OS1/31/11/94

Continued entries/extra info

[Page] 94

John Bruce Junr. [Junior] of Sumburgh, the proprietor of the Island, purchases all the fish, paying for it at a rate from 2/- to 3/6 per cwt. "wet", that is, as landed from the boats by the men. In a good season, a crew of 4 men & boys catches frequently 10 or 12 cwt. of fish a day, but the seasons vary much. The fish are then cured and dried on the beach, after which they are taken to Sumburgh in Shetland, & thence exported in cargoes to Scotland & Ireland principally the latter. The fish caught are principally saithe, with a few cod & ling. The latter are paid for at a higher rate than the former, - 5/- or 6/- a cwt. The cured fish, of which it of course takes a much greater number than the "wet" to make up weight, fetch £10 or £12 a ton for the saithe, and £18 to £20 for the cod & ling. The men do not receive the money for the fish until the latter have been disposed of in a cured state, which is generally about a year after they are caught. Meantime the fishermen receive goods from the shop which the proprietor keeps in the island, and there is an annual settlement of accounts between the proprietor & fishermen once a year. about July or August when the men are paid for the fish caught during the previous season. At the same time the rents of their small crofts are paid by the tenants. The crofts vary from 5 to 10 acres of arable land each, and the rents from £5 to £7 ; in addition to the arable land the tenants have the right of grazing in common over the greater part of the north half of the Island, and they keep there in summer a considerable number of cattle, sheep, and ponies. They all have cows one to four each, and an average each of about 30 head of sheep, from the wool of which their clothing is woven during the winter; but the crops on the arable land only provide enough meal for about half the year: the rest is imported & sold by the proprietor to the people. The latter as a rule are very fairly off for all the necessaries of life, but the houses are mostly bad and kept in indifferent order inside & outside. Some new stone & slated houses are now beginning to be built, and a road has been begun from the north to the south end of the island. Small pony-carts are also being introduced. The women do ⅔ of the croft work, and earn a good deal by knitting.
Every house has a large pile of timber near it, derived from wrecks, 2 or 3 of which generally occur every year, partly from storm, partly from the thick fogs which cover the island frequently during the summer months. The Board of Trade is understood to be contemplating the erection of a lighthouse & fog warning on the island, and the establishment of a life-boat station. Mr William Lawrence, who is the catechist & teacher in connexion with the Established Church on the Island, and who conducts a weekly service in the church in the absence of the Parish minister, has been instrumental in recently drawing attention to the danger to navigation caused by the Island's position & its stormy climate; he has also succeeded in obtaining for it last year a fortnightly mail. The School has been hitherto [supported] by the society for propogating Christian Knowledge but is about to be transferred [to the] School Board of Dunrossness
The sole proprietor of the Island is John Bruce Junr. [Junior] Esq. of Sumburgh, Dunrossness, Shetland, acting for his father John [Bruce] Esq. of Sand Lodge, Shetland.

Fair Isle, 23rd. July 1878
[signed] J C Macpherson Captain

Transcriber's notes

Descriptive Remarks continued from page 93

Initials J C stand for John Cosmo [Captain in the Royal Engineers]