FAMINE IN LEEWICK. 7 



stock of fresh meat and vegetables, wliich, as 

 well as fish and butter, we imagined, in the 

 innocence of our hearts, must abound here ; 

 but to our great surprise and disgust we found 

 there was no market, and scarcely anything 

 eatable to be bought. Will it be believed that 

 in a seaport-town of 3000 inhabitants, and so 

 far advanced in civilisation as to be lighted by 

 gas, there was actually not a joint of fresh 

 meat, a pound of fresh butter, nor even 

 any fresh fish to be purchased ? After much 

 foraging we did succeed in obtaining some 

 milk, some indifferent bread, and some stale 

 eggs. I went into a chemist's shop to pur- 

 chase some photographic chemicals, and upon 

 my remarking to the worthy proprietor that 

 Lerwick appeared to be suffering from famine 

 at present, he replied, " Oh yes. Sir, this time 

 of year is what we call the starvation months 

 here." 



As I was unwilHng to sacrifice a whole day 

 by waiting until sheep could be got from the 

 country, we went on board and prepared to set 

 sail, when just as the anchor was atrip, two 

 boats pushed off from the shore in hot haste : 

 one of these conveyed some fisher-boys, who 

 had just taken a miraculous draught of eight 



B 4 



