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Cecil, who is confined in London after a cab accident, speaks of his low regard for the innkeepers, and he believes they will have more luck dealing directly with the crofters. He goes on to discuss the merits of different Highland ponies.

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Cecil asks Ewart to order some more copies of 'that kiang of mine' to send out to various people. He recommends that Ewart contact Fincastle at Piershill, as he is the owner of South Harris and interested in the fisherman-crofters.He is also to be on the commitee to advise the Congested Districts Board and Crofters Commission and also well-placed to advise on the breeding of animals for miltary use.

Scope and Contents Cecil writes that he has written to the Secretary of the Carnegie Institute and hopes that Ewart's trip is a success. He mentions that he has been in touch with Forsyth about their forthcoming visit to Skye where they are considering circulating memoranda about ponies among the crofters under the auspices of the Congested Districts Board. Forsyth has stated that he would like to start a stud farm in Kilmuir. Cecil believes that he considers Fincastle's cross-breeding of Arab sires and...

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Cecil agrees with Fincastle's remarks that the cross-bred horses for the crofters should maintain quality as well as increase size and comments upon various mutual correspondents. He states that he met a man called Scott who is going to send two Highland ponies and 'Braemore' and comments that the ponies on the east side of Skye appear to be identical to those on the Isle of Rum.

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Cecil describes the estimate he has provided to the Congested Districts Board as to the price of the studs and horses intended for cross-breeding with the crofters' animals.

Scope and Contents Cecil is puzzled that Ewart mixed Spanish and horse blood and produced a Celtic pony, as he would have thought the mix would have produced the Island pony. He reports that Ritchie is annoyed that his neighbours prefer to use a crofters' pony to the Arab breed. He has written to Forsyth asking him to let the pony 'Atholl' to stand at the head of the Monkstadt stud (the experimental farm of the Congested Districts Board) on the Isle of Skye. He writes that he saw the best Highland ponies he...

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Cecil writes that he hopes Lord Middleton will buy 'McNeil' as he would suit his mares at Applecross and describes the Middletons' tour around the West Highlands of Scotland to view the crofters' ponies. He reports that a half-Welsh, half-Hackney horse cross has provided successful at Baron Schroder's in Strathcarron and at Guisachan. He is surprised to learn that none of the crossbred ponies are fetching a higher price in the market than the old crofters' breed of ponies.

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Cecil writes that since he has not heard from Lord Middleton, he will send his pony 'McNeil' to Croall's. He reports that the crofters usually buy their ponies from each other but they are complaining that they are being bred too light of bone for heavy work.

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The letter requests more detailed particulars about Lord Cecil's pony than Ewart previously provided. The purchasers intend to cross the stallion with Shetland mares to produce a reliable carting and ploughing pony for crofters.