Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

252
THE ROMANCE OF THE HIGHLANDS.
Under circumstances such as these, where everyone
grows one's own food, builds one's own home and pays
no rent, such a thing as poverty can hardly be. The
people were able to live on the simplest diet, and money
was of practically no use to these children of nature. The
hills and valleys provided many kinds of game, the rivers
and estuaries supplied fish of all sorts, while loch and
sea were equally free to all of what they could yield.
In short, land and water united to furnish the necessaries
of human life.
In this connection it should be noted that, notwith-
standing the liberty allowed to all to capture the wild
creatures as food, these remained plentiful. There were
no sporting rights then ; these only became of value with
the passing of the game laws.
Is there any wonder then that under circumstances
such as we have stated rents, after they began to be
imposed, were promptly paid ? These were very small
at first, and the Highlanders never allowed themselves
to be in debt to their landlords. This characteristic
remained with them long after the change of events and
systems. Cases could be quoted to show this. Mr.
Campbell, factor to the Earl of Breadalbane, at
Achallader, for the long period of fifty-five years, has
stated that a failure to pay rent in his time was so rare
and had so much shame attached to it that it was almost
unheard of. If misfortune overtook a family the friends
would provide the necessary means for settling with the
laird on term day. As an illustration of the mutual
confidence existing between the parties, it is worth
mentioning that Mr. Campbell gave no receipt for the
rent nor was it ever asked. On receiving payment he
initialled the sum in his cash book, and there were eleven
hundred tenants in his day. His successor, Mr. Stewart,
reported equal promptitude and fidelity. During the