( i67 ) 



OIL ON THE TROUBLED WATERS. 



I WISH to relate an incident I witnessed many years 

 ago, as it very strikingly illustrates the truly wonder- 

 ful effects of " throwing oil upon the troubled waters," 

 and will serve to show that the saying indicates a, fact, 

 and is not, as is generally supposed, merely a figure 

 of speech which has no foundation in reality. This is 

 well known to Shetlanders, and has often been the 

 means of saving valuable lives. But first a few notes 

 regarding the Shetland deep-sea fishing and fisher- 

 men may not be uninteresting. 



Finer boatmen than these hardy islanders are not 

 to be found anywhere, as will readily be acknowledged 

 by all who may have seen the splendid manner in 

 which they manage their fragile skiffs in a storm. 

 The boats invariably used for what is called the 

 " haaf " or deep-sea fishing are remarkably small, 

 and to look at them, seem utterly unfitted to contend 

 against the fierce storms and raging tideways which 

 prevail amongst and around the islands. But their 

 safety just lies in their lightness, buoyancy, and 

 handiness. If much larger and heavier, they would, 

 from their unwieldiness, not be so easily handled, and 

 would consequently be in much more danger of being 



