312 BUCKHAVEN. 



villages besides Eyemouth, has rolled away back, and in some 

 instances left the people worse than it found them. 



Crossing the Firth of Forth, the coast of Fife, from Burnt- 

 island to " the East Neuk," will be foxmd studded at intervals 

 with quaint fishing- villages ; and the quaintest among the quaint 

 is Buckhaven. Buckhaven, or, as it is locally named, Buckhyne, 

 as seen from the sea, is a picturesque group of houses sown 

 broadcast on a low cliff. Indeed, most fishing villages seem 

 thrown together without any kind of plan. The local architects 

 had never thought of building their villages in rows or streets ; 

 as the fisher-folks themselves say, their houses are " a' heids and 

 thraws," that is, set down here and there without regard to 

 architectural arrangement. The origin of Buckhaven is rather 

 obscure : it is supposed to have been founded by the crew of a 

 Brabant vessel, wrecked on that portion of the Fife coast in the 

 reign of Philip II. The population are, like most of their class, 

 a peculiar people, living entirely among themselves; and any 

 stranger settling among them is viewed with such suspicion that 

 years will often elapse before he is adopted as one of the com- 

 munity. One of the old Scottish chap-books is devoted to a 

 satire of the Buckhaven people. These old chap-books are now 

 rare, and to obtain them involves a considerable amount of 

 trouble. Thirty years ago the chapmen were still -carrying them 

 about in their packs : now it is pleasing to think they have been 

 superseded by the admirable cheap periodicals which are so 

 numerous and so easy to purchase. The title of the chap-book 

 referred to above is. The History of Buckhaven in Fifeshire, con- 

 tairdng the Witty aad Entertaining Exploits of Wise Willie and 

 Witty Eppie, the Ale-wife, with a description of their College, Coats 

 of Arms, etc. It would be a strong breach of etiquette to mention 

 the title of this book to any of the Buckhaven people ; it is 

 difficult to understand how they should feel so sore on the point, 

 as the pamphlet in question is a collection of very vulgar 

 witticisms tinged with such a dash of obscenity as prevents their 

 being quoted here. The industrious fishermen of Buckhaven 

 are moral, sober, and comparatively wealthy. As denoting 

 the prosperous state of the people of Buckhaven, it may be 

 stated that most of the families there have saved money ; and 

 not a few of them have a bank account, as well as consider- 

 able capital in boats, nets, and lines. Fishermen, being much 

 away from home, at the herring-fishery or out at the deep- 

 sea fishing, have no temptation to spend their earnings or 



