1802. ] Sketch of the 
ferent. The fouthern deemfter, Lace, is 
remarkable for the ftrength of his intel- 
lect—the northern deemfter, Crellin, for 
the acutenefs of his difcernment. When 
on the bench, the one inveftigates clofely 
the cafe before him—-he embraces the 
whole fubject with all its difficulties—he 
examines, he deliberates, and his decifions 
- are confiftent with his profound knowledge 
ofthe law, The other darts his eye over 
the caufe, perceives with the utmoft rapi- 
dity and correctnefs its ftrong and its weak 
points, preffes thofe which are effential 
to its elucidation, and inftantly determines 
the queftion. The fame variety of cha- 
racter prevails in private company. ‘The 
fouthern deemfter inftruéts you by the foli- 
dity of his obfervations—-the northern one 
entertains you by the fprightlinefs of his 
wit: the former impreffes his guefts with 
the greateft refpect for his underftanding ; 
the latter proves to them, at the expence 
of their fides, that he is eminently gifted 
with thofe talents which can fet the table 
in a roar. 
Cannon, protected by breaft-works of 
earth, are placed in advantageous fitua- 
tions round the different bays of the ifland. 
In the beginning of the war two batta- 
lions of fencible infantry were raifed. One 
of them has been for fome time in Ireland, 
where the Manks foldiers have acquired 
much credit by their conduét. For the 
additional fecurity of the ifland, a large 
corps of volunteer infantry was formed, 
‘and twotroops of yeomanry cavalry were 
_. likewife embodied. A few years ago, 
| *juft-after the French had landed in Cardi- 
gan-bay, and when they were every day 
expected to pafs up St. George’s-channel, 
an alarm was fpread, from the circumftance 
of a large foreign-built fhip coming to an- 
chor clofe to the point of Ayre ; fuch was 
the promptitude of the fencibles and volun- 
teers, and the {pirit of the people in gene- 
ral, thatin three hours ail the northern 
forces had affembled on the beach, and 
were accompanied by every peafant who 
was capable of wielding a flail or pitch- 
fork. ‘The troops of the fouthern diftriét 
were expeditioufly marching to the affilt- 
ance of their countrymen, when they re- 
ceived intelligence that the vefiel was an 
Eaft-countryman, the crew of which did 
‘not know where they had got to. 
Some {mall manufaétories of coarfe li- 
nens and woollens are carried on, which 
are infufficient for the confumption of the 
ifland ; but the chief employment of the 
inhabitants is the famous herring-fifhery. 
Their veflels are near five hundred in num- 
ber, and perhaps are the fineft boats in the 
Ile of Man. (107 
world. The manner of building them is 
extraordinary, and difplays much ingenu- 
ity ; the boatwrights have no moulds, but 
fhape them entirely by the eye, reverfing 
the ufual method of conftruétion, by frit 
putting together the planks, and then in- 
ferting the timbers. They are from fif- 
teen to twenty-five tons each, and a mo- 
derately-fized boat, with all her rigging, 
fails, nets, &c. cofts at leaft one hundred, 
or one hundred and twenty-guineas. The 
owner of the boat has three fhares of the 
fifh caught, and each man of the crew a 
fingle fhare. By an ancient law, the fifh- 
ing is not allowed to begin until midfum- 
mer-day, except by exprefs leave from 
the governor:-it generally clofes about 
the latter end of O&ober. An admiral 
and a vice-admivral are every year appoint- 
ed to the fleet, whofe orders are ftritly 
obeyed under fevere penalties. The fea. 
gulls, which fly about in immenfe flocks, 
direct them to the herring-fhoals, towards 
which the fleet fail in the evening 3 but 
none of them are permitted to calt their 
nets until the admiral gives the fignal, by 
lowering his flag, which he does immedt- 
ately after fun-fet. If the crew of any 
boat find, upon proving their nets, that 
they are fuccefstul, they blow a horn, or 
ftrike fire with a flint and fteel, to {pread- 
the happy news among their comrades.— 
Extraordinary as it may appear, the {parks 
produced by the collifion of the flint and. 
fteel can be feen at a much greater dif- 
tancethan that at which the horn can be 
heard. When the boats are fortunate, 
each of them will catch in one night from 
twenty to one hundred maize of herrings ; 
a maize is five hundred, a hundred is fix 
{core and four herrings, which four are 
called one caft and tale ortalley. The 
herrings {queak like mice when hauled out 
of the water, butdie immediately. In the 
morning the fleet repair to the next port, 
where, in the firft inftance, they are oblt- 
ged to fupply the inhabitants of the jfland 
with whatever fith they may want ; their 
demands being foon fatisfied, a part of 
what is left is {peedily purchafed by vefle:s 
who make it a bufinefs to run with the 
freth fith to different markets on the coafts” 
of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and 
the remainder is bought by the red-her- 
ring curers, &c. ‘he boats being thus 
emptied of their cargoes, and the men 
having flept tor a few hours, which they 
moft frequently do by lying onthe rocks in 
their wet clothes; the fleet again proceeds 
to fea, to be in readinefs for the next 
night's fifhing. While the weather cen- 
tinues favourable, this is the routine every 
O2 day 
