The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

VRAICKING" IN JERSEY.

The season for gathering the sea-weed which abound:
on the countless rocks around our coast, commenced on
Monday last. This important and pe.mliar harvest pro-
mises to be very abundant, and the weather being pro-
pitious, numbers of our farmers, with their wives and
families, may be seen daily wending their way to the
sea shore, attired in the only costume that fickle fashion
has not yet succeeded in altering.
To our English readers the name of the weed and the
harvest itself will seem somewhat singular, as well as
the importance which they may perceive by the few
lines above, is attached to the operation. This is even
greater than they can conceive who are ignorant of
the actual facts. So precious is the " vraick " regarded
as manure, that it is placed under the special protection
of the Full Court who, on the advise of the twelve con-
stables (these in turn being guided by their parochial
assemblies or vestries), fixes on a certain day for the
" abandon" or liberty to commence cutting. Proclama-
tion to this effect is made by the regular officer, who ad-
vances for this purpose to the body of the Court to a rail
ing which separates it from the vestibule. When the ap-
pointed day approaches, preparations are made in every
farmhouse in the island, the more profitably to devote ex
elusive attention to the previous harvest. Cakes of a parti-
cular sort are made and baked some days before to serve as
food during the time the occupation lasts, which is
during a few days preceding and following the spring-
tide. The season partakes in some measure of the
nature of a holiday—parties are formed to join the
vraiehers and the whole rural population is on the
qui vice. The Jersey-woman, la our opinion, is then,
and perhaps only then, thoroughly identical as the type
of what she was before the rapid introduction of new
manners and customs. The homely garb takes the
place of modern finery, which is for the moment
thrown aside and forgotten. Antedeluvian bonnets, of
unaccountable shapes, covered over with cases of
coarse woollen stuff made to depend in the shape of a
' large cape, cover the head of the fresh and rosy
damsels, (and they are fresh and rosy,) who wend
their way to the rocks during the vraickirg. The rest
of the habiliment consist of a short,
coarse, warm,
woollen shirt, over which is worn a small garment,
technically called a bed-gown (Heaven only knows why—
it might with not less appropriateness be called by any
other name), generally composed of a dark purple gland
stuff. As to the male portion of the reapers, they are as
perfectly unrecognisable as fur, worsted, and a species of
coarse flannel can make them; young men looking old,
and aged men wearing "blouses" which make them ap-
pear like youths, until the face betrays by its timeworn
marks the traces of old age.
Antiquated carts with rails at the sides, drawn by
one or two horses, convey the " vraickers" to their
destination, and return with such loads of manure as
would strike any English horse with amazement ;
dragged from amidst the rockQ, through brooks, shingle,
sand and soft mud, enough, one would think, to ruin
any animal, and so it would any but a Jersey horse.
Sometimes the over piled load may be seer. crowned
with a rosy face, buried in the aforementioned woollen
extinguisher, the said face appertaining to one of
Cresarea's fair daughters, who sits there enthroned on
some incomprehensible machine meant to be applied to '
some undiscovered use, and appearing to be a species
~f compromise between a fowl-house and a ra trket bas-
ket. The fair one, with her feet imbedded in the
dripping weed, sits there completely at ease, surrounded
by pitchforks and rakes, and, to all appearances, with
as much comfort as is enjoyed by her, perhaps, more
refined, but not more happy sisters in the town.
So great is the anxiety to obtain the vraick that the
reapers (we forgot to say that it was cut with a reaping
hook) often place themselves in moat dangerous posi-
tions, and serious accidents with loss of life frequently
happen. Notwithstanding this, the farmer returns to
his cherished pursuits with an unfliching determina-
tion, and on his return to the homestead, the blazing
fagots on his capacious hearth and smoking boiler,
with the happy faces that surround him, soon induce
forgetfulness of past toil andanddanger,
abundant wh
es
whilst the
give
of well- manured lands
cheering encouragement for the future.—Daily Corres-
pondent (Jersey).

MARRIED LlFE.—Deceive not one another in small
things nor in great. One littlo single lie has before now
di'tn-bed a whole married life. A small cause has often
gsirtettl le"%equenees. Fuld not
the arms together and
rim much Laziness is the devil's cushion." Do not
worth than frQat
home.
And why ? Because theO ttniea'sr ownjl
an gold. M • , any a marriage begins like the
r,,sy in,,rning, an,... then
well pleasing- to each other
falls away like the snow wreath.
health is of more
thoughts.
_ _a.
after marriage
pair n egl e cats
Endeavour always to plas
e 0 on© another ; but,t()atbet before.haes
same time, keep God in
all your love on to-day. L4rr
fuel for the
has its to-morrow likewise, anr?.tesnaldi e r
that Lavishmarriangoet
Itpue,bword wife
row too ! " Spare, as one ma ay after to-mor-
winter." Consider, tny daughters), what
i'nfcls:le
expresses. The married woman- is the
mPstie faith ; in her hand he must be able taondc'
house and family ; bo able to entrust her the key of
his heart, as well as the key of his house. His
honour and his home are under her keeping ; his well-
being is in her hand. Think of this ! And you, sons,
be faithful husbands, and good fathers of families. Act
so that your wives ahall esteem and love you.—Frederica
Bremer.

Dhpatehes from the Governors of New South Wales,
Van Diemen's Land, and South Australia, were received
Yesterday at the