THE SCILLY ISLANDS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR"] Sin,—The letter of "M. B.," which appears in the Spectator of July 14th under the above heading, is full of misleading statements. Mr. Augustus Smith did not buy the Scilly Islands from the Duke of Leeds ; he leased them for three lives from the freeholder, the Duchy of Cornwall. He did not emigrate his subjects." He evicted many of his tenants, and they then had no alternative but to clear out. I know the islands well, and I have never heard it suggested that the late Mr. Augustus Smith spent a penny in "emigrating." Your correspondent says he spent "a large sum of money in the operation."
As to the economic condition of the islands in the third decade of the century, it was bad, and for a plain reason. They enjoyed an artificial prosperity during the great war, and the population went up rapidly. With peace bad times came for the poor, and as they stuck to their homes in spite of changed circumstances, there was much distress. But what all this has to do with Achill and its troubles, I am at a
loss to discover.—I am, Sir, &c., FRANK BANFIELD,
Crichton Club, Aclaphi Terrace, July 16th.
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