/. Kildafrom Without. 105 



and, as proved by the officers of the Challenger Expe- 

 dition, actually does, carry its egg. 



The town of Stornoway, when we reached it, was 

 astir with men and girls busy with preparations for 

 a start southwards by a special steamer to sail in 

 the small hours next morning. 



The fishing, just over, had been another instance 

 of the " glorious uncertainty," which adds half its zest 

 to idle sport, but is a terrible fact to be reckoned 

 with by those whose provision for wives and families 

 is dependent on their earnings. 



The Barra herrings, which, for some reason, which 

 no one seems quite able to explain, fetch higher 

 prices in the foreign markets Russian especially 

 than any others, had failed entirely. The fish landed 

 at Castle Bay were little more than a third of the 

 average catch of the last eight years and less than a 

 quarter of the catch of 1885. In Stornoway, only 

 a few miles to the northwards, the take was almost 

 unprecedented. 



A thousand girls, imported by the curers from 

 Yarmouth, Grimsby, and other southern ports, en- 

 gaged for the season at i6s. a week fish, or no fish 

 with a free passage from and to their homes, were 

 busily employed for weeks cleaning the fish, and, 

 though the work was over before our return, the aif 

 within a circle of half a mile of the town was still 

 heavy with the faint oily smell of herrings. 



Our steamer, which carried also its full contingent 

 of fishermen and girls, sailed at midnight. By noon 

 the following day, after a bath and breakfast at 

 Strome, we were rocking along the Highland line 

 pitching and tossing in a manner which would 

 scarcely have imperilled the reputation of the Jackal 



I 



