360 THE ISLE OF MAN — ITS AGRICULTURE, CLIMATE, ETC. 



eat it as they do the heather on the hills of Scotland. The 

 mountains are chiefly composed of grey wacke, clay- slate, and 

 schistone ; towards the south of the island, considerable portions 

 of granite contain silvery mica, grey quartz, and felspar, both 

 red and white. From each of these mountains there are several 

 streams, but little advantage is taken of them for agricultural pur- 

 poses. Lead is found nearly all over the island, and advantage 

 is taken of the rivers in propelling the machinery required for 

 crushing and preparing the lead ore for market. 



The island is divided for the most part into small properties, 

 which have been handed down from generation to generation. 

 These proprietors generally farm their own land, and intermarry 

 one with another. Their sons at an early age go to the herring 

 fishing during the spring and summer months, and when herrings 

 are plentiful, they live idle during the winter, doing nothing 

 but smoking tobacco during the whole day. Should the season 

 be unsuccessful, they are obliged to work at any farm work they 

 can find during the winter ; are mostly indifferent workmen, and 

 accept of low wages. The girls are cleanly and industrious ; 

 but many farmers' daughters, with large holdings, can neither 

 read nor write. Upon the death of the father, the eldest 

 son gets the inheritance, which requires to be burdened to pay 

 off the other members of the family their patrimony. The 

 small estate having thus been burdened over and over again, 

 there may be little inheritance left for the new proprietor. 

 Being thus poorly left, he struggles on in the old premises, which 

 are composed of a row of houses, or even worse, a house planted 

 here and there, the walls of which are built of stones and mud, 

 pointed on the outside with lime. The roof is made of two or 

 three couples placed about 8 feet apart, with rough branches 

 placed across, about 10 inches apart ; upon this a thin divot or 

 sod, about 3 feet broad, and 8 to 12 feet in length, is placed 

 upon the top of the branches ; it is then thatched and roped in 

 the form of a corn stalk. This requires to be done every year, 

 as the straw rope soon decays, and it must be renewed in order 

 to keep on the straw. The dwelling-house and out-houses are 

 generally of the same description. The dung from the byres and 

 stables is thrown to the door in a heap. If the place is high, the 

 urine is allowed to run away where it best can ; and if the dung- 

 stead happens to be in a hole, it is left to soak until it is required. 



The men-servants are engaged at Holintide. Married men are 

 engaged by the year, at so much weekly wages, averaging about 

 10s. per week. In addition to the money, they have a free house, 

 and from two to three bushels of potatoes planted, they providing 

 the seed, the master the ground and manure. They get their 

 coals driven free from the nearest shipping port, for which they 

 have to pay at the ship's side (as there is no coal upon the island). 



