Continuing my trawl through the Napier Commission's report, I came across this account from an islander of Soay, just south of the Isle of Skye.
6343. There is
a story about a number of people having been kidnapped, or induced to remove
from Soay and other places in Minginish long ago ?—I know it well.
6344. How long
ago was it ?—It is seventy years ago since my grandfather went, and it was
before that.
6345. There
were a lot induced to emigrate to Canada ?—They took them away in spite of
themselves.
6346. And they
were not taken to Canada ?—No, it was to Charlestown, where they were sold for slaves. He left
them poor enough and robbed the clothes off their backs, before they came back
to the same farm again.
6347. Who did
that ?—Old Kenneth M'Askill.
6348. Of the farm of Rhu Dunan ?—Yes. we heard news from people
who went to America. Many of them say they would rather be
home in their native place yet, if they were the way they were before.
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It is hard to imagine nobody stepped in and tried to stop this. I guess back then though people weren't so concerned with the plight of others and just accepted it.
ReplyDeleteLisa