for　distant　consequences　will
ever　be　performed。

To　the　southern　inhabitants　of　Scotland；　the　state　of　the　mountains
and　the　islands　is　equally　unknown　with　that　of　Borneo　or　Sumatra：
Of　both　they　have　only　heard　a　little；　and　guess　the　rest。　　They
are　strangers　to　the　language　and　the　manners；　to　the　advantages
and　wants　of　the　people；　whose　life　they　would　model；　and　whose
evils　they　would　remedy。

Nothing　is　less　difficult　than　to　procure　one　convenience　by　the
forfeiture　of　another。　　A　soldier　may　expedite　his　march　by
throwing　away　his　arms。　　To　banish　the　Tacksman　is　easy；　to　make　a
country　plentiful　by　diminishing　the　people；　is　an　expeditious　mode
of　husbandry；　but　little　abundance；　which　there　is　nobody　to　enjoy；
contributes　little　to　human　happiness。

As　the　mind　must　govern　the　hands；　so　in　every　society　the　man　of
intelligence　must　direct　the　man　of　labour。　　If　the　Tacksmen　be
taken　away；　the　Hebrides　must　in　their　present　state　be　given　up　to
grossness　and　ignorance；　the　tenant；　for　want　of　instruction；　will
be　unskilful；　and　for　want　of　admonition　will　be　negligent。　　The
Laird　in　these　wide　estates；　which　often　consist　of　islands　remote
from　one　another；　cannot　extend　his　personal　influence　to　all　his
tenants；　and　the　steward　having　no　dignity　annexed　to　his
character；　can　have　little　authority　among　men　taught　to　pay
reverence　only　to　birth；　and　who　regard　the　Tacksman　as　their
hereditary　superior；　nor　can　the　steward　have　equal　zeal　for　the
prosperity　of　an　estate　profitable　only　to　the　Laird；　with　the
Tacksman；　who　has　the　Laird's　income　involved　in　his　own。

The　only　gentlemen　in　the　Islands　are　the　Lairds；　the　Tacksmen；　and
the　Ministers；　who　frequently　improve　their　livings　by　becoming
farmers。　　If　the　Tacksmen　be　banished；　who　will　be　left　to　impart
knowledge；　or　impress　civility？　　The　Laird　must　always　be　at　a
distance　from　the　greater　part　of　his　lands；　and　if　he　resides　at
all　upon　them；　must　drag　his　days　in　solitude；　having　no　longer
either　a　friend　or　a　companion；　he　will　therefore　depart　to　some
more　comfortable　residence；　and　leave　the　tenants　to　the　wisdom　and
mercy　of　a　factor。

Of　tenants　there　are　different　orders；　as　they　have　greater　or　less
stock。　　Land　is　sometimes　leased　to　a　small　fellowship；　who　live　in
a　cluster　of　huts；　called　a　Tenants　Town；　and　are　bound　jointly　and
separately　for　the　payment　of　their　rent。　　These；　I　believe；　employ
in　the　care　of　their　cattle；　and　the　labour　of　tillage；　a　kind　of
tenants　yet　lower；　who　having　a　hut　with　grass　for　a　certain　number
of　cows　and　sheep；　pay　their　rent　by　a　stipulated　quantity　of
labour。

The　condition　of　domestick　servants；　or　the　price　of　occasional
labour；　I　do　not　know　with　certainty。　　I　was　told　that　the　maids
have　sheep；　and　are　allowed　to　spin　for　their　own　clothing；　perhaps
they　have　no　pecuniary　wages；　or　none　but　in　very　wealthy　families。
The　state　of　life；　which　has　hitherto　been　purely　pastoral；　begins
now　to　be　a　little　variegated　with　commerce；　but　novelties　enter　by
degrees；　and　till　one　mode　has　fully　prevailed　over　the　other；　no
settled　notion　can　be　formed。

Such　is　the　system　of　insular　subordination；　which；　having　little
variety；　cannot　afford　much　delight　in　the　view；　nor　long　detain
the　mind　in　contemplation。　　The　inhabitants　were　for　a　long　time
perhaps　not　unhappy；　but　their　content　was　a　muddy　mixture　of　pride
and　ignorance；　an　indifference　for　pleasures　which　they　did　not
know；　a　blind　veneration　for　their　chiefs；　and　a　strong　conviction
of　their　own　importance。

Their　pride　has　been　crushed　by　the　heavy　hand　of　a　vindictive
conqueror；