MEMOIR OF DR. WALKER. 25 
prime cost. The herrings have been swarming 
since the end of last month, on the coasts both of 
the main-land and Long Island ; but except a few 
taken in Skye, I have not seen nor heard of one last 
being preserved. 
“ Lying at anchor last Monday night, in calm 
moonshine, in the fine land-locked lake at Island 
Glass, in the Lewes, which is a circle of two miles, 
perfectly surrounded with lofty mountains, I saw 
the water heaving with fish, and felt even the air 
strongly impregnated with their smell. Three small 
Highland yawls, each of them with an old tattered 
net, came alongside of us by daylight, loaded to the 
brim with the largest herrings I ever saw, which 
the poor people wero anxious to sell at four-pence 
the six score, having no salt or casks to preserve 
them. And this is at present the case in every 
loch in these parts. 
“ When the spinning-school was erected here 
eight months ago, it met with the greatest opposi- 
tion from the people. No young women could be 
brought to it till they were compelled. To avoid 
this, great numbers of them got themselves mar- 
ried ! which was the case with several but of twelve 
years old ! ! But finding that this was to be no 
protection, they at length submitted, and ever since 
the school has continued full. They now find it 
both easy and profitable, and pursue it with a de- 
gree of spirit and cheerfulness which is very agree- 
able. I saw above fifty of them, from nine to 
twenty-five years of age, at their wheels, in one 
