THE SCILLY ISLANDS. 7 



all their little differences being settled by arbitration. 



Some years ago a considerable quantity of kelp 

 was manufactured here, but since barilla has been so 

 largely imported into England, the inhabitants of 

 Scilly have not been able to carry on their kelp ma- 

 nufactory, it being more profitable to use the seaweed 

 as manure than to burn it into kelp. Each island 

 has a school built in the most convenient situation, 

 for all the children ; here, when unemployed by their 

 parents, they are taught reading, writing, and arith- 

 metic, on the Lancastrian system, and at the expense 

 of the Society for the diffusion of Christian Know- 

 ledge ; the teacher, who is also parish clerk, receives 

 a salary of £20 per annum. 



On the upper surface of the granite rocks, many 

 Rock-basins may be seen, with lips to carry off the 

 rain water. Many kinds of sea fowl breed here and 

 and find ample food for their young brood. Two 

 species of Curlew are constant residents. On enqui- 

 ring of the pilot whether these birds hatched their 

 young here, he very gravely informed me that " no 

 man ever found a curlew's nest ! " and in explanation 

 he said, " when our Saviour crossed the sandy deserts 

 of Arabia, the curlew followed in his track and obli- 

 terated the marks of his feet in the sand. Notwith- 

 standing the pious offices performed by these birds, 

 Adam Woodcock of " Hegh Town,'' St. Martins, 

 would not hesitate to shoot a curlew and broil it for 

 supper. 



There is a curious current running northward, 

 among the Scilly islands, retarding the ebb and pro- 

 longing the flood tides, making 18 hours northerly, 

 and only 6 hours southerly, stream every day ; the 

 consequence of this is, that a warm supply of water 

 is constantly reaching these islands from the south ; 

 bringing; considerable quantities of wood perforated 

 by the Tereda navalis. The sea being of a higher tem- 

 perature than the air of the islands, heat is given out 

 which renders the climate of Scilly both mild and 

 moist. 



W. 



