of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



381 



in a letter dated 4th June 1773, states that 'oysters are found very large in 

 ' Walls, but in no great quantity.' He further adds, in page 11 of his Tour t thai 

 about Walls they are to be got 'so very large that they must be cut in four 

 ' before they can be eaten.' 'They are,' he says, ' found in more plenty in Deer 

 ' Sound, Bay of Quanterness, &c, through the Orkneys.' Barry, in his History 

 of Orkney, says that ' the oyster is found in several places, but especially in the 

 ' Bay of Firth and of Deer Sound, and is inferior to none even in Britain, which 

 ' for many centuries past has been justly famed for the excellence of this produc- 

 ' tion. If our oysters, or their spat or spawn, were raised from their native 

 ' beds, in places for the purpose, and treated as they are at the mouth of 

 'the Thames, or at Colchester there is little doubt of their increasing in 

 'numbers and improving in quality so much that they would not only furnish a 

 ' delicious repast to the epicure, but prove a lucrative article of commerce.' I 

 trust that the day is not far distant when Barry's suggestions will be carried into 

 effect. From what I have above stated it is clear that the oyster was known in 

 the county at a very early date and appreciated ; but beyond this, I think, that 

 with safety I may assert that the oyster is indigenous to these islands, as I have 

 found in the underground dwellings of the ancient Scots, and in the broughs, 

 among their kitchen-middens in the county, numerous oyster shells. Herewith 

 I produce for your inspection a pre-historic oyster, found at Skara, Sandwick, 

 and which possibly was taken from the Bay of Firth more than 1800 years ago. 

 The Bay of Firth appears to be the most suitable and natural in the county for 

 the upholding of the oyster, as from what I can gather, it has all the necessary 

 advantages. In Walls they do not, for some reason, seem to have flourished, 

 notwithstanding, I believe, that Mr Heddle of Melsetter some years ago planted 

 a good number. Oysters are still to be found in Deer Sound, which was severely 

 dredged in late years, but they have never been came upon in such quantities as 

 in the Bay of Firth. I am not aware of any other places than those named in 

 which the oysters have been found, though from the old writers one would infer 

 that they were to be got elsewhere in Orkney. At any rate, I have no doubt 

 that there are many places where oyster beds could be formed. One of the 

 most suitable places in Orkney for rearing oysters would be the lower Loch of 

 Stenness — and a place even superior to that is the Peerie Sea at Kirkwall, about 

 which there could be no difficulty, as it is the property of the municipality of the 

 burgh. If oyster culture were tried there, I am sure the burgh would get a huge 

 revenue. The matter, at any rate, is worthy of the attention of the authorities 

 of Kirkwall. It may be well to mention that the oyster has many enemies, and 

 among the most formidable are the star fish, such as I now produce— gentry of 

 epicurean taste. The larger kind, when the oyster opens, grabs, and pulls it out; 

 the smaller species with the five arms or feelers, it is said, gets into the oyster 

 when he gapes, and sucks it out at his leisure. The Firth and Deer Sound oyster 

 fishermen, for their own interest, as well as for the good of the^ public, should 

 destroy such whenever they meet in with them ; also crabs. The oyster from 

 the earliest times has been considered worthy of being cultivated, not only for 

 the sake of indulging the appetite, but also from the great profit derived from 

 the culture of them. Oyster culture at the present day is carried on to a great 

 extent in France and the south of England, and is found to be a most lucrative 

 undertaking. It may be interesting to state that in the time of Lowe, 1773, oysters 

 sold in Orkney from Is. to Is. 4d. per 100, and considered dear at that. Within 

 twenty years they could be bought at 2s. 6d. per 100. Since then the demand 

 for them has become so great that they bring in no less a sum at Firth than 12s. 

 per 100. I may mention also that in Russia oysters cost 12s. per dozen, Is. each. 

 The Buss enjoys a dear mouthful. In England the British oyster costs from 

 Is. 6d. to 3s., and even more, per dozen sometimes. The Orkney oysters are much 

 prized in the south, and command a high price. About the year 1870 boats 

 came from all quarters, hearing that a find had been made, which, by the way, 

 should have been kept quiet by the Firth boys, and fished in the Bay of Firth 

 to such an extent that they are now scarce — having been over-dredged — in 

 fact, 'the goose that laid the golden egg' has been almost destroyed. 

 She with care will still survive, and will prove as fruitful as in days of yore. 

 Thousands of pounds' value of oysters must have gone out of Orkney, for in one 

 season it is said that no less than ,£2000 worth of oysters were taken from the 

 oyster beds of Firth, and a great part of this was earned by fishermen not 

 belonging to Orkney. Notwithstanding that these valuable beds have been 



