, 1897-11-29
KELP GATHERERS.
THE IRISH PEOPLE WHO DWELL ON
The ISLAND OF mYNiSI.

Rude Cabins which IA i.ude and Untuto-
Very Remupcrative One, .,ut They Ar.
Strong and Healthy Men.
Right on the western borders of the
land. and upon the numerous islands
and pCnlnsulas which are the common
natural features Of this broken part OF
the Irish coast. the kelp gathcrers live
In a certain SENSE they seem to be an
amphibious sort of folk and draw their
s~ustenance. apparently always more or
less scinty and prrcarluus. from sea and
land alike. Let Us picture their exist
ence for Il moment. such aS we may see
it on the island of Mymsh. not far from,
Roundstone bay. of the Galway cunst
Imagine al Island, about - miles in
circumference, connected with til" main
land by IA kind Of vIIduct recently con
structed by government. low lying and
wind swept by til" numerous gales of
ocean, but crowded with !; pppula
ton of several hundred human beings
Every little cove or bay Will have its
cluster of cottages. with their fishing
boats anchored close by. ready to run
down the bay for mackercl or to fetch
a load of kelp from the ncighhoring
rocks whcn wind and weather permit
The surface of the island itself.
which Is strewn with huge granite
stones and powders. Is parcclcd out
with the most exact and scrutinizing
jealousy. and If you attempt Il short cut
across country from one point to anCth
er your wa is blocked by Il continual
succession of loosely constructed stone
walls serving as partitions between an
innumerable series of diminutive plots
So intricate and pulling is the arrange
ment OF these plots that you are not at
all surprised to hear that they are a
source of litigation between the owners
OF the cottages. who are very fond of
invoking the law in spite of their pow
erty stricken condition
Cottages" we call them. for the sake
of courtesy. bnt whereas the word ''cot-
tage' calls up i'll the English sense some
bright and picturesque surroundings and
some appearance of comfort these cot
tages or cabins of the kelp gathercrs
oASSSSt SN'i hlhI vi tlSttiIlltTl. lllp
walls are built of the undressod granite
blocks picked up from the surface Of
the island and loosely Put together &C.
cOrding to the rules of Il very primitive
masonry But the roof is sometimes of
sod. AMI more often of reed The absurd
contrast between the strength and sta
blllty of the walls and the feeble char.
acter of the roof strikes the eye mm'di.
ately The floors are of very unsatisfac.
tory character, as they are simply un.
even pavelncnts with muddy intersticcs
IL calculated to retain every kind of
filth and abominatiOu. 1t would be al.
most impossible to sweep these floors
clean even If there existed the will to
do it
Ii there is any glass, it is simply mcr.
tiSed INTO some little chink, and VIII.
dow frames are unknown-partly be
cause wood Is scarce aud expensive and
lartly because the fisher folk do not de.
sire u window that will open.
AS far as accommodation is concerned,
there are only two rooms on the ground
fioor-one to be used as a kitchen and
sitting roor,. the other to sleep i'll. no
matter the number OF the family party
Sometimes there is Il kind of loft over.
head on the kitchen. where sonle of the
occupants can sleep Outside there is no
pigsty or cowshrd or any other ''ofice'
which we are accustomed to Onncc
with the ideas of comfort and decency
In cold and rough weather the pig and
even the COW are admitted to the hospi.
fairy nf fI,N tt,ltTl, and this
for their very friendly and sociablc
character, AS far as "rlut" is con.
cerned. the helper cannot complain
greatly. as it is IA judicial ''rint' and he
calIno be eJected. no matter how he
lives. as long as the rent is paid.
Sometimes a keeper has II right to
q common adjoining and eau run Il few
black faced sheep and some OF the black
cattle of the country, and whenever he
is ill a position to save money he prefers
to put it III stock rather than to commit it
to the keeping of Il savings bank. Here
and there OIL the island you may chance
across a little circle of stone in Il retired
nook. You Heed not puzzle long over it
as If 1t were some archaeological find,
for 1t Is simply the foundation of a kelp
stack h u has been piled up inside it.
and the calclned appearance of the
stones, together with the ashes around
them. will immediately rcveal. its use to
you. Far away along the winnings of
ON distant owe you will often see the
smoke of these kelp fires rolling heavily
out to sea. and the kclp stacks them
selves are among the common objects OF
the senshore. with the long trailing kelp
weed dropping down their sides These
have been won with much labor from
the deep, II the .ariy wage paid to
the Mynlsh Islanders by the kclp COM
pany Is nearly e. 200.
Kelp Is, indeed. the main source of
their wealth, and many a voyage has to
be taken before Il ton OF kelp is procured
The weed burns down to Il vIscuUs, Se-
latlnuus mass under the action OF the fire
and then cools down to hard and rugged
blocks The Helpers live Oh fish. milk,
tea. bread and Egg chiefly, but seldom
on butchers meat and bacon, for the
pig is really the ''Jiutleman that pays
the rint Still. in spite of hardships.
the Helpers are strong and healthy men.
They would make splendid recruits for
the navy. but If they leave their native
rocks they find their way to the United
States or our colonies st James Ga
Zette.