218 SHETLAND. 



between seven and eight miles of line and 1,000 hook* 

 The lines are set in the evening, and if the first, haul in 

 not successful they may bait and set them again. They 

 sometimes remain out two nights, if the weather is fine, 

 during which they must content themselves with very 

 little sleep and scanty fare. They generally take nothing 

 with them but oat-cakes and water. 



The ha'af fishing has many a sad tale to tell of drowning 

 and disaster. Their boats of eighteen feet keel and six 

 feet beam are little fitted to weather a severe storm. 

 Anxious not to lose their lines in many cases their all 

 the poor fishers bravely try to keep their ground, and 

 often lose their lives as well. Such calamities are more 

 overwhelming, from the fact that the crew of a boat are often 

 all members of the same family. At such terrible times 

 the warmth and kindliness of the Shetland character come 

 out admirably, one family bringing up one orphan, another 

 another, doubtless from the feeling that next season, or 

 next week, their own little ones may be in similar case. 



Hibbert, in his " History of Shetland," mentions a 

 toast that used to be, and perhaps is still, given at a rude 

 festival about the beginning of the ha'af fishing : " Men 

 an' brethren, lat wis (us) raise a helt (health). Here's 

 first to da glory o' God, an' da guid o' wir (our) ain puir 

 sauls, wir wordy landmaister, an' wir lovin' meatmither ; 

 helt to man, death to fish, an' guid growth i' da grund." 

 When this fishing, is over, and they are about to return to 

 their harvest, the toast is, " God open the mouth o f 

 da gray fish (sillocks), an' haud His hand aboot da com." 



