M and tester Memoirs, Vol. xlv. (1901), No. 8. 31 



source of their greatest profit, and they treated it 

 with a solemnity quite as laughable as the jeers of their 

 foreign visitors. 



The next letter is very quaint and gossipy : — 



Douglas, Ocf- 13th, 1797. 



We have had a very bad Herring fishing indeed. Not a Fish cured for 

 sale in the whole Island : but Gobbock have been, and still continue to lie, 

 in great force. Some of them are from six to seven feet long. They play 

 the very Devil with the Herring Nets, generally making three very large 

 holes, each of them. 



I have reed all your favours, the Lines included : they appear to be 

 very good ; but the Weather has been so cold, and the Fish so very scarce, 

 that I have not yet wetted them. My present amusement is riding. I have 

 bought a very ugly, black, Irish Horse, with a bald Face. He carries me 

 my pace (which is a Walk) very well, and, as he does not appear to have 

 any of his countrymen's bad Tricks, I believe we shill agree very well. 



I have spoken to 20 about some Potatoes. He offers to lay them at 

 Liverpool at 2/2d a Bushel of 90 pounds weight. I told him it was too dear, 

 but as I promised to write to you on the Subject, I could not avoid mention- 

 ing it. I will make farther inquiries, and let you know if I hear anything 

 worth your notice. At present it is too early to dig them for winter store, so 

 that there will be time enough to make enquiries. 



The person that 20 wrote to you about has, at length, made his appear- 

 ance. He brought a Note from our friend G. Hulme, who I shall be 

 extremely happy to oblige by showing Mr. Gatliff what little attentions I 

 can. It seems he has brought his wife along with him. Her I have not yet 

 seen. He appears to be rather eccentrick. I wish you wou'd take the 

 trouble of letting me know something about him. I dare say that Mr. 

 Hulme would not have given him an introduction without knowing him ; 

 but as he does not say a word about a wife I don't know what to make of it ; 

 especially as we have such a number of ripps and scamps here. This is 

 only to yourself. 



Mons"" Huquier has been making duplicates of myself, Mrs Cable, & 

 Sarah. He intends being in Manchester e'er long, & will, I dare say, give 

 you an early call. He appears to be an intelligent, facetious, old man. He 

 has been very happy in his likenessess of Mrs. C. & Sarah ; and they say of 

 me also. They wou'd not sit without I wou'd, & so they have persuaded 

 me to be a fool once more. 



I shou'd have told you that I have broke up my Summer camp and am 

 now in my Cottage in Town. We have been removed something more than 

 a Week. You, I suppose, are taking the wiser measure of leaving the Town 

 for the Country. I wish you every enjoyment in your new purchase. I only 

 wish it had been somewhere in this Island. I wou'd most certainly have been 

 your Neighbour. Here is a nice estate upon sale at present. I believe 



