42 The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



from the byre, the entrances to these two facing one 

 another in the centre of the passage. The horses 

 occupied the right-hand corner of the byre, to which 

 they were often introduced through the house passage, 

 while the cows were brought to their stalls through an 

 opposite opening which looked out upon the dunghill. 



The kitchen had a small window in front and another 

 at the back, with a place for the peat fire opposite 

 the doorway. The smoke from the peat, as it found 

 its way through the opening in the roof, blackened 

 and polished the rafters. The spinning-wheel, which 

 was ever a part of the dowry of a farmer's bride, had 

 its place in the kitchen. Sometimes the swee, a sort 

 of crane, was attached to one of the walls at a corner, 

 and by this contrivance the huge caldron or cooking- 

 pot could be moved from the fire to a bench at the 

 side of the room and back again. To supply the 

 want of a swee, the pot was sometimes furnished 

 with a peculiar handle, called the " bool " of the pot. 

 The handle near to where it joined the bowl had two 

 circular openings through which a pole could be run, 

 and by this means two of the maids could lift the 

 weight conveniently. 



Any one entering the kitchen passed between two 

 box-beds, one of them apportioned usually to the 

 farmer and his wife, the other to some member or 

 members of his family. By the sliding shutter the 

 occupants could be completely closed in. The beds 

 were raised a foot or so from the floor, and the dogs 

 slept under them. In the spence, a room adjoining 

 the kitchen on the right, the few things that might 

 be regarded as household gods were kept ; and there 



