Lady Victoria Campbell

" ETHICA " 243
boat was no mean feat. Mr. Macdiarmid has written
a short account of some of the many adventures,
which extended over a period of twenty years.
The landing and embarking in Tiree was always
a source of anxiety and care to those assisting
Lady Victoria, but, as a rule, she was singularly
fortunate with the weather conditions, and when
there was a heavy cargo to land, the steamer
people were very obliging in sending her ashore
before the cargo.
I remember one trying landing. It was getting
dark, and there was a good deal of swell on the
sea. It was dead low water, and when the boat
came to the shore, it could not get near either of
the small piers at Scarinish. There was nothing
for it but to run the boat in as far as possible on
the beach, and get the horse and buckboard
through the water to the stranded boat. The boat,
being a heavy one, the water alongside was deep ;
the horse became frightened, one of the traces
broke, and there was a great commotion.
Willing hands, however, plunged into the water.
The horse was quieted, and with great efforts we
got Lady Victoria transferred from the boat to
the buckboard, and all was well.
There was real danger, because if she were to
fall between the boat and the buckboard, the water
was so deep that she might be suffocated before
she could be rescued, on account of the plunging
horse.