MEMOIR OF DR. WALKER. 25 



prime cost. The herrings have been swarming 

 since the end of last month, on the coasts both of 

 the main-land and Long Island ; but except a few 

 taken in Skye, I have not seen nor heard of one last 

 being preserved. 



" Lying at anchor last Monday night, in calm 

 moonshine, in the fine land-locked lake at Island 

 Glass, in the Lewes, which is a circle of two miles, 

 perfectly surrounded with lofty mountains, I saw 

 the water heaving with fish, and felt even the air 

 strongly impregnated with their smell. Three small 

 Highland yawls, each of them with an old tattered 

 net, came alongside of us by daylight, loaded to the 

 brim with the largest herrings I ever saw, which 

 the poor people were anxious to sell at four-pence 

 the six score, having no salt or casks to preserve 

 them. And this is at present the case in every 

 loch in these parts. 



" When the spinning-school was erected here 

 eight months ago, it met with the greatest opposi- 

 tion from the people. No young women could be 

 brought to it till they were compelled. To avoid 

 this, great numbers of them got themselves mar- 

 ried ! which was the case with several but of twelve 

 years old ! ! But finding that this was to be no 

 protection, they at length submitted, and ever since 

 the school has continued full. They now find it 

 both easy and profitable, and pursue it with a de- 

 gree of spirit and cheerfulness which is very agree- 

 able. I saw above fifty of them, from nine to 

 twenty-five years of age, at their wheels, in one 



