Lady Victoria Campbell

OF THE WILD TIREE " 163
and as there has been no change in my system of
management, which was eminently favourable to
you, and as agricultural distress had not, till last
year, affected the kind of produce you depend
upon, I had no doubt from the first, and I have no
doubt now, that the beginnings of lawlessness in
the island have been due entirely to the instigation
of outsiders. But these instigations have been of
the worst character, and have led to consequences
which are shocking to every sense of justice, and
in some cases to every manly feeling. My infor-
mation comes from individual members of your
own body, as well as from the public knowledge
of facts notorious in the island. Many amongst
you who are most deserving have suffered most.
I will mention a few cases.
Three years ago the neglect of kitchen or vege-
table gardens — too common all over the highlands
— having attracted my attention, I gave notice
in Tyree, as well as in Mull, that I would give a
prize of £10 to the crofter who would enclose,
dig, and plant, the best vegetable garden in the
island. One of your number, who is a widow,
wished to compete for this prize. She began the
necessary work, whereupon intimations were made
to her by some members of the secret society
which tyrannises the island that she would not be
allowed to do so, and that any enclosure she might
make in the day would be pulled down in the night.
Being a lone and unprotected widow she was
intimidated by this threat. Another of your