The state herald., 1891-01-16
SCOTTISH FISHERMEN.
THEIR HARpsHiPs AND poMEs.
TIC HABITS.
IN Intensely Interesting Aeeount Of tAsss Sin.
gle Costsrs By Edgar l. wakenaa-Hsw
ahey Live aad What thsy Eat-A
Hardy sad Uaiqse Class.

In one OF his highly interesting let
tors about foreign folk md their Gus.
toms Edgar l. Wakeman tolls OF the
Scotch fishermen. He says those peo-
pie every year supply tho world with
over million barrels OF cured her
ring, alone. There are some 10000 OF
these fishermen. with their families.
After these mon and women return 10
their western homes. In September.
the crops Of their little crofts arc to be
gathered. These comprise oats, a bit
OF sickly grass for tho hay Of the
''beastics" in winter, potatoes and tho
universal Scotch ''kail" or cabbage.
Then tho women talso 10 their knit
ting and land-looms, and II there DO
winter herring fishing In the sea>lochs
near their homes, this is prosecuted
by the mon In small open boats Of
eighteen to twenty-five feet keel a.
much bodily risk and under tortuous
soverities OF wird and weather. In
these boats NIL the fire they can have
for cooking and warmth is carried and
kept In huge iron pots; and In sleeping
they tumble down anywhere In their
sea-clothing and oil-skins and cover
themselves with rags or sails. II
likely to remain for time on the
lochs. they build sod huts along shore.
matching them with "bracken." o
coarse fern also used in matching
their homes II there be no fishing
the natives have little or nothing to
do from the harvest until March and
April. when tho cutting of seaweed
for manure begins. and later, when
the annual cutting Of peat for fuel Is
done.
Among these primitive people the
rights OF women to at least labor were
long since beyond gaiusaytng. Ihave
seen the husband lit n half barrel,
seventy pounds, upon his wife's back
aud calmly walk home beside her. In
peat cutting time. when the days
work Is done, tho husband will throw
the crooked wooden spade over his
shoulder and the wife, gathering her
skirts into an ample sack. will carry
sometimes for miles to the croft, q
weight OF peat for Immediate use under
which highland she,lie would stag.
ger And n Fishery board officer, 10
whom nm indebted for much exact
Information, tells me OF an incident Of
scaweed cutting where a crofters
vile, with rope tied about her waist
was lowered over II crag to gather sea-
weed among the slippery, spumc-cov-
cred rocks, while her plilosophlc hus.
band. safely ensconed in IA sunny cleft
above, was quietly enjoying his pipe.
But neither the highland nor island
crofter must be judged by our stand
ards. No human beings love their
wives and homes more loyalty than
they. All lowly classes following the
sea or the lives OF fishermen regard
the mans labor done when his vessel
is anchored In port, or his fishing buss
IL heachcd at the fishing hamlet shore;
30 that the fishing croftcr aud his
spouse are contentedly additionally
'o''.e' !" '"e'r @uJus'ne"t o' iaoor
"" ~, u"'y'
"' nome Vi inc western h'ghiand
a". '''a"u n'ner.cro''cr " mucn In
'o'o' :" .""' VI ."o o's.-coas' hSner-
man UT oven Vi mo horthern highinnd
.'o,o'' No"r'y AZ 'hoir CABINS are
YUM oh nus Win 'ne slope OF orae
UT hi''s'uc' 'he rear rooiSiope forming
u" o''u'e ""ste' INC walls are never
e.. =, "s"' '''."o' ous
,,'''.,. ,rs", ~ IN. 'ou' ''o'
.,,hh,. - ~ " o,"u VI
-, 500 ~, o y. '"o "a'' A'e
r,,,,' 80 VI ~, 80" o''"''"
~ . .' w" '". "o wv, ,o'"''s
,ss' ~, eu VI. 'n'u'o " VI. "a''' ""u
IL. III, 'na e 80 oa ',u ~"
80 VI" . "'S'' y. '"' .',
' "e "''s'' '""''"
~" '',"' o'' "A"' "'' '''o''a
w.. 800" ".' ~
ou ' ~, "''o. enee' u" en'raa'o 10
III " 80 su"o.''o' '"'o"s. '"'
''"i'' 'ov' "''"ou' P"'"'"s "s'uo u
I've ."uep' VI sun, "in""e, u
., e'"' '"'''eiea , :" '"' 'apa.'oa'
49, . -, We" W se"y "s pr y, ."'
'u. ''''', "'"sot'y P"r.''o"eu y" 'or
oy'o' "" '"or'"R !'a arc nearly
s ,',' ~, WIN '"'o"o ne pace Is
ua.a' ,"', n,. "' WV VI '"ree s'n",,
"'"uo"s' o''o. 'n.'u "'o "o"e' s","'
"pu.'"r.s, e'o''u Nv "'R"N "a''.'''"g
'"en "s"' anu a' IN w" pe"e'''''
ne hre Is seldom allowed 10 go out
ana when not olh1ins orighty In use.
smokes ana slnndges from u slight
depression IN tho center OF the hoor