O THE SCILLY ISLANDS. 



and if a ship be seen in want of a pilot he is ready to 

 conduct her to an anchorage, recommending of course, 

 that of his own island as far superior to any other in 

 Scilly. If a ship be wrecked he is ready to risk his 

 life in saving those of the crew, and these islanders 

 are really less dishonest in cases of shipwreck than 

 their brethren of the neighbouring coast ; they are 

 certainly not more extortionate, when their assistance 

 is required, in perilous times. The great faible of 

 the Scilly pilot lies in enticing unwary and waveworn 

 mariners into his sounds, which he represents as 

 safe places of resort — a statement very equivocal. 



When the tide retires, and leaves the rocks dry, 

 the horse, cow, donkey, sheep, hog, domestic poultry 

 — all wend their way down the beach, to cull their 

 scanty fare from the fresh seaweed : pigs may be seen 

 turning over stones, and crunching unwary crabs, 

 while ducks and rats follow in the rear and pick up 

 the fragments. A seaman belonging to H. M. Sloop 

 Forester, wrecked on St. Martins, very facetiously 

 named a Httle bay abounding in seaweed, " The Scilly 

 grazing ground." 



The people of these islands are, generally speaking 

 an industrious, intrepid, and harmless race, leading 

 a hard life on scanty fare : the men are active and 

 skilful boatmen, and tolerable farmers in their little 

 way ; but more frequently find a grave in the ocean 

 than among their native rocks. The women are mo- 

 dest, and very industrious, working up the wool of 

 their shaggy sheep into garments for their families : 

 they perform all the domestic and much of the agri- 

 cultural labour, seldom attain a very old age, and 

 know little of the world or its wants. Each family 

 has generally a snug little cottage built of rude gra- 

 nite blocks, and roofed with slate brought from " the 

 continent," or else covered with straw or fern ; a little 

 spot is cleared of stones for a garden ; and for all 

 this a rent of 2s. 6d., per annum, is paid to the pro- 

 prietors ; no litigious limb of the law could exist here, 



