EFFECTS OF ROYAL NOTICE. 4l )( .l 



what they should do, one would think them the most inno- 

 cent and simple creatures in existence. But offer one of them 

 a penny less than she feels inclined to take for a haddock, and 

 he is a lucky fellow who escapes without its tail coming across 

 his whiskers. Of late our fishwives have been considering 

 themselves of some importance. When the Queen came first 

 to Edinburgh, she happened to take notice of them, and every 

 printshop window is now stuck full of pictures of JSTewhaven 

 fishwives in their quaint costume of short petticoats of flaming 

 red and yellow colours.* 



The sketch of fisher-life in the Antiquary applies as well 

 to the fisher-folk of to-day as to those of sixty years since. 

 This is demonstrable at Newhaven ; which, though fortunate 

 in having a pier as a rendezvous for its boats, thus admitting 

 of a vast saving of time and labour, is yet far behind inland 

 villages in point of sanitary arrangements. There is in the 

 "town" an everlasting scent of new tar, and a permanent 

 smell of decaying fish, for the dainty visitors who go down to 

 the village from Edinburgh to partake of the fish-dinners for 

 which it is so celebrated. Up the narrow closes, redolent of 



* " The Scottish fishwomen, or " fishwives" of Newhaven and Fisher- 

 row, as they are usually designated, wear a dress of a peculiar and 

 appropriate fashion, consisting of a long blue, duffle jacket, with wide 

 sleeves, a blue petticoat usually tucked up so as to form a pocket, and 

 in order to show off their ample under petticoats of bright-coloured 

 woollen stripe, reaching to the calf of the leg. It may be remarked 

 that the upper petticoats are of a striped sort of stuff technically called, 

 we believe, drugget, and are always of different colours. As the women 

 carry their load of fish on their backs in creels, supported by a broad 

 leather belt resting forwards on the forehead, a thick napkin is their 

 usual headdress, although often a muslin cap, or mutch, with a verj^ 

 broad frill, edged with lace, and turned back on the head, is seen peep- 

 ing from under the napkin. A variety of kerchiefs or small shawls 

 similar to that on the head encircle the neck and bosom, which, with 

 thick worsted stockings, and a pair of stout shoes, complete the 

 costume." 



