The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-28


scribei-Their Home Surroundings and
SEPARATIONS.
lCopyright 1872. by Edgar L. wakeman.l
EDENBURGH. May 81 have been much
among Scottish fishermen, both in their
homes ashore and in their cabins at sea,
and can never recall them save in pictures
Of vivid and colorful setting Stimuli
tanecusly all these pictures seem 70 blend
liz one.
There are the red roofs. the breezy
shores, the cleaning sands and the tossing
spray OF Coidingham and North Berwick,
around 20 the south al the mouth Of the
Forth, the snug town and harbOr, the
quaint old streets, the luscious fish din
Ders and the screaming hshwiyes Of New
haven; the almost sOmber silence ever
brooding above the piers Of Buck Haven,
the rocky walls, the steely blue Of the Ger
man ocean. the awful storms and the great
dingy, cbeerless fishing towns Of the east
cost. from Aberdeen to Tburso the brown
craEs, the emerald slOpiDgs and the shad-
owy. mOanful assures Of the Shetland
and Orkney shores with their Dutch and
Morse color in faces and way1; the droar,
gray rocks and putin haunteetrngs Of the
misty Hebridcs whore ths3ravc, half
starved crOfter fisher battles al bis life Tor
mere existence, and the low and sunny
shores Of the SOlway where, at the very
threshold Of Burns land by the sODgful
NTH underneath the shadows Of boary
Crinels rim. the roaring Of the approach
ing SOlway tides tells the border iishwives
To be alert with their creels for their fisher
husbands coming
On the east and west, sea walls Of sub
Unity, tide plowed frths, shore reaches Of
barrenness and desOlation. Sea gulls hover
and whirl and scream. Skeleton craft
bleach in storm and wind. Everything
speaks Of sea rage, wrath and wreck. On
the north, lands and islands without for
ests split and serrated by the SEA IRE
rnendous precipiccs everywhere. Shadowy
''hellyers" cut the sea walls where the tide
Is ever sobbing in It's ebb and low. Here
fishing station; there dreary hamlet.
Yonder "A gravely beach with fish curers
and their sodden toll Beyond "a weird gio,
with a herd Of drowsy seals turning their
shining sides 10 the low. red sun.
Over all a llmy dreamy presence, for
the suns rays in the best Of weather filter
through wells Of mist upon these shoreside
toilers ali their simple, sluggard lives.
Through all the cutting Of sharp winds,
the driving Of almost barbed rain, the
splash and swirl Of salty, singing spray.
These are the physical features Of the
picture Threading ia and through it all
with a sturdy life and coloring are the
fishermen and fsherwives Of Scotland. /
always see these men something after the
mold and figure Of Dickens hero, Dan1
peggoty, larger OF frame, maybe and IN
the place Of his aspect Of benignity and res
olutiOn, a look in their faces Of melan-
choly and sternncss, mingled with a some
thing which for want Of better term may
be called a brave and defiant dread.
No Drawer folk live. Upon the decks Of
their smacks, schOoners or fiddle shaped
"sixerms." their hardihood and daring
u ION the stormy German ocean, among the
mist-hid dangers Of the sounds and lOchs
of the Hebrides, or when battling with the
fierce tides of the Orkney, Shetland ard
Farce islands, often reach a positive sub
hmity Of heroism. But | believe a no more
restless, unhappy lot ever lived ashore.
This is on account Of those strange iron
framed barb tongued creatures who ''Own'
them the irrepressible, tireless, fadeleSs
women, who, the moment they become
wives, not only assume all functions Of
management and command. but who store
and dole out every penny of the Scottish
fishers earnings TO the last "bawbee;" who
transact all business; originate and assert
all homeside ethics; set the pace in mat
ters of Kirk" and religion; and whose
tongues from the day Of bridal TO that Of
burial are never silent and are ever more
singing than the lash.
Generally speaking all east and north
coast isherfolk fare better in their homes
than those Of the west coast, who chiefly
comprise the crOfter fisher class barring
the border fishermen Of the southwest
from Aver around 20 Amman along the
Firth of Clyde and on the Solway. The
latter are often cottiers, and have comfort
able homes with well kept gardens and
are altogether the suggest and happiest
lot Of all.
-Four classes Of Scottish fisher homes
may be cited as most typical-those of the
Newhaven folk; Of the east coast folk from
Aberdeen north past Peterhead, Fraser
burg BanG, Inverness and Wick; Of the
fishers Of the Orkney Shetland and Farce
isles. and of the crofter fishers of Skye,
Lewis and Harris and OF North and South
Uist, in the Ilebrdes
Here at Newhaven long, narrow street,
with the oldest Of little old houses, their
street fronts almost hidden with ram
shackle stairs, creels, fishing gear, grand
danes and lassies batting the lines, runs
parallel with the Forth Into this from
the land side come scores OF other short,
marrow streets in every one of which the
same mass Of fishing gear, women and
children are found. Here and there tiny
old inns are hidden where the finest fish
dinners in Britain are served.
This principal street, called Main street,
IL open to the harborside, furnishing a lit
tie space in which all the business trans
actions OF the Newhaven fishermen have
been carried on for the past 100 years The
harbor itself is not large. It's each walled
side Is but 900 feet long and II has but one
little entrance Often you Will find 1t
without a single mast silhouette between
you and the horizon line Of the Fifeshire
hills Again upward Of hundred craft
sre rocking idly within the harbor walls.
At these times the fish have been auc-
toned OF and The fshwiyes, hundreds in
number, are away in all haste 10 supply
the tables OF AUD Reekie." Their creels
or fish baskets contain from seventy 10
eighty pounds Of fish These are carried
81 their backs, and are held IN place by
broad leather straps about the forehead.
The women have been known to thus
carry lJ0 pounds on their backs into Edin-
burgh