The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

TJie Estate of Bught.
Inverness, and particularly in servitude to the proprietors
of the River, and without which there could be no fishing.
Besides it is the common high road to go to the Isle for
inhabitants and strangers, and the only way the fishermen
have of bawling their boats to the Island to fish it, and the
very place where the boats lye on shore in the day time ;
by which the Sheriff sees that the Re-pondent has no property
in these grounds nor did any of his authors pretend
to any such thing. His suggestions of Envey, Emulation,
and litigation is ill flitten, for if he was not Master of the
Adjacent lands, and particularly Town Clerk of Inverness,
the Good Town, their vassalls or inhabitants would not be
thus troubled as no other proprietor having these lands
durst (we may say) act such a part.
" He knows Duncan Eraser is doer for the Taxmen, as
he pays him his rent punctually for them when it falls
due, &c.
"The Respondent comes now as he calls it tu speak
Up and appears in hi;-, proper light, or collours, ff )r he
refuses to be a vassall of the Town of Inverness.
" Some years agoe he built a gate clandestinly a little
below on the road and Banks, which when discovered was
interrupted, and after debating the matter in Council It
was enacted there that the same should be razed, and the
road left patent to the Magistrates, their vassals, and
inhabitants of Inverness, and if the Clerk did not so himself,
one of the Magistrates was appointed to pay labourers
and see it done. It was not done, I mean razed, for some
time, but himself did it at last. It is true he has since
carryed off some ground, and made an ugly breach in the
bank and said high road, in which he has not yet been
legally challenged, but that matter is not over. It may be
presumed the above two cases were intended as preoarativ^es
(to the present) and finding the last unnoticed as yet he
has proceeded.
" As to what he says of Church lands, any person without
being a man of law, far less a Clerk of a considerable
community, knows that Church lands were disposed of at
the Reformation in an odd and extraordinary way to
friends and powerful neighbours by the then incumbents.
His intentions to be no vassall of the Towns is to make
out by his Church right. Titles to the Millns and Multures
of his land and fishing (as he says) included in his said
right. Neither of which can he have from the Magistrates,