gb0551ms-33-15

Transcription

[Page] 15
[continued from page 14]

The process of sowing turnips as carried out in
Skye is a laborious one. We saw it on
one occasion. A woman straddling the
drills, waddling along sowing the seed
by hand, two youths followed 'happing'
it up, while the head of the family com:
:pleted the operation by rolling the tops of
the drills with an empty herring barrel.
I penetrated into several black houses.
The most primitive was one near Borna
Skittag. Three buildings formed sides to
a little court, one of these, the longest,
being the dwelling. Outside against the
wall leaned a cas-cromb, or foot plough,
a primitive implement we saw being used
over at Staffin. The only door to the house
gave direct access to a byre at one end
in which semi-darkness, though it was
bright and sunny outside, a wretched calf
was tethered. From the byre we passed
through a thin wooden partition into
the central compartment of the mansion,
the living room. In the centre of the floor
on an open hearth burned a peat fire
above which hung a kettle on a crooked
stick, suspended from the rafters. The
continued on Page 15a]

[Photograph inserted]