Islands

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Photograph of four samples of common heather from the island of Colonsay - two giant specimens from the East side, a stunted specimen from the West side and a walking stick.

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Photographs depicting a Westerner's life among the Islanders of the Pacific archipelago in 1919. The top image shows a Mrs. M S Zabel dispensing justice with two native councillors on Eden Island; the bottom left image shows the famous Flower Pot Island and the bottom right image shows a group of Papuan children wearing their stitched leaf raincoats.

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Two notebooks created to contain work, with Georg Hartung, and others, relating to Madeira – with references to Canary Islands, Gran Canarias, Tenerife and the Azores. No indexes in either, the notebooks record discussions, reading, and include drawings and copy letters (in Mary's writing) on volcanoes, lava slopes, shells, elevations and upheaval.

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Note about Eilean an Du-chonnaidh, that is used to be an island and was seen by men still alive as such, that it is 'now a strand with two pyramidal remnants of moss standing over the clam shingle near Creagorry - between the point of Aird an eoin and Hacleit' [Creag Ghoraidh, Àrd-an-eoin and Haclait/Hacklet all Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula]. 'Du-chonnaidh' is described as fresh or green brush wood.

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Note indicating that Eilean Trostain at Àird an Rùnair [Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] is named after St Drostan.

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Note about peats from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay stating that the peats are bad and scarce in Mingulay ''They are simp[ly] the surface soil cut off the rocks'. Stacks of peats at Biola Creag [Bual na Creige/Biulacraig] are mentioned though it is 'a dan[gerous] place for people to be working'. People from Bearnara [Beàrnaraigh/Berneray] cut their peats on Mingulay and Mingulay people build peat-stacks 'round with stones as they do on St Kilda [Hiorta]'.

Scope and Contents Notes about the land around islands off Harris including that tree roots are visible at low tide in the strand between Killgrey Isle [Ceileagraidh/Killegray] opposite Caolas Sgairidh; that Berneray [Beàrnaraigh] and Pabbay [Pabaigh] were about two and a half miles apart and that the sea was about five to eight fathoms deep on either side and that 'older women would throw the slacan nitheadan [mallets for washing clothes] across fr[om] one to the other'. It also notes that 'Ile nan Uan...

Scope and Contents Story about Captain [Caroline] Scott probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. Described as 'notorious', the story states how Scott and his soldiers who carried themselves 'most ferociously' hanged a big, strong man named Iain mac Fhearchair ic Mhurachaidh ic Neill with out a trial or a judge. The story tells how the soldiers 'amused them[selves] by flaying the cattle of the people alive and allowing them to run mad about the island.' One man wisely...

Scope and Contents Tale, probably told by John Pearson or John MacPherson, cottar, Ceann Tangabhal/Kentangaval, Barraigh/Barra, concerning the son of MacPhee of Colbhasa/Colonsay and how he and his descendants came to inhabit Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. Having been dispossessed of Colonsay, MacPhee's son came to Barra where he found employment as MacNeil's manager. No boat had been coming from Mingulay, so MacPhee's son was sent there. When he found all the islanders dead of plague, the crew would not allow him back...

Scope and Contents Story written down by John Ewen MacRury entitled 'A Sealladh mu dheireadh a Roca-Barraidh' [The last sighting of Rocabarraigh] telling how the island of Rocabarraigh was seen many years after it sank after it had been prophesied by an old man. The old man's family thought he had died but managed to rouse him and he told them what he had seen. In his vision he had wrestled with a man from Rocabarraigh, who threatened to sink Barraigh/Barra, whereupon every sort of fish would wash up on the...