Appendix, A. 



407 



When the townlands are reclaiming moovland, the crofters divide the ground 

 into long narrow strips, about five feet wide. In English these narrow strips are 

 called "lazy beds" — why, I do not know. In Gaelic they are called Feannag. The 

 name is in allusion to the flaying and turning over of the surface. This is an admir- 

 able way of reclaiming land, especially wet land. The deep frequent furrows 

 allow the warmth of the sun to reach the seed in the ground from the top and 

 both sides of the ' bed,' while the drains dry the land. The crops produced by 

 this mode of tillage, especially in damp ground, is better than that produced by 

 the plough. 



The extent of ground which strong bodies of crofters can reclaim in a few years is 

 surprising, and not less so the improved appearance of the land under their 

 operations. In this manner vast tracts of country have been reclaimed, and the 

 aspect of nature converted from repulsiveness to attractiveness. Too often, how- 

 ever, others than the crofters have reaped the benefit. 



Long stretches of the west coast of the Outer Hebrides are low and sandy. 

 Upon these low-lying sandy shores the Atlantic storms drive great quantities of 

 sea-weed, principally fuci. With this fuci the people manure their lands and 

 produce their crops. 



The people of Saint Kilda sing, or used to sing, a joyous song on the arrival 

 of their birds. The song begins — 



' Bui'cheas dha 'n Ti thaine na Gugachan I 

 Thaine 's na h-Eoiil-Mhora cuideriu ! 

 Call in dugh ciaru bo 's a chro ! 

 Bo dhonn ! bo dhonn ! bo dhonn bheadarrach ! 

 Bo dhonn a ruin a bhlitheadh am baine dhuit ! 

 Ho ro ! mo gheallag ! ni gu rodagach ! 

 Cailin dugh ciaru bo 's a chro — 

 Na h-eoin air tighinn ! cluinneam an ceol ! 



' Thanks to the Being, the Gannets have come, 

 Yes ! and the Great Auks along with them. 

 Dark haired girl ! — a cow in the fold ! 

 Brown cow ! brown cow ! brown cow, beloved ho ! 

 Brown cow ! my love ! the milker of milk to thee ! 

 Ho ro ! my fair skinned girl — a cow in the fold, 

 And the birds have come ! — glad sight, I see ! ' 



In like manner the people of the Outer Hebrides are pleased when they see 

 their wild shores strewn with their thrice welcome sea-weed. 



In order to apprise them of the arrival of the sea-weed, most farms have a 

 man living near the shore, whose duty it is to hoist a bundle of ragged sea-weed 

 on the top of a pole. This man is called Am Peursair, the perchman, and his 

 services are paid in sea-weed and land. 



Men and girls, with horses and carts and creels, labour assiduously in remov- 

 ing the sea-weed beyond reach of the tide. If they did not, perhaps the next 

 tide might sweep the whole away. In their eagerness to secure the sea-weed, 

 the people often, with the sea above their knees, work themselves and their 

 horses altogether too much day after day. 



When sea-weed is abundant on the shore, there is no restriction, but when not 

 abundant, the sea-weed is divided into Peighinnean, ' pennies,' like their land into 

 rigs, ridges. 



Should other work be pressing, perhaps the landed sea-weed is allowed to lie 

 ibove the shore for a time. If so it soon heats and putrifies, and the smell 



XCIX. 



Alexander 

 CarmichaeL 



