162 A SCENE AT LERWICK. 



the French Revolution, followed by Britain's paramount 

 supremacy at sea. British enterprise began to cultivate 

 the resources that lay close at hand in British waters, 

 and so it has come to pass that the number of Dutch her- 

 ring-boats now frequenting the shores of Shetland seldom 

 exceed forty or fifty. 



Yet, though it is no longer possible, as it was of yore, 

 to cross Bressay Sound on a bridge of busses, the arrival 

 of the Dutch boats is still an important event in the 

 annual history of Lerwick. They make their appearance 

 in June ; and while they remain in port, the Dutch sea- 

 men spend most of their time on " the wall," as they 

 term the shore. In face and form they bear a curious 

 family resemblance the former being Teutonic, and the 

 latter emphatically " Dutch." A greater variety is observ- 

 able in their dress; for while some wear a neat striped 

 cotton blouse, with cloth cap and trousers; and leather 

 shoes, others wear enormous "sou'-westers," blouses of can- 

 vas, capacious knickerbockers, or even " petticoats," all 

 of canvas, and wooden sabots, " clogs," or " chumpers," 

 not unlike their own vessels in shape. The streets of 

 Lerwick present a very animated appearance, when 

 paraded by these quaint, amphibious creatures, with their 

 hands everlastingly in their pockets, and their long pipes 

 everlastingly in their mouths. It is no unusual thing to 

 see them, in a burst of frolicsome affection, throwing their 

 arms around each other's burly neck, and shouting a 

 chorus in praise of " De Vaterland," to the noisy accom- 

 paniment of a concertina. As a rule, however, they are 

 peaceable, well-conducted, good-tempered fellows, seldom 

 the worse for drink, and always careful to give no trouble 

 to the Queen's lieges. 



