The morning news., 1889-04-11
PICTURESQUE FOULA.
A Pretty Island With Clever Inhabi-
tantS and Curious Supsrstitions.


A Pretty Island With Clever 1nhabi-
tants and Curious Superstitions.
From the London World.
The Island of Birds, for such it has been
conjectured is the mean ng of the word
''Foula," is not so frequently visited by
the tourist as it deserves to be. Situated at
a distance of fifteen miles from the nearest
point of the mainland of Shetland, its cloud
like form, which seems to float on the hori-
zon, is visible from every hilltop of any
Importance in the archipelago. The eye
of the observer of the picturesque, as it
glides along the distant prospect, is caught
by the fine bold peaks of Foula, and returns
again and again from the general survey to
gaze fondly on that is and as the finest feat
ure of the scene. Nor Is it only at dis-
tance that 1t looks grand. The cliffs on the
west side, which are beaten by waves which
have rolled without a check all the way from
Greenland, are the lofties5 in the British
Isles. The highest hill is the Snuek, which
has an altitude Of over l 800 feet above the
sea. Another peak, almost as high, con-
fronts the ocean as a stupsndous precipioe
from summit to base. These crags are the
homes of innumerable seafowl, the norie
sea parrot and kittywake bel g most abun-
dant. On the east side the rocks are COM
paratively low, but not unintereSting, On
the north side there arc some remarkable
stacks, or isolated rocks one of them being
pierced by a lofty Gothic archway, and
another surmounted by a ruin. The hollow
center of the island affords peat, and the
grassy slopes at the back Of the cliffs afford
good pasturage for cattle and sheep and
number of handsome ponies. The popula-
ton numbers 270, and with the exception of
three families, is engaged in crofting and
fishing. The Foulese are masters of many
trades They make their own turning
L.
pair clocks and watches; all can make and
cobble shoes. A few are weavers and tail
ors, as well as dyers, Every man Is ma.
son. The women clip, and. am afraid, some
times roo or pluck the sheep. They spin
the wool and knit excellent stockings and
sailors frocks or jerseys. | believe if a
Foulaman were to be placed naked on a
desert coast, with nothing in his possession
but a clasp knife, he would not only con-
trive to find food for his support but in a
short time would, by his unaided efforts, be
provided with clothes, with house, hav-
ing a clock on the wall, and with boat
and fishing tackle. When they go to sea
they never use the language that is en-
ployed on shore, but jargon sacred to the
occasion. woman they call "cloven
fooden or "hemelte. A parsOn is an up
stander,n and the church is "bone house."
and so on. To use land word in boat is
certain to frighten away the fish. A cop
per coin is nailod on every keel to prevent
the "brigdy" (which is the Danish name for
the basking shark from sucking the boat to
the bottom A worsted thread having niue
knots on it, is tied around joint when it
is sprained. Sick cows are cured by draw
ing a tom cat by the tail over their backs.
If minister or a person with fiat feet
crosses the path of the man going out fish
ing, no fish will be got To accidentally
wet the foot when stepping into the boat is
favorable sigh. A cat should never be
mentioned when a man is batting his line.
A rusty nail from a cotfin will cure the
toothache IL usel as toothpick, and a sip
of water from an old kneepan is a sovereign
remedy for some disorders. To catch a
halibut for bait the fishermen put nine
pieces Of peat into a kettle above the fire
before proceeding to sea. A hen should be
set when the tide is flowing, and and an egg
must be placed among the seed corn before
it is sown When a sheep is being slaugh-
tered indoors, no woman should pass be-
tween it and the fire. Stacks should be
built and the ground dug according to the
apparent course of the sun. Boats always
takes turn sunward before going to sea.