Anniversary Address. 15 



instance as the numerous orders requesting tlie regulations 

 and management of the town pastures ; the shipment of 

 com ; the selling of white fish at certain hours ; the for- 

 bidding any brewing to be carried on between " Taptoe and 

 Travailley " (Reveille); but I will only refer in conclusion 

 to the orders concerning the catching and disposal of Salmon, 

 an industry which then as now was of the highest impor- 

 tance to the town. The ancient oath administered to the 

 town's packers of salmon to which I previously referred as 

 having fallen into disuse in 1682 was as follows: — "You 

 shall swear that you and every one of you for the year 

 following shall w alk and truly bear and behave yourselves 

 in all things concerning your charge and duty for packing 

 salmon and gilses * and that you shall not, by day or by 

 night pack any salmon or gilses into any barrel or half- 

 barrel, until first the same cask or casks be abled and 

 allowed by the gauger's marks upon it or them, to be pointed 

 and put on by the Mayor and his brethern. You shall pack 

 no fish privately or openly, by day or by night, neither 

 within the town, nor without the town, until first you have 

 made Mr Mayor or his deputy in his absence acquainted 

 with the same. You shall not be in Council consenting for 

 the packing of any salmon appertaining to any foreigner 

 which is not free of this Guild, but you shall open and 

 manifest the same to Mr Mayor. You shall not pack any 

 unclean, rustye, or unpined salmon, but such as are good, 

 sweet, red, salt, sault, well pined,t and merchantable fish. 

 You shall misuse no man's fish in the packing, or lopingj 

 thereof, but to do their duty orderly, honestly, and in- 

 differently, as well for the buyer as the seller. You shall 

 be at the lawful commandment of the Mayor, and him to 

 obey in his commandments and orders to you and any of 

 you to be given for this year ensuing, you and every of you 

 shall well and truly observe, perform, and fulfil to the utter- 

 most of your powers ; so help you God by Jesus Christ." 



* So spelt all throagh the book. Query ; when first spelt grilse ? 

 t To Pine Fish — To dry Fish by exposing them to the weather — 

 Shetland. — Jamieson's Scottish Diet. 



t Loping: perhaps a miswriting for " loasing," unpacking. — Jamieaon. 



