Year: 1869

A curious account of the tinkers of
Caithness was lately given by Mr.. J, Mac
kie in evidence before the select committee
on poor law in Scotland He says that as
a race the tinkers are IN all respects differ
ent from and have little or nothing in
common with the inhabitants. They live
entirely by themselves, intermarrv with


each other and i'll their general habits and


modes Of life are peculiar. About twenty


years ago they numbered only from twelve


to fifteen, and as they wandered about


through the i've northern counties, gener-


ally living in the open air, and bivOuacking


for few days at q time by the borders of a


moss or moor, their Influence tor evil was
not so felt as to attract attention. Since
then they have increased so rapidly as to


render division necessary, and now there
are hordes of them permanently attached


to each county, occasionally visiting one
another, but claiming as their residence
those localities where they generally con-
gregate. . s.


There are two colonies Of them, residing
ON either side of Wick Bay, in natural
rocky caves, locking into the sea, and so
near it that one Of the tribe, woman,


within few days Of her confinement, was
not long ago washed away by wave while


entering the cave on the south side of the
bay, and was drowned. In these caves
whole families live, day and night, with no
furniture, no bedding, no privacy They
herd like cattle. A fire is kindlcd in the
centre of the cave, and around il they


gather and have their orgies. Children
without rag to cover them run about the


caves and their entrances and when they
come to town are frequently enveloped in
a sack or a piece Of sailcloth. Their chairs


are boulders, their beds are the bare
ground, and their dishes are tins made by
themselves. Children are born there fire.
quently, and morning visitors entering
suddenly have more than once found adults
lying drunk, and in state of entire nudity.
Girls of fourteen are frequently mothers.


/ Not one of the hundreds that thus live
in the northern counties can read or write,


and the entire social condition of the tink-


er tribe is of the most degraded character


It appears from Mr.. Mackie that attempts
have repeatedly been made to bring them


within the range of social and humanizing
appliances, but in vain. Thinkers mission
aries labored for years, with no favorable
result. Numerous ladies' devoted them
selves land it required no ordinary courage


to do so) to their benefit, but without the
least good result. When, occasionally, they
were collected IN school room or private
house. along with few respectable inhab-
itants, to be spoken to and fed, the bulk of
them generally came drunk and it was i'm
possible to keep them together. Attempts


have been made to get them to settle down


and offers Of house accommodation have


been made them, but only with one in
stance of success in the northern counties.
Their source of living is three-fold. The
men occasionally work at making tins,
which the women sell, but the main means


of livelihood are begging and plunder. The
children are Taught to beg and steal from
| earliest years, and are most importunate,


and the women, who are always accompa-


MED by several children in rags and wretch
edness, are not less troublesome. Every


penny they earn in labor and by begging


and stealing goes for drink, and the result


is that when any of them are injured in


brawls, CT prostrated by sickness, OF be-


come feeble by age, they are at once put on
the poor roll and become most expensive
paupers.