466 AT BUCKIE. [CHAP. x. 



wailin' when we saw them, or in the grand words o' the Book, 

 there was ' lamentation and sorrow and woe.' We kent then 

 that we micht look across the sea, but ower the waters would 

 never blink the een that made sunshine around our hearths ; 

 ower the waters would never come the voices that were mair 

 delightfu' than the music o' the simmer winds when the leaves 

 gang dancing till their sang. My story, sir, is dune. I hae 

 nae mair tae tell. Sufficient and suffice it till say, that there 

 was great grief at the Pans Eachel weepin' for her weans, 

 and wouldna be comforted. The windows were darkened, and 

 the air was heavy wi' sighin' and sabbinV 



Kesuming our tour, I may hint to the reader that it is well 

 worth while, by way of variety, to see the fishing population 

 of the various towns on the Moray Firth. Taking the south 

 side as the best point of advantage, it may be safely said 

 that from Gamrie to Portgordon there may be found many 

 studies of character, and bits of land-, or rather sea-scape, that 

 cannot be found anywhere else. Portsoy, Cullen, Portessie, 

 Buckie, Portgordon, are every one of them places where 

 all the specialities of fisher life may be studied. Buckie, 

 from its size, may be named as a kind of metropolis among 

 these ports ; and it differs from some of them inasmuch as 

 it contains, in addition to its fisher-folk, a mercantile popu- 

 lation as well. The town is divided and subdivided by 

 means of its natural situation. There is Buckie-east-the- 

 burn, New Buckie, Nether Buckie, Buckie-below-the-brae, 

 Buckie -aboon- the -brae, and, of course, Buckie -west- the - 

 burn. A curious system of "nicknames" prevails among the 

 fisher-people, and most notably among those on the Moray 

 Firth, and in some of the Scottish weaving villages as well. 

 In all communications with the people their "to" (i.e. addi- 

 tional), or, as the local pronunciation has it, "tee" names, 

 must be used. At a public dinner a few months ago several 

 of the Buckie fishermen were present ; and it was noticeable 



