The record-union., 1891-03-16

",
to be an indistinguishable mass of gables.
The houses are built along the line of the
shore, on the side of a hill, sloping down
to 1t, and these, gradually rising, give
curious impression that the city is all
roof. Lerwick is populous place, con-
sldering the island on which it is located,
has half dozen churches, but up to re-
| Gently no hotels, although lodging houses
are plentiful, and the far-famed hospital
ity of the Shetlanders render even these
almost unnecessary. Kirkwall is the
principal town of the Orkneys, and the
| business of the islands with foreign parts
| is done through these two ports. The
| imports consist of breadStutfs, for the
islands do not raise enough for their own
use; of wood, for only few stunted trees
remain of the forests which once covered
all the islands; coal and coke, and in par
ticular, tea in enormous quantities.
1t is curious fact that the people of
| northern races usually use more tea than
do those of the temperate zones, and there
ulant which peculiarly adapts it to use in
the extreme north. The Russians, the
| Scandinavians, the English, Scotch, ST.
| berians, the Northern Chinese, all use it in
| vast quantities, but in none of these coun-
tries is the amount proportionate to the
| population so great as in the ShetlandS,
| for 1t is stated as an actual fact that the
amount of tea consumed in the two groups
| OF islands exceeds the annual land rent.
The exports are dry fish, of which over
5000 tons per annum are sent away; her
rings, to the amount of 10000 barrels a
year; and, last but not least, various
woolen manufactures.
The industry of the Shetland women is
| phenomenal, and in nothing is it shown
more prominently than their knitting.
Inc Shetland women are never without
| their needles, and their needles are never
| without some work in more or less adj
vanced stage OF completion. They knit
shawls, cravats, Scotch caps, jackets,
stockings and underwear of various
kinds, but not all their work is coarse and
rough. Under the throat of the Shetland
| sheep grows very fine wool, which is not
cut, but gently pulled by hand when the
rest OF the fleece is sheared. Such is the
nneness of this part of the fleece that a
| pound of it will furnish an Incredible
| length of yarn, and from it fine wooden
wells and laces of various descriptions are
knitted, together with stockings so fine
that they may be drawn through finger
! ring, and Will cost SIS a pair. The fingers
of the women are never still; they knit at
their household tasks, while carrying
burdens of peat, on their way to market,
while sitting in their shops, and SO inn
portant is the product of their knitting
deemed that a peasant woman in hiring
! herself out as a servant Will contract that
she is to have ''her hands TO herself;"
that is to say, that the product of her
knitting, whatever it may be, shall be
! her own, to be sold for her own benefit.
The home life Of the people is as regular
as their climate will permit, for it should
not be forgotten that they are located so
far to the north that in summer there is
no darkness, and in winter very little
day. But the climate is not so severe as
might be supposed. The islands are sur
| ,1r.Tl L, 4 1
rectly in the track of the gulf stream and
their annual temperature is about 46o
Fahrenheit, falling to an average of 800 in
January and February, and rising to an
average of $50 in July and August Be-
| ing kept indoors during the most of their
dark winter, they pass the long hours of
morning and evening in knitting and in
| training pets. In one house a recent
traveller found pet seal, a sea otter, a
Newfoundland dog, trained sheep, Il
| learned goat, an educated pig, to say
nothing of two or three gulls and other
sea fowl, which seemed to have no
capacity for education. Seals as pets are
common in the islands and are very
| highly priced, the animals showing great
intelligence and much affection.
The houses of the well-to-do are much
! like those of people of the same class in
the north of Scotland, but on some of the
| islands the people live in mean novels,
which have neither windows nor CHM
neys. The loneliness of life on the
islets is something that civilized COM
munities have little idea of. Midway be-
tween the two groups lies rock known
as Fair Isle, and whenever the steamer
! from Scotland passes in sight on its
weekly trip, boats put off from Fair
| Isle, and ''throw paper, sir,' is the
shout which COMES up from every boat
man. To such an appeal no resistance
hn A
over, and not one is lost. In Fair Isle is
preserved custom which is long since
abolished in other parts of the archi-
| pelago-the paupers go from one house to
another, staying in each length of time
proportional to the wealth of the family,
and are cared for Just as members of the
household would be.
| Fair Isle is also famous in English his
tory, for when Phillips Armada was
circumnavigating the British Isles on its
way back to Spain great Spanish vessel
was wrecked on this inhospitable island,
and two hundred of it's crew escaping the
waves, took UP their quarters with the
| islanders. AS the entire population of the
island did not exceed 200 the accession
| speedily occaSiOned a ShortnesS in food
! supply. A famine enSued, and the island
erS, becoming desperate, murdered many
! of the Spaniards, the rest on stolen boats
making their escape to the Orkneys,
| l1ence nome. One GnUlfely unexpected
result of the Armada's visit is found in
the Spanish knit work, in arabesque
patterns and with different colors. This
was taught the island women by the
Spanish sailors during their stay, and is
found nowhere else in the Orkneys.
The people are a mixed race-Scandi-
Havians and Scottish. Fair hair and blue
eyes are common. Both groups were
under Scandinavian rule for many ages,
and the islands were the homes of the
Norsemen, whose piratical fleets from the
| harbors of these almost unassailable rocks
sailed forth to descend upon the coasts of
England and France. Relics of the
| Scandinavian occupation are seen every
where; in ruins, mounds, curious Pictish
towers shaped like an hour-glass, wide at
the bottom and at the top, Druid circles
and other monuments, the use and sig
nificance of which are now entirely un-
known. The islands were given in
| pledge to James III. by king of Den
mark, as security that the dowry Of his
daughter should be promptly paid, but
! finding his money of more use than the
islands. he never paid the dowry and let
James keep the islands. They came to
Great Britain at the union, and although
they are the most northern and secluded
| part of the British Empire, their people
| in intelligence, industry, manners and
morals will compare favorably with those
of any other country which sends a mem
| ber to Parliament.
TRUCKEE NOTES