Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 2

THE CELTIC MAGAZINE, 127
Another principal remote cause which led to the late destitution, and
which contributed largely to the poverty of the islanders in particular,
is the failure of the herring fisheries.
While kelp and cattle sold at the advanced prices already stated,
herring abounded in immense shoals in the numerous lochs, bays, and
creeks which intersect, in every part, the western isles and coasts of Scot'
land. These were caught with little trouble, and at comparatively small
expense, by the natives; and after furnishing themselves with large sup-
plies for tlieir own consumption, they disposed of the rest to numberless
crafts and small vessels which resorted in large fleets, from the south, to
every convenient bay and anchorage around the rocky coasts of the A\''est
Highlands. This resource, like the rest, has almost entu^ely failed, as
the quantity of that excellent fish which is now caught is so exceedingly
small, that it bears liardly any proportion to the thousands of barrels cured
of it at a time when the circumstances of the people would enable them
to dispense with it much easier than now. It would appear that the
natural history of this prolific fish is very little known, for such as have
been for years engaged in catching it, seem as ignorant of its motions and
migrations as those who never attempted to ascertain them. Many fruit-
less .investigations have been made on this subject, and the probability is
that it will ever remain a jiroblem to be satisfactorily solved. It liaa
been observed that since the fisheries became so jDroductive on the north-
east coast of Scotland, tlie herring has almost entii'ely deserted the west.
It is thought, however, that this desertion consists more in the manner of
the visits than in the non-ai^pearance of tliis capricious fish. That it does
not frequent the lochs and indentations which it at one time made a
resting-place, is quite certain ; but it is equally certain that it annually
passes by, both in the deep sea and in the open channels, where it might
be caught in large quantities by the natives, were they possessed of skill
and means for such an undertaking. Some people attempt to account
for its deserting the localities which it formerly visited, by its being
scared away by the numbers of steam-packets which now ply from port
to port on the west coast, whose paddles cause unusual commotion in the
streams and currents. This argument, however, for its non-appearance
seems to have but little weight.
In consequence of the failure in the means of liveUliood just enume-
rated, the poor Highlanders were more than ever under the necessity of
having recourse to various shifts and expedients to enable them to earn
a scanty subsistence, and to pay the rent of such portions of land as were
occupied by them. As little or nothing could be done at home to get
this desirable end accomplished, the able-bodied men resorted in great
numbers to the south, and to such other places as could afford them
labour, while the women went annually to the Lothians, and even to the
northern counties of England, to procure employment at harvest-work.
In so doing, they underwent almost incredible hardships in their wan-
derings, while at times they had, after coming home, but a few shillings
for their trouble. And this is not all; they frequently carried back with
them a variety of disorders, such as measeles, small-pox, fever, and other
diseases, and thus conveyed the infection to their friends, and rendered such