Lady Victoria Campbell

296 NIGHEAN AN DIUC
Dec. 20th, 1899. Tiree.
Oh, yes ! Tell Teddy this terrible time of war
and dread anxiety reaches this lone island. It is
the unexpected which, I think, upsets us Campbells,
physically. I was horrified to find myself quite
unable to go on reading prayers on Saturday,
having just been told by the ghillie, in a kind of
haphazard way, of Wauchope's fall. News of this
had reached the island on Thursday, but the
minister, with a vague feeling he was a friend
of mine, had kept it from me.
Mr. West, the English shooting tenant, is on the
island, and so he and I had a long " white-man "
talk on Sunday.
He was furious with the red-tape mismanagement
on the part of McBrayne, which could make them
take Rhona Campbell Auchindarroch fast on
Friday to Bunessan, and back to Tobermory,
when Gott Bay was feasible ; to say nothing of
the mails.
The first landing was effected last Monday for
a week, and we waded through six " Scotsmans."
Mr. West has lent me " Transvaal from Within."
To-day it is as bad as ever. Fortunately, Rhona
is with the Allans in Tobermory.
I was in touch with an Iona woman (for service),
but she was carried past to Oban, and calmly
wires me, she is too fatigued, cannot go to sea no
more.
I am putting irons in the fire, and must hope to
get someone.