CHAP, x.] ANECDOTE. 431 



to was the cleanest and the cosiest-looking house I had ever 

 seen. Never did I see before so many plates and bowls in 

 any private dwelling ; and on all of them, cups and saucers 

 not excepted, fish, with their fins spread wide out, were painted 

 in glowing colours ; and in their dwellings and domestic 

 arrangements the Newhaven fishwives are the cleanest women 

 in Scotland, and the comfort of their husbands when they 

 return from their labours on the wild and dangerous deep 

 seems to be the fishwife's chief delight. I may also mention 

 that none of the young women of Newhaven will take a hus- 

 band out of their own community, that they are as rigid in 

 this matrimonial observance as if they were all Jewesses.* 



The following anecdotic illustration of the state of informa- 

 tion in Newhaven sixty years since is highly characteristic : 



A fisherman, named Adam L , having been reproved 



pretty severely for his want of Scripture knowledge, was re- 

 solved to baulk the minister on his next catechetical visita- 

 tion. The day appointed he kept out of sight for some time ; 

 but at length, getting top-heavy with some of his companions, 

 he was compelled, after several falls, in one of which he met 



* " There fishermen and fishermen's daughters marry and are given 

 in marriage to each other with a sacredness only second to the strict- 

 ness of intermarriage observed among the Jews. On making inquiry we 

 find that occasionally one of these buxom young damsels chooses a hus- 

 band for herself elsewhere than from among her own community ; but 

 we understand that when this occurs the bride loses caste, and has to 

 follow the future fortunes of the bridegroom, whatever these may turn 

 out to be. Speaking of marriages, the present great scarcity both of 

 beef and mutton, and the consequent high price of these articles of food, 

 seems in no way to terrify the denizens of Newhaven, for there the 

 matrimonial knot is being briskly tied. While chatting with some of 

 the fishermen just the other day we heard that two of these celebrations 

 had taken place the night before, and that other four weddings were 

 expected to come off during this week ; and we both heard and saw the 

 fag end of the musical and dancing jollification, which was held in a 

 public-house on these two recent occasions, and which was kept up 



