794 



SCILLY ISLANDS SCOT. 



to the whole population (165,'214) was 1-64 per 

 cent.; in 1836 it was 1-63 per cent. 



The greatest proportion ( I to 116 inhabitants) 

 was in the district of Bautzen, and the least (1 to 

 124) in the district of Dresden. 



Of the 162 marriages of parties differing in reli- 

 gious profession, in 1837, sixty-nine were marriages 

 of protestants with catholics. In 1836, by the 

 death of married persons the number of marriages 

 dissolved was 10/273 ; in 1837, 11,856; still the 

 number of married couples exhibited an increase 

 amounting to 3,273. 



A general comparison of the registrations relat- 

 ing to central Europe gives the following average 

 results: 



In villages 

 Towns . 

 Large capitals 



Birth.. 

 1 to 23 

 1 27 

 131 



Deaths. 

 1 to 40 

 130 

 125 



1 to 115 

 1 105 

 1 113 



SCILLY ISLANDS, (a.) The Scilly islands 

 lie about nine leagues west by south from the 

 Laud's End, Cornwall, from which they are clearly 

 visible. This wild arid romantic cluster of rocks, 

 many of which, on a distant view, appear like old 

 castles and churches rising out of the sea, al- 

 though scarcely known, except perhaps, by name, 

 to most persons in this country, possesses very con- 

 siderable claims on our attention. These islands 

 were known to the ancients. By the Greeks they 

 were called Hesperides and Cassiterides, or the 

 7'i islands, probably from their contiguity to Corn- 

 wall (where the Phoenicians traded), for not a 

 vestige of any ancient mine can now be discovered 

 upon them. 



It is evident, however, that they have under- 

 gone great changes since the period referred to, 

 as Strabo speaks of the islands as not exceeding 

 ten in number, whilst now there are upwards of 

 one hundred and forty, only six of which, however, 

 (for the greater portion are mere rocks,) are inha- 

 bited. These are, St Mary's, which contains 

 twelve hundred inhabitants; St Agnes, three hun- 

 dred ; St Martin's, six hundred ; Trescow, three 

 hundred and fifty; Bryer*, two hundred; and Samp- 

 son, one hundred and fiftyf; making an aggregate 

 of about two thousand eight hundred inhabitants, 

 which are rapidly increasing, the births greatly ex- 

 ceeding the burials ; indeed, so healthy is the cli- 

 mate, and so robust are the people, that it is a 

 common saying amongst the Scillonians, "that for 

 one man who dies a natural death, nine are drown- 

 ed." Cases of deformity are unknown. 



St Mary's is the largest of the Scilly islands, 

 being about nine miles and a half in circumference, 

 and containing, as we have seen, nearly as large a 

 population as the rest of the group. It possesses 

 an excellent harbour and pier ; and carries on some 

 trade, vessels to the value of .20,000 belonging 

 to it ; indeed, twelve fine schooners were at one 

 period launched in the space of six months. The 

 hills are rocky, rising in some places to a great 

 height, and are enriched with mineral ores. The 

 valleys are generally fertile; although there is 

 some marshy ground: the island contains three 

 towns, has a custom-house, a garrison, and druidi- 

 cal remains abound in several places. It seems 

 not improbable, that St Mary's will at no great 

 distance of time, be divided by the sea. 



* Between Trescow and Bryer, there is a very commodious 

 and safe harbour, called New Grimbsy, much frequented by 

 coasting vessels in the winter. 



t Sctlly- which gives its name to the group, is, singularly 

 enough, one of the smallest, not exceeding an acre in ex- 

 tent. 



St Agnes, being the most elevated of the islands, 

 and lying directly exposed to the Atlantic ocean, 

 has been chosen for the erection of a very high 

 and strong granite light-house, which stands nearly 

 in the centre, in the latitude forty degrees, fifty- 

 three minutes, thirty seconds, north. This struc- 

 ture, which was built in 1680, has been rendered 

 admirably adapted for the purpose for which it is 

 designed. The machinery is now so contrived, 

 that its light progressively sweeps the whole hori- 

 zon at intervals of three minutes; and by its regu- 

 lar intermission and increase, is readily distin- 

 guished from every other on the western coast. 

 There is also an obelisk on the island of Trescow, 

 which is almost as valuable a sea-mark in the day- 

 time, as the light-house is at night. 



The inhabitants of St Agnes, and the most 

 western of the islands, derive their chief source of 

 support in winter from piloting ships; whilst in 

 summer they cruise about the channel for the pur- 

 pose of disposing of fish, eggs, vegetables, &c., to 

 homeward-bound vessels. There are five boats at 

 St Agnes, employed in this way, each sloop-rigged, 

 of a burden of twenty-two tons, and navigated by 

 seven or eight men, who are joint proprietors in 

 the venture, and respectively share the produce of 

 their industry on shore. They sometimes run on 

 these excursions thirty leagues to the westward, 

 and in case of the homeward-bound being de- 

 tained by contrary winds, make their terms accord- 

 ingly the market being here regulated by the 

 winds alone. 



One important good, however, results from the 

 summer cruises of the Scillonians, for they are 

 thus enabled to give information of their situation 

 to those vessels which have been driven out of 

 their reckoning from stress of weather and other 

 causes; this information, we are told, has saved 

 many hundred ships, and almost numberless lives, 

 which would otherwise have been lost on the rocks 

 of Scilly. On this ground alone, the Scillonians 

 have a strong claim on the generosity, not only of 

 the British merchant and ship owner, but on the 

 government itself. 



SCOT, DAVID, M.D. professor of oriental lan- 

 guages in St Andrew's, was a native of the parish 

 of Pennicuick, where his father was a small farmer. 

 He was educated at the university of Edinburgh 

 for the ministry, and licensed as a preacher. See- 

 ing, however, no immediate chance of promotion 

 in the profession for which he had qualified him- 

 self, he became a student of medicine, and obtained 

 the degree of M.D. But as languages were his 

 favourite study, he applied himself to the cultiva- 

 tion of oriental literature, for which he was already 

 prepared by his intimate knowledge of the Hebrew. 

 Having made himself master of most of the east- 

 ern languages, both ancient and modern, including 

 Syriac, Ethiopic, Arabic, and some knowledge of 

 the Sanscrit, Dr Scot directed himself to the im- 

 portant business of teaching and preparing young 

 men intending to go out to India. In this depart- 

 ment he was eminently successful, and many of his 

 pupils made a distinguished figure not only at the 

 company's colleges in England, but in our civil and 

 military services in Hindostan. 



In 1814 the church of Corstorphine, in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh, became vacant, and 

 Dr Scot was presented to that parish, after he had 

 remained for more than eighteen years an unpa- 

 tronised and unprovided preacher. In this charge 

 he continued to labour for nineteen years, gaining 



