Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-16

| Curious and Interesting facts and notes reach
The world when some obscure or forgotten cor
| ner is made to furnish its share of the public
/ Information and amusement To "Rob Row
/ Nacgregor," as he is familarly called, tbatpor-
| lion of the reading public who appreciate travel
and adventure is indebted for several charming
| journals OF voyages, made alone in a boat,
| which he calls canoe. In some Of these excur-
/ sons his craft, though carrying himself alone
| arises almost TO the dignity of yacht In 9th
RS, the vOyager has had mere canoe; but be
the vessel of what description it may, its name
is always the same-'Ihe Rob Roy" And Rob
Roy is Mr.. Macgregor's signature when he
writes for the London Times, as all Britons of
any pretensions are bound to do once or Oftener
IN their lives. His title page designation, when
| he makes a book, is j. Macgregor, NJ. A.
! Having in previous years done" the coasts
and rivers of central Europe, the Baltic
sea, and coasts of Sweden and Norway,
the English channel, the Jordan, Nile, Red
sea, and Sea of Galee, Rob Roy has explored
this season the Shetland and Orkney isles. The
canoe in which the Shetlands were circumnavi-
gated, and their inlets and lakes visited, is the
seventh of the name of "ROb Roy, and least of
| them all, being twelve feet in length and sixty
| pounds in weight. Mr. Macgregor "took steam"
| from London to the Shetlands-not in his ca
noe, but in regular packet, and launched his
canoe amid the delight of the islanders, who
| had never seen so neat a craft and so well ap-
| pointed. The boats of the islanders are of the
Norwegian build, and precisely the same in
size, in rig, and in tine gear of their oars, as the
| three lonely boats which Macgregor saw on the
sea of Galilee. Mr.. NJ. found, also, in the Shet-
lands, water mills of the simplest pattern, like
| those still used in Syria. These condolences
are curious, and the traveller who can observe
| and remember is often struck with points of
| resemblance least expected between the customs
of different and distant people.
The ladies, the world over, are interested in
Shetland wool, and admire the brilliant knitted
fabrics which come from the lar-oif isles, one of
which was the Ultima Thule OF the Romans. A
curious historical legend is connected with the
Shetland wool. Three hundred years ago 4
man-ol-war belonging TO the Spanish armada
was wrecked on one of the islands. The sailors
who escaped taught the natives to make bril-
liant dyes from roots which they found, reSemb-
ling those used for like purposes in Spain.
Those persons who now wear bright Shetland
knit "comloriers" are unconsciousv wearing
| mementoes of the failure of the "Inviucbe"
fleet, which sailed forth to awe, if not conquer
| Queen Bess, but met with q disastrous defeat
| from the elements Mr.. Macgregor saw a more
| positive memorial in a cannon from the same
| ship, which does duty as a hitching post Its
CALDER will receive a ball three inches in diam
| eter This would make small show beside one
| of the modern missiles. The knitters of the
| shetland wool, by the way, have no
need OF the exercise of the gymnasium,
| or of the lessons in "calisthencs" which
vary the fancy work" of the American
and English misses. They cut peat and
| carry it home from the bog in basket on the
| shoulder and when they return with the empty
| basket, knit as they walk.
| The Spanish acquaintance which began so
many years ago is still kept up. The staple ar
| ticle OF export from the Shetlauds is cured cod
| fish, and of this Span takes the larger proper
| ton. Captain MacgregOr saw a little Spanish
| schooner, scarce, as he thought seawOrthy,
| which had made twelve annual trips to the
| Shetlands for its fish cargo. Other fish are
fol hftf fbn aNl tta
| are caught from boats, the fishing banks being
| near the islands, the turthest only about fifty
| miles distant. These fishing boats are Is feet
| long by feet beam, and pulled by six oars. In
| the summer nights, when you can read fine
| print at midnight, the fishermen HE away to
the banks. fney fasten fishing lines to the
ends OF the oars, and if big fish gets hold toss
| the oar over for bin to play with until he gets
| tired. Ii not as scientific, this is a more leis.
| urelY sport than playing with trout. Other
| exports are Knit shawls, chrome yellow, and
| some cattle. Shetland ponies, once TO be bought
| for fifteen dollars a head, are now quoted at
hlty dollars. These little, hardy creatures have
| been introduced into coal mines. They are
| employed to drag the coal through the low
| galleries, in which children on all tours were
| once employed.
As Dutch as well as Spanish vessels frequent
this out of the way region, it may readily be
| guessed that schnappS and tobacco aud other
| like commodities evade the queens revenue. In
many things the ShetlanderS are a law unto
| themselves. A medical officer who was sent to
| yaccinate the inhabitants OF one of the islands
was driven off by the women. He presumed to
| exact fee, but the enraged danes said that
| 'the queen had promised that their BARNS
should be scratched for naithin." So they ex-
| PEELED him ANONYMOUSLY. The Shetland Isles
about thirty in number, contain population of
about 10000. In morals and intelligence, prim-
| tive as are their customs, they rank very high
| Communication with the larger world is, how
ever, making them discontinued, and emigration
is beginning to reduce their numbers. They
may be welcomed anywhere if Mr.. MacGregors
summary of their character is correct; ''Verily,
| these Zetlanders, a cross between the canny
| ScOs and hardy Norseman, whose feet are cased
| in leather sandals, corded with twines, have
plenty of heart and nlentY of hrnns