Anniversary Address. 859 



Dog fish a few years ago were very abundant, and are 

 now comparatively rare. 



Sixteen boats, which belong to the Island, are engaged in 

 herring fishing ; a few years ago thirty-six were engaged in 

 the trade ; only two of the sixteen are decked, and this is 

 the first year in which decked boats have been employed. 

 Very few trees grow on the Island, of Elder, Plane, Willow, 

 and Thorn. A few have been planted on the south side of 

 the Lough, but trees cannot struggle against the fierce 

 winds. Herrings are cured on the Island, but not smoked. 

 About thirty or forty men are employed in working and 

 burning the lime; and five vessels are engaged in this trade 

 between the Island and Dundee — taking lime to Dundee, 

 and bringing back coal. 



Coal has been worked on the Island, but not for a number 

 of years. The water is good, and obtained from two springs. 

 There exists a third, but it is below high water mark. 

 Excellent water may be found by sinking three or four 

 fathoms. On the Island there is neither doctor, tailor, 

 shoemaker, nor blacksmith, nor even a draper's shop, where 

 you could buy a yard of calico. The word Pig is considered 

 extremely unlucky. When a fish called the Sea Sow or 

 Sea Swine is hooked (when children are fishing for sport), 

 they at once cut the line and let her go. During the spring 

 of 1875, a temperance lecture was given. During the 

 lecture, the lecturer mentioned, that in some place a boy 

 had a rabbit and gave the proceeds to help the cause ; one 

 girl had a "temperance goose." At last he came to a 

 "temperance pig" At the word, each eye sought his 

 neighbours ; from complete silence there was a general 

 shuffle, &c. Of course the lecturer was ignorant of what he 

 had clone, but it told not a little against the attention which 

 followed. The baiting of the lines is generally left to the 

 women and girls. A lad and one of these girls having 

 quarrelled, she being busy at the time baiting the line, he to 

 aggravate her, purposely said — " Phemie Fender's gan to kill 



It 



