—

REMINISCENCES

CHILDHOOD AT INVERKEITHING,

LIFE AT A LAZABETTO.

JAMES SI MS ON,

Editor of "SIM son's history of the gipsies,"

and Author of 'contributions to natural history and papers on other subjects' "CHARLES WATERTON"; " THE ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES AND JOHN bunyan"; and "the Scottish churches and the gipsies."

' O ! is all forgot ? All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence? " Shaickpearb.

NEW YORK: JAMES MILLER. EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN & STEWART,

LONDON : BAILLIERE, TYNDALL & CO.

1882. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. the library of congress. Washington!

COPYRIGHT, 1S82, BY JAMES SIMSON, PREFACE.

It is seldom in good taste for a person to speak of himself; on which account (and also because there was hardly occasion for it), I avoided doing it in the little I have hitherto published. The present Reminiscences, I trust, will prove one of the exceptions,

for the following reasons, among others : — 1st, they refer exclusive- ly up to the time when I lacked three or four months of being ten

years of age ; 2d, it is upwards of thirty years since I left Scot-

land ; and 3d, three thousand miles separate me from the places alluded to: all of which circumstances, if they do not disarm un- generous criticism, at least satisfy me in regard to what might otherwise be questionable, if not offensive, even to myself. My connection with authorship proceeded incidentally from having come into possession of a MS. on the Gipsies, left by my father, who collected the matter of it, at the urgent request of Sir Walter Scott and William Blackwood, mainly between 18 17 and 1831,* while residing at the Lazaretto; and in regard to which, Sir Walter Scott, in a note to Qucntin Durzvard {i'St,\), said that " it is to be hoped this gentleman will publish the knowledge he possesses on so singular a topic." And it is partly in relation to this work that I have prepared these Reminiscences, as alluded to in the Appendix. It was also with this object in view that I pub- lished Contributions to Natural History and Papers on Other Sub- jects', so that what I —wrote in The Scottish Churches and the 6"z)>- jzVj was strictly true : "As regards myself, I am so incidentally connected with authorship as not to own it, except to a very few

personal friends ; to withhold a knowledge of it from whom would " be almost equivalent to denying it (p. 15). — "" In the Preface to Contributions, etc., I said : I would have add- ed to theln but for the difficulty in finding subjects (or leisure to develop them), that have not been treated before, or treated in such a way as to require to be corrected, and placed on another and more permanent foundation than heretofore." This remark does not very inaptly apply to the present publication, for the reminiscences of a person under ten years of age—whatever they might be:—cannot but be more or less interesting, provided that they are minute, circumstantial, and accurate; in all of which re-

* " History of the Gipsies," p. 64. — I brought the work down to the date of publi cation. 4 PREFACE.

spects they will speak for themselves. It makes little difference if they are given from memory many years afterwards. A publication like this, so far from being common, is hardly

conventional ; for which reason it may be objected to ; but, on the other hand, it may be taken as a precedent that will lead to oth- ers of the same kind. It has often been asked, At what age is a child, at least in a general way, responsible? As regards myself, I do not remember when I did not consider myself responsible ; and I have no recol- lection of having pleaded the " Baby Act " on any occasion. The development of a human being from childhood to mature age, hov/ever interesting, is foreign to this work, except that it may be said that he is only a " child of a larger growth," whose relation to a parent proper never ceases. Some people have little definite recollection of their existence while under ten years of age, and not much more of their boyhood. My removal from the neigh- bourhood of the scenes depicted had the effect of leading me to look back on them, and having them indelibly impressed on my memory. To such as remember the events of their childhood, in a semi-rural place, what I have told of mine will doubtless prove attractive ; whatever may be said of purely town-brought-up peo- ple, or such as, " caring for none of these things," are for the most part engrossed in their callings, and the amenities connected with their positions in life. It is astonishing how deficient many seem to be in the mental flexibility that enables others to look back and forward, and throw themselves into positions besides those they had been long and carefully trained to fill. Humanity is so uniform in the principles of its physical and moral and even its social nature that a description of it, in its lead-

ing features, might serve for one age as well as another ; and generation has succeeded generation almost as if they had never been, except that latterly each has left little more than " stray no- tices " of its existence, that are not always reliable. In that re- spect, is it not possible that the descriptions of the places given in the Reminiscences can be preserved, where there would other- wise have been a blank ? In childhood a person is in many ways greatly indebted to oth- ers but allowing for that, it may be said that in his " contro- ; versies " with his fellow-creatures the principal means that are nec- essary to his ends are his tongue and fists, and his legs when things

come to the worst : how different from the complicated relation-

ship in which he stands in that respect to them in after-life !

New York, /^th January, 1882. REMINISCENCES

CHILDHOOD AT INVERKEITHING

the southern side of the narrow ning of the roof, to steady the struc- ONentrance to the inner bay or har- ture. The stone used inside ap- bour of Inverkeithing — commonly peared to be of a soft and inferior called the West Ness—stood a Lazar- quality, yet doubtless suitable for its etto, which was finally discontinued purpose, as it was not exposed to the as a Government quarantine estab- weather ; but for about three feet lishment in the autumn of 1835, when from the ground on the outside it was it was sold to an P^dinburgh lawyer for of a harder and better description. ;;^2oo, but burdened with an annual The building had thus an almost feu duty of ^20. It comprised a clear oi)en space under it, suffi- wooden and a stone building, inside of ciently high to allow a child to move a stone wall probably twenty feet about by slightly stooping. Its three high at some parts of it, and a dwell- floors were not solid, for between j ing-house, close to the west side, in each plank was space sufficient to | which I was born on the 4th of Janu- admit the shoe of a child, who had to ary, 1826. be careful \n walking that its feet were After leaving the place in Septem- not caught in the intervals. The ber or October, 1835, I was told by sides and ends of the building were one of the old boatmen that, before composed of a frame, and slats that this establishment was erected, a ship opened and shut laterally; so that the laid alongside of the pier, sunk into structure could be thoroughly venti- the sand by stone, and served the lated from below and all around, and purpose of a Lazaretto ; and that have its contents exposed to the air when the Lazaretto proper was built outside. The size of the building this stone was partly used for build- was that of the machine shop of Mr. ing dry dykes, while the rest was Scott, erected some time after 1835, thrown into the sea, on the east side for I was told that its roof was the of the wall mentioned ; which lat- identical one that covered the Lazar- ter information satisfied a curiosity etto. that I always had as to the mean- The only use that I can recollect ing of the stone being there. I was the Lazaretto being put to was to re- also told that this ship, on being taken ceive a quantity of what I afterwards to Leith, was lost on the sands a lit- understood to be bags of rags, which tle to the west of Cramond island. were landed at tlie pier from lighters,

The Lazaretto was three stories and I believe broken up and ven- high, and was built throughout of the tilated, to lemove the contagion best Memel timber. It was placed which they were supposed to con- upon a number of square stone sup- tain. The stone building, back of the ports, some of which were continued wooden one, was apparently intend-

inside of the building to the begin- ed for passengers ; but it was never REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

used, within my recollection, for any circumstances unknown to me, ex- last which I re- purpose but housing the labourers ; cepting the of them, and its only furniture consisted of member seeing, in tow of a steamer, the slats of three beds, built into the passing Barnbougle Point, as I stood walls of the room in which they on the highest part of the garden of slept. There was a rigid quarantine the school-teacher, in the sunmier of

observed. The food of the men was 1835 ; and I could not help con- passed in through an ajjerture in the trasting the wonderful difference be- wall, on what looked like the half of tween a large ship of war when full a barrel cut lengthwise, with shelves, rigged and when used as a hulk. on which the food was placed ; and The Lazaretto had been practical- this on being turned on a pivot ly discontinued for some time before reached the inside, when the outside I remember it, for I recollect my door was locked. Water was poured mother saying that she had lost a into a chamber attached to the large large bag of feathers which she had door, and canght from a pipe inside. omitted to remove out of it when the Coals were shovelled, almost thrown, labourers entered it during the chol- through a door— no. one being al- era, in 1832. My father let his house lowed to approach within a certain outside, for one season, at least, to distance on either side. The wall Mr. Elias Cathcart of Auchendraine, had two doors ; a small one for pas- Ayrshire, for sea-bathing, and re- sengers, and a large one to admit moved with his family to the house merchandise on hand trucks, along a inside the wall. It was bis wife who flagged way from the pier till it made the pencil drawing of the place reached hoisting apparatus connect- from a photograph of which the front- ed with the building. About half a ispiece has been prepared. In 1835 dozen steps led to the building itself, the trees in front of the dwelling-

and three or four led from it to the house, when viewed from the East

stone building behind it. In the S. Ness, covered everything but the

E. corner of the enclosure was a chimney tops ; and the drawing hav- small, dilapidated stone building that ing been made from the same place, apparently had been used as a tem- it would appear that the view was

porary smithy ; and near the N. E. taken about 1829. corner was a small wooden erection The first recollection of people attached to the back of the superin- must necessarily be connected with tendent's office and boatmen's watch- something outside of the daily rou- house, which were entered from the tine of their existence, and that pre- outside of the wall. Attached to the sents salient points. Thus I recol- entrance to the wooden building, on lect being lifted into a large boat of

either side of it, was a shed built a light, tar-like colour, that was of stone. Inside of the stone wall hauled up to the beach at the west

were various trees which I need not side of the pier ; and that is all I re-

describe. member of it. From this I conclude At this time there were five or six that my memory does not extend be- hulks, mostly ships of the line dis- yond that. The next occasion was mantled, anchored in St. Margaret's finding myself in the kitchen of the Hope, a little below I-imekilns, that old farm-house — or rather row of were also used for quarantine pur- one-storied houses—at the Cruicks, poses. The Dartmoutli, a large- without knowing how I got there, or sized frigate, which formed part of how I left it; and being gently and the fleet conunanded by Lord Ex- kindly shaken by a strange woman mouth in his attack on Algiers, re- inside, who said, " Fat the de'il's the mained, for years afterwards, the only matter wi' the bairn ? " This was

hulk. The rest disappeared under 1 Nell, wife of Charlie, a stonemason. REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

I have no recollection of the build- on or about the premises. She had ing of the new steading of the Cru- small and girjii?ig features, and was

icks, although it was doubtless put anything but good-looking ; and was up between 1830 and 1831, at the of a nervous and fussing disposition, time I made Nell's acquaintance, constantly indulging in such expres- when she had charge of the old sions as " Fat the de'il is this ? " or steading. But I have a very dis- " Fat the de'il is that ? " She had tinct remembrance of the building no children. Her husband was a of the new dwelling-house, by seeing remarkably big and fat and gruff- two or three masons working at the looking, but peaceable man, and a

top of the south side of it, and two wonderful eater. To us children he labourers carrying stone up to them, looked like an ogre, that could dis- as I was with a boy while herding a pose of a pail of milk and a pound cow a little to the east of the build- of butter, not counting eggs, at a ing. This is all I recollect of the meal. And the owner of the farm, erection of the new buildings at the who was a non-resident, had evi- Cruicks. All of the trees were dently misgivings on that head, for l)lanted within my remembrance. I it was generally reported and be- recollect when I first went to a tailor lieved that he had said, "What a at Limekilns, about four miles from pity it was that the cholera did not " our house, walking both ways, and carry off muckle Charlie ! There

seeing a man sitting on the floor of was doubtless some truth in this ; at a room, with some clippings of red least he was of a very careful dispo- cloth lying in a corner, as if they had sition, for I heard a friend of his, af- been rags. I doubtless set out and ter visiting him at the farm, when he returned with the greatest ardour, took up his residence on it, say, " for next morning I could not move 's mice might break their

one foot after another ; and was lifted necks, but would not burst them- and placed on a table in the middle selves." It was also said that the of the sitting-room. I can fix my size of some of the windows of liis first certain recollection to the 20th house arose from his having bought of June, 1831, the day before the the sashes at a bargain, and built to birth of the fourth boy of the family suit them. ; for on that day I had Jock Hadden The farm-house mentioned stood carrying a small Russian mat to the about a third of a mile from the top of a brae and pulling me down Lazaretto, which was built on ground

on it, and digging and eating earth- cultivated by a farmer resident in In- nuts. The next day the most of the verkeithing, there being no buildings children had the same mat a short on it. About half the land was ara- distance behind our house, with a ble and the rest not broken up. stoup, painted blue, with black-col- It would seem that employment oured hoops, containing water, with under the Government creates not a tin to drink it out of, and oatmeal only a class, but almost a caste in a cakes to eat. It was a beautiful small community. As children we day, and early in the afternoon we all felt that there was a distinction of were told of the birth, and asked to some kind, although we could not go into the house and see the " little understand the cause or meaning of Irishman." it. It being the quarantine station, Nell, whom I have mentioned, distant about a mile from a commu- had also charge of the new Cruicks' nity of about 1,700 people, and our steading. She was an Aberdeen father being the superintendent, and woman, whom we all liked, although what may be generally described as I could never get rid of the idea that a thoroughly respectable character, her eye was constantly on me when the people treated us all with not REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

" only courtesy, but kindness. On that home, about four o'clock, if the head I never had occasion to feel old fellow had left." No concern otherwise than pleased. If I had was felt at night, but only during the any trouble, it proceeded either from day in my father's absence. He some fault of my own or from what even attempted to scrape acquaint- will affect children under almost any ance with my mother, and asked her circumstances. With the exception if she kept a school— there being eight cautiously, of two families, the heads of which of us ; when she, rather were employed at the station, we said, " Yes, she kept a kind of a " " were the only residents on the school." However, the old fellow ground on part of which, or near attempted to drown himself, but his when in the water, which, the Lazaretto stood ; and, al- changed mind though we had no right to order any and disappeared, to our great relief. one off, we felt (unreasonably, per- For the reasons given, everything haps,) that people had no business became so quiet that even the cow there, excepting those that cultivated would ai)proach a stranger with sur- the ground or came to visit us. We prise and without fear; which once could not order them off, but we led to a ludicrous scene. My father strange made it very manifest that they were heard Crummie making a not wanted there, especially boys or and loud noise, and on going to as- half-grown lads. Thus my father certain the cause of it, found her would make as though he was watch- tearing in the direction of the house ing them, and disappear and then with a man holding on to her tail. appear, which had an ominous He instantly let go his hold of it, and meaning, and generally served the said that he was a sailor that had had purpose in view. One Sunday, experience in the East Indies with

j rather earl}', there aj^ipeared about wild cattle, and that his safety when half a dozen of what looked like attacked by them depended on his tail , hold- young men, one of whom I knew ; catching them by the and and my father cast a peculiar glance ing on to it, whatever might happen. at them, which I instantly appre- It turned out that the cow had gone ciated, for I joined in the crowd up to him in the most friendly man-

till I saw them beyond the ner, which Jack construed into a boundary. On one occasion I challenge ; hence the result. The and my sister next older tlian me poor animal when freed instantly saw a strange boy with the farmer's turned round and stared at him. herd, and we went to see who he There was no road to the Lazar- was. His head was bare and had so etto, except a foot-path for only

j^eculiar an appearance that we, part of the way ; for the rest was Scotch - like, instantly dubbed him over the beach that was covered at

" - " tide, that a detour had some- Tappie tourie ; and I had to high so stand between him and my sister to times to be made in going to and preserve the peace, for she looked from it. In some places only there as if she would instantly Hy at him. would be the remains of the ruts However, the herd's acquaintances made by cart wheels when one hap- were always privileged when we as- pened to go in that direction. The certained that they were really such. inner bay or harbour became dry at An old man, poorly dressed and low water, so that my father, when in very miserable-looking, once caused a hurry to reach the town of Inver- us no little fear. He hung around keithing in the morning, would cross the place daily for nearly a week, to the East Ness on stilts to keep with no apparent means of feeding his feet dry when passing the shallow

or sleeping ; and it was the daily channel ; and return in the same di- enquiry of my father on coming rection in the afternoon, by calling ; —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 9 on one of the boatmen to go over raised a great disturbance, by saying and ferry him and his stilts to where that the child stole it out of his house. he had started from. In this way he He was considered an " ill-haired would cut off fully three-fourths of the auld loon," whose nose always fell distance to St. Davids. a-bleeding on my mother alluding to The only people that lived near a large bag of feathers which she had the Lazaretto were two families. The omitted to remove from the Lazaretto first consisted of Daniel Nicol and on its being occupied in consequence his wife, and a young woman related of the cholera, as I have already in some way to them. Daniel ceased mentioned. None of us liked him, to be employed in the establishment and I the least of any, particularly after the cholera in 1832. He seem- after his threatening to send me to ed to have owned his house, which Dunfermline jail under the following was next to ours, with a hedge be- circumstances : tween them ; and to have built the There was a small flock of sheep other three sides of his garden fence, pastured in the autunm on the land from the stone ballast that was dis- back of the Lazaretto, with which he charged from the old floating Lazar- had nothing to do. I was in the etto. He appears to have been habit of going at night and catching

originally a gardener, or a farm serv- one of the sheep and riding it ; and ant, or one that understood garden- I got so fond of the sport that I ing thoroughly, for he kept the ground would do it in the day-time, by driv- well cultivated. It contained a fine ing the sheep where they could not variety of gooseberries and currants be seen. I succeeded, towards the of every kind ; none of which he ever evening, in catching the biggest sheep sold or gave away, nor could the in- of the tlock, and got on its back, and mates of his house possibly use more felt absolutely happy, when a terrible than a small part of what was grown. "hollo" from behind made me tum- AVe had nothing of the kind on our ble off the sheep's back, without dar- side of the hedge, or inside of the ing to look around to see who the quarantine wall. Close to the dry- person was, or what he wanted. stone fences of Daniel's garden were Then I heard Daniel's gruff voice currants in the greatest quantity saying, " Get up and be ready to and sometimes he would tell us to go to Dunfermline jail with me to- help ourselves over the fence, and morrow morning, immediately after sometimes let us do it without telling breakfast." My happiness was soon us. At other times he would make changed into misery, for I really be- a dreadful noise if he saw us even lieved that that would happen which touch a berry. This was a great temp- was threatened. tation to so many children ; and as Much as I disliked Daniel person- they could not understand the singu- ally, 1 had a heart's hatred for his lar capiice of the man, they came to cat ; and it was difficult to se|)arate the conclusion that they had almost the two in my mind. I seldom saw a right to help themselves whether it, and never could approach it. they were told to do it or not. After Daniel had evidently been settled leaving the employment in the Lazar- there from the time that the land etto, I do not know how Daniel was wild, for his wife used to say that lived. He kept a cow, and he nmst adders or vipers were so counnon have had some little money ; for one that they would seem to move about day in passing at some distance from among her feet as she would hoe her his door my sister next older to me potatoes. His breed of cats seemed ])icked up a pound, in my presence, to have grown so wild as little inoie which my mother sent to him, not than nominally to admit of tlomesti- doubting that it was his, when he cated relations. Insitie of ih;i; bigh ;

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. wall of the quarantine I let my rab- Lizzie Nicol, generally called " Pus- regarded bits run at large ; their only covering sie Nicol." She was by us from wet being the wooden building with the greatest affection, and we and sheds before alluded to. Every were hardly ever separated from her. young rabbit, whether tame or wild, I have said that she was in some way related to old Daniel and his wife l)ut into the enclosure disappeared, ; nor could a brood be reared ; the but she seemed much superior to old rabbits only held their own. I them, allowing for the difference in was satisfied that there were no wea- their ages. She was a tall and rather sels or rats inside of the wall, and slim but handsome young woman, I could refer the mischief only to with dark brown hair, pietty blue

Daniel's cat ; and my only remedy eyes, and florid complexion ; and was was to get my father to line the trunk almost lady-like in her bearing, so of a tree (the branches of which far as a child could judge. She was nearly touched the wall) with dry frequently dressed in a blue gown whin bushes, but without effect. For with small white spots, which took the cat evidently climbed to the top with us all. All, besides the chil- of the wall on the S. W. corner, where dren, liked her. I well remember it was not far from the ground on the the piteous feeling which she showed outside, as compared with the height on finding that on putting n)y brother within. next youngest to me down from her Daniel's wife, a tottering old wo- arms, his cheek almost became ript man, very well liked by us, went un- open by a needle that was in her der no other name than " Auld bosom. She left the place before us. Luck." Almost as far back as I can The last I remember of her was her recollect, I remember her getting a racing Daniel's cow backwards and cow, and engaging for her herd Jock forwards, as fast as it could run, Hadden, the youngest son of Mark while my father dashed a pail of wa- Hadden, one of the quarantine boat- ter over it each time, to cure it of into the effects of having eaten too freely men ; and asking him to go her house to get his "arles" (what bind of wet clover. Whatever became of a bargain). Feeling curious to know her, she remained embalmed in our what was meant by Jock getting his memories.

" arles," I followed, and saw her with The other family consisted of Mark her thumb spread a large oatmeal Hadden, the boatman, his wife, and cake with butter, which Jock ate three sons and two daughters. There with great relish. I have said that we was nothing particular about Mark were not particular about helping except that he was lazy and uncouth- ourselves to currants over the stone looking, and somewhat bent in his fence of Daniel's garden ; but I once person, and blind of an eye, or had ventured inside of it for that purpose, something the matter with it. On 'When " Auld Luck " made her ap- one Sunday morning, pretty early for pearance. I immediately crawled a Sunday, I saw his wife treating him, between some pease that were high while sitting betvveen the fire and the in their growth, and well sticked up, window, as children are generally a when if the la- and fit for picking ; when the totter- treated once week, ing old body began to pick them bour is not more or less successful, (light over me. 1 naturally felt un- they are hardly considered healthy comfortable, but less so when I but I never saw a man so treated be- .quietly turned round face upwards, fore. I reported what I saw to my " and fixed my eyes on her counte mother, as something like black ,nance and perceived that she did not cattle in a park." The " planting of jiotice me. the thorn " was a more agreeable The youn^ waman spoken of was scene, for we all turned out, under ;

J?EMINTSCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. II

the most i>leasant circumstances, to woman when she missed her bottle ; carefully i)rei)are the ground and but she should have been more care- plant a small hawthorn tree, with ful in hiding it, and not have tempted every demonstration of success to it a child to do what it did. and which we often visited and tend- I have already spoken of Jock ed with care. I cannot say the same Hadden as Mrs. Nicol's herd. He of the killing of Mark's pig, for it is the first person I remember of happened when I was almost ready that stirred in my breast the feeling

to start for school ; but do what I of anger. He had promised me a could, and short as the distance was, stick with a peculiarly crooked head

I arrived only after the family had and did not give it to me. With this got the liver put into the frying-pan exception, I was very partial to for breakfast. I felt shocked by the Jock, and he was very kind to me. haste shown on the occasion. He had a great knack for building

Mrs. Hadden, generally called children's houses ; and I reniember " Luckie Hadden," accused me once how hap|)y I felt when we sli^red of theft under the following circum- between us one that contained a

stances : —On my way to school, and chimney of brick, neatly plastered, immediately to the west of her so far as a child of that age could house, but outside of her premises, judge. —Annie Hadden was lame, my eye suddenly caught sight of a and looked as if palsied on one side, round and clearly defined hole of and mentally deficient, and wore moderate size that led into a whin boots for her deformed limb. Still, bush, as it touched and became she was a resource when I happened mixed with the grass. The conclu- to fall out with my three sisters, all sion was unavoidable that there was older than myself; on which occa- something peculiar there, so that 1 sions they would reproach me with, put in my arm and brought out a soda " Gang wi' Annie Hadden, gang wi' " water bottle (the first 1 ever saw) Annie Hadden ! and once they more than half full. On finding that managed to strike up some doggerel it contained whiskey, I instantly took in connection with us. But these it to a rock on the beach and separations did not last long. smashed it into many })ieces. I had Our next neighbours were an old no proof as to whose whiskey it was, blacksmith, his wife, and his daughter but no doubt that it belonged to Rachel, or " Rech," that married the Luckie Hadden, who was a drunken foreman of the Cruicks' farm, who old jade. After jierforming what I bore a Highland name. Tlieir house considered a good deed, I had no stood on the left on leaving tlie In- other thoughts than that of telling my verkeithing road to go to the Ferry mother, when I returned from school, by the old way over the hills. The old what I had done, and of passing blacksmith was a queer-looking little Hadden's house hi my usual man- creature, but very entertaining ; and ner. None of its inmates had proof his wife was an "old crow" that was that I had even seen the whiskey, but seldom seen. " Rech " was a coun- ihey entertained no doubt as to the try lass, of a huthery-tuthery make- offender and all of them parents up, ; — and black-eyed, and by no means as well as children—were on the ill-looking. She was partial to us watch for me, and abused me sadly, children, and we rathf^r liked her. calling me by every name they could But sometimes there would be dis- lay their tongues on. And " steal satisfaction felt on our receiving arti- " the whiskey stuck to me for many cles that were left at her father's days ; but I neither admitted nor de- house for us to call or send for them. nied it. It was doubtless a heart- The smithy, as is the case in country breaking disappointment to the i)oor places, was a general resort for cer- ;

12 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

tain kinds of people ; and I would The old Cruicks' farm-houses were frequently go there to see the black- not used after the new steading was smith's monkey, (the first one I ever built, except for occasional puri)oses, saw), and his bull-terrier " Pincher," such as holding harvest-homes, or which would follow me, and " take " kirns " as they were called. I rec- the water " as well as any water-dog ollect having missed being present ])roi)er. " Rech's " husband would at one of these, and of examining the spruce himself up of a Sunday, and place with the herd the next morning. set out to church in his blue coat He caught a large mouse and flayed with brass buttons, as big as any- it, spreading its fat over it as we see body ; but there was a sad come- done with a lamb, and expressed his down when I met him some years wonder at how it had feasted the afterwards in Leith, picking up stray night before. " No, no," said 1, work as a i^orter. " that mouse did not take on that fat The people mentioned were the in one night." only inhabitants on the north side of In the summer of 1834 a boy from the peninsula, living within a mile of one of the grocers in Inverkeithing us, and whose dwellings were within brought to our house a large English sight of Inverkeithing. The other in- cheese and several bottles of brandy, habitants lived on the coast or shore which our mother, after considerable on the south side, and consisted of question and hesitation, took in, as the toll-keeper, Mr. Cathcart (already the boy asserted positively that they alluded to), whose property of St. were for her. She had the cheese

Margaret's Point long afterwards be- scraped, as it might after all be for came Captain Elder's, Mr. Pringle of her, but she doubted that the brandy

the Ferry Barns, and the residents at was ; that being a thing not used in and immediately above the Ferry. the house, although there might have At the time to which I allude the been a little kept for medicinal pur- chemical works (afterwards called poses. Whiskey and port and sherry

Jamestown) had been out of use for constituted the only liquors ; and some time, and were closed. I re- these were never used except on member when they were in opera- conventional occasions. Indeed the tion, and of seeing magnesia made, only spirit that was in demand was immediately to the left f)f the en- Riga balsam, for cuts, bruises, and trance; and an old man driving two what not. It turned out that the carts of coals to the works daily. cheese and brandy were intended for The last season I saw Ord, the cele- a family that had taken, as summer brated circus-rider, pei'form was in a quarters, the Cruicks' new farm- turf ring in front of the building, house, which had never been occu- where the road strikes off for the pied by its owner. This was a tem- Ness, when he retired to the gate of porary addition to the inhabitants of it (which was closed) to change his a different order from what we were a|)parel to suit his characters. On accustomed to. The head of the the time previous to that he entered house, a tall, well-built, well-filled-up, niside of the gate for the same pur- fair and florid, and fine-looking man, l)Ose. His only remuneration was a that rode a large and handsome lottery ; I think a sixpence a chance. horse, and his son, equally prepos- A wealthy man living in the neigh- sessing, mounted on a fine Shetland bourhood won a boll of oatmeal, and pony, were what we had never seen the buzz of the assemblage was, before. An intimate acquaintance "Now the poor will be considered"; instantly sprang up. The son was but the worthy man said that the too much of a man in importance to meal was for' his own poor, that is, keep company with the like of us his own family. but his sister, accompanied by a REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 13 pretty little black and white spaniel, by a name— the wash-bowl, the cas- went with my three sisters and my- tle, the coach, the cradle, our uncle's self to see what sights children have ship, and such objects as others to show on such occasions. First would not notice, or attach any we showed her the Ferry Hills, east meaning to. The wash-bowl was a of the road, clothed throughout in rock having a hollow on the top that the finest of pasture, and (one might was filled at the highest tides, or say) covered with horses, cattle and when the waves rose, or by rain. newly-made acquaintance would sheep ; then the various scenes in all Our face in the bowl, directions ; and after that Port Laing wash her hands and sands, the salmon stake-nets there, after which I made an insinuation as and the place where some snow was to its contents, which greatly dis- always found after it had disappeared tressed her ; but I soothed her by everywhere else, in consequence of protesting that it really was not so. it slipping off the hill and accumulat- We then came to the castle, and ing in the hollow below. Previously were proceeding to the ne.\t object none of us had ever thought of pass- when, to my astonishment, our friend ing over the pasture land, where there and my second sister began a fight were so many horses and cattle, un- wliich ended in a " rough and tum- less we were with a grown-up person; ble." At this time I was familiar but the sheep we were never afraid with cock-fights, dog-fights and boy- of, although sometimes a little suspi- fights, and had fought some battles cious of the rams. We sat down on myself. The quarrels of girls which the edge of the land at Port Laing, I had seen had been confined to call- safe from possible dimger, and dis- ing names, sometimes spitting at each cussed the subject of its occupants, other, and at the worst pulling caps ; especially the " dreadful bulls" that but here was a real fight. The old might be there. The pretty little idea at once seized me to see fair- spaniel, anything like which I had play, whatever the result ; but when never seen before, attracted my at- 1 saw the two girls tumbling over tention far more than its mistress, each other, almost like dogs, and the interesting as she was, and a city girl stranger uppermost, I at once pulled to at that ; and we were playing at her her off. It was always a mystery back when she suddenly exclaimed : me why the girls, who were aged — " Oh,< dear, what will Papa and nearly 13, fell out in such a way, as Mamma say when they find that their dispositions were the very oppo- Neppie has been worrying all the site of being quarrelsome. The most sheep ? Neppie, Neppie, where's striking thing about the matter was, Neppie ? " On hearing his name that after being separated everything called, Neppie ran to her, and was became as pleasant between them as the day's covered with reproaches and caresses before ; and we finished for the fright he had given her, al- excursion as if nothing of the kind though he could not have stood up had happened. to one sheep if she had had a lamb The intercourse with the family by her side. mentioned continued till they left We then started for our house, to for their home, with nothing but the show the Lazaretto, and opposite to most agreeable associations, except- it St. Davids, the wooded hill, the ing that on at least one occasion the flag-staff, the East Ness, and Inver- bread at the table turned out to have keithing stretching to the westward, been borrowed from " that auld and the bay, which had a pretty ap- craw," the blacksmith's wife. pearance at high tide. Li our way After this family had left, Mark we took in what little things children, Hadden's house, the second from so isolated as us, are apt to designate ours towards the west, was occupied H REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. by one Giles, an Irish marine, and brains out. Like one confounded, his wife, a Httle Irish woman. He a man, with as great a shout of fear, had lost an arm in the service, and started almost from under his feet, was living on a pension. He was a and bolted through the hedge of very tall and fine-looking man, which the garden. Several loud knocks struck me afterwards when I saw it brought no response from Giles, but stated that all the Irish Giles' (in a his wife was heard to say, little louder rtrtain district) were tall men. Liv- than a whisper and evidently in fear, ing, as it were, on half pay, Giles " Giles, there's something wrong to- " seemed to take to us as Government night ; and but for which the con-

))eople in active service ; and be- clusion would have been that both came imbued with similar sentiments Giles and his wife were from home. in regard to outsiders. Even his But when he heard a friendly voice wife shared the same feeling, and, calling out, "Get up, Giles, you Irish as she was, she seems to have have lost all your chickens," he was jiicked up a Scotch word having a soon on his feet, with a lantern in ])ecnliar meaning. Thus, when a his hand. strange girl was hanging about her Next morning I was all excite- door and staring at the premises, I ment to be at the scene, where I heard her say, " What do you want found a number of chickens goirg " here, and what are you glouring at ? about with their necks more or less Giles took a fancy to me, and I bare, showing that the fellow had got on well with him. He particu- not been up to his business. I then larly asked me to tell him when I visited the roost, and looking around saw a frog in his well, which I there- discovered that the thief had stood fore scrutinized very closely when on no ceremony in going, but left a ])assing both ways; feeling curious clear gap in tne hawthorn hedge to know what could be his object, as (which was ])retty tall, but not thick) 1 had always understood that it was from the middle of it upwards. Not desirable to have a frog visit a well. a hen had been stolen ; but of those One day I was pleased to find the dead two of the best were sent to long-sought-for frog, and I rushed to us, and the rest were sold. A bag, his house with, " Giles, there's a frog bearing the marks of the Govern- in your well !" In great haste he seized ment hulk that rode at anchor in a stick with three prongs in triangular St. Margaret's Hope, was found. The fashion at the end of it and started result to us was the presentation of for the well. He instantly caught two fine chickens; and to the robber the frog on the three-pronged spear the loss of his bng, the fright he got, and killed it, which did not raise him doubtless a scratched face in passing in my estimation. through the hedge, and the chagrin He and his wife had a hobby for at having been balked of his prey. cliickens and reared many of them, Besides looking after his chickens having fully a hundred at a time. Giles had nothirig to do, and so he On coming home, at about one constantly strolled around the coast, o'clock in the morning, from some and appropriated everything coming special meeting or party in Inver- ashore that could not be identified keithing. my father on passing his by any one ; and anything that was l)lace heard a peculiar noise in the of no use to him, and which would hen-house, which he could not reach suit me, I got from him. Thus he from where he stood. He listened once gave me a neat little sloop fully for a moment and became convinced rigged, with chain and anchor, which that there was a person in the house a boy claimed ; but the only satis- " faction he got was, Go to Giles ; I killing the chickens ; and, raising a great shout, threatened to blow his got it from him." At this time 1 REMINISCENCES OF IN VERICEI THING. 15 thoroughly understood the meaning worthy of being picked up, .ve would of the word " wrecker," and fol- return by the rocks and take it lowed the ways of one on everything home. But it would commonly hap- that came ashore within the limits. pen that, although each of us had On one occasion, well on in the " trapsed " or chosen even a dozen evening, I noticed, with wide-open things apiece, we would return by eyes, a small two-masted craft com- land ; and probably I would start the ing across the bay from near the cry of " a weasel," and we would foundery, and, wet as it was, and have a run for home— the distance wretchedly as I was shod, I instantly not being great. proceeded west to appropriate her The allusion to my sister's old when she would come ashore ; but shoes—which I had on, for some to my sorrow I perceived a boy, special reason which I do not recol- three or four years older than myself, lect—reminds me that at our isolat- coming in the opposite direction to ed residence it was our custou) to recover his boat, that apparently had have what might be called three suits got away from him when sailing it. of clothes ; one for church, one for He arrived before it came to land, a school or everyday conventional oc- few feet west of Pinkie well, which casions, and one for home, which deprived me of any possible right, was not worth much. And this rule which extended only to a thing that was observed by my father likewise. beached. He attended the school 1 well recollect him following, to- that I did, and evidently compre- wards dusk, the reapers (close to our hended the situation. The craft was house), behind me, as I was gleaning a very handsome schooner, of rather after them for the benefit of my rab- " small size ; and I remarked, Bet- bits and pigeons ; and his picking up ter a small one and a good OTie," a straw here and there for amuse- when he looked down to my feet ment. A strange female reaper with scorn, and replied, " Yes, better turned round and asked " who that small ones and good ones" — in allu- auld beggar was " ; which discon- sion to my having on a pair of one of certed them greatly, and was any- my sister's shoes, olil ones at that, thing but pleasing to me. It was and far too big for me. 1 had to our custom to give a substantial din- swallow the insult, for the boy was ner, of broth and beef, and bread far too big for me to tackle ; but I and cheese and whiskey, to the reap- kept a record of it, in case I might ers for two days every season ; and be able to "pay him off" in some there was always a bottle for tiie way. farmer himself, whenever he was on As a "wrecker," I was at first rather the ground, which soon became jealous of Giles, for he was an in- known to those in the house. Some- truder, and not in " active service," times he had real complaints of the as we were. But his great kindness, children trespassing, where there were and his giving me what suited me, no fences, and generally pretended disarmed me of every feeling of the ones ; but he was never allowed to kind mentioned. Many and many a get the length of making them, for time have I and my brother next the kind reception and the whiskey youngest to me run around on the bottle always proved a bar to any- rocks from the Ness to Fort Laing thing of thai nature. If he was seen sands, to find what had been cast coming up the walk, the bottle was ashore. We would dart our eyes instantly placed on the table, and from one rock or spot to another, met his eye before he could open his and cry, " I traps that " ; and we al- mouth. ways respected what each of us The cholera season of 1832 is viv- " trapsed." If there was anything idly im|)ressed on my memory. For a

i6 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. some time before that 1 had been at of what to a child was an age. The the parish school, which was dis- whole scene, as I have said, ^^as to missed when the pestilence made its me one of real happiness. appearance in the town and neigh- I have also a vivid, but not so bourhood. I have no recollection of minute, recollection of the procession having realized in any form the so- on the passing of the Reform Bill, in lemnity connected with this visitation 1832, a short time I think before the its The of the angel of death ; and I am sat- cholera made appearance. isfied that I was incapable of doing people from our direction met back " it at that age, unless it had been of of the road between the witches' the death of an inmate of the family, knowe " and the chemical works (now or of one with whom I had stood in Jamestown) and west of the culvert close and constant relationship. My that receives the water passing be- associations connected with the chol- tween the two hills there. We then era are those of the most unalloyed proceeded to the main street of the pleasure I ever experienced ; the town, where I was taken to form part event was the golden age of my ex- of a procession of the boys of our istence, the epoch to which I soon school ; marching two abreast, with began to look back as the dim anti- peeled willows in our hands, and quity of real happiness. There were having Bobbie on my left. What the disnnssal of the school, the beau- vexed me at first, and detracted tiful weather, the family all at home, from the pleasure of the occasion, their variety of plays and amuse- was that every boy but myself had ments, the bigger boys of the town white trousers ; which doubtless sailing and squabbling all over the arose from our living " out of town," bay, the burning of tar barrels, and and not being informed of the pro- the half-solemn, half-exciting discus- gramme of the procession. We sions of what to me was incompre- then went down the harbour wynd ; hensible. Then there were the on the corner of the entrance to bustle about the Lazaretto, which had which I noticed my mother shaking been disused some time before, the her hand at me, which still further boatmen moving about, the receipt detracted from the pleasure of the and dispatch of merchandise by ves- occasion, in the uncertainty of its sels, the supplying of the men inside meaning. We continued our march the building with necessaries, and to a hollow behind the flag-staff, near my daily watching all these opera- the end of the crescent that leads to tions. Then there was my father the East Ness. There we had speech- going about the house several times es and huzzaing, music and drinking, a day with a saucer (having a piece and all kinds of excitement. On re- out of the side of it) containing turning, the procession, or a large saltpetre and vinegar, and fumigat- part of the people forming it, pro- ing everything by stirring the contents ceeded to the residence of a shipper with a red-hot poker. Then there of coals overlooking the harbour— was us children taking our nieals white - coloured house, apparently (not playing with " tea things ") inside plastered or stuccoed—and had a of the hedge at the bottom of the speech from him, frequently inter- garden, under the trees, on table- rupted by cheering. And there my cloths spread on the ground. At recollection of the procession ends, this time I got what 1 thought was a excepting whether it was in passing real watch, but what became of it I or repassing (most probably the lat- cottage the crescent never knew ; and a knife, the edge ter) the only on of which was taken off by one of the that had pillars in front of it, that the boatmen for safety, and which I lost, Ci-owd cheered its inmate, the toast but afterwards recovered after a lapse of the town. On returning home, REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. the first thing I did was to ask my ket 1 had never seen before. 1 t'elt

[ mother why she shook her hand at curious as to his intentions, which j dig row, of me, at the top of the wynd ; when turned out to be to one a she said it was because I was " sniff- small size, of potatoes which he had teiing" (snuffing up when there is bought at a sale or "roup." This nothing to snuff up), which 1 softly surprised me, as I had never before denied, without tliinking how she that seen a man in black, with a could either have seen or heard me black neckcloth and no display of '• snirt'tering " from the distance at linen but a ruffled breast, digging which she was from me. potatoes ; and I felt hurt. 1 had oft- Soon after the cholera in 1832, the en experienced the benefit of his Lazaretto was practically discon- style of dressing, for it had many a " tinued. When we left it, in 1835, time kept blackguard boys" off me " what little ground there was attaclied — serving as a scarecrow or pota- to it, or inside of its wall, had been to boggle" for that purpose, even sadly neglected. As I have already under iirovocation. The row yielded said, the building was not used for very few potatoes, not worth carry- ony purpose for some time before the ing home; and I thought that I might cholera ; but there seems to have have had them presented to me while been a company of boatmen at- in the ground to divide them among tached to the station from the time the herds, who generally stole their of its erection, some of whom lived potatoes by dijjging them with their in the watch-house. These had lit- hands while allowing the vines to tle to do, and some of them seem to stand. This was doubtless a case of have attended to the grounds, as a bidding at a " roup " at which he matter of i)ersonal taste and pleasure. had accidentally foimd himself; or a

1 do not remember having seen any- whim of a man whose official duties thing done to beautify the premises, sometimes did not take up all of his or even affect them in any way. time. It had some resemblance to Things were allowed to take care of his once " cli|iping a sheep," when themselves, while people were kept he sent for a sheet and cut my hair

from injuring them. rerha])s the in the open air ; and which I shortly uncertainty of the continuance of the afterwards found as the inner lining of establibhment had this effect. At all a chaffinch's nest. It could not have events, the only time I saw the been for economy, for at all other ground disturbed was when some ]>o- times I had had my hair cut by an tatoes were i)lanted inside of the old weaver, in one of the closes of wall, and son.e cabbage outside, be- Inverkeithing, whose charge I think hind the dwelling-house; but by was a halfpenny for a child, and a

whose hand this was done I do not penny for a grown-up person. remember. I never saw my father We had nothing to complain of at even with a spade in his hand, ex- home, for what might be called the cept when burying an unfortunate discipline of the family was reason-

hare which I had brought home. able, and reasonably although strict- One day he started from the house ly carried out. There was nothing in the direction of i*ort I.aing sands, of the nature of caprice or arbitrari- with a manure or i)otato fork in his ness, and far less of cruelty, although

hmd, while I carried a basket. I occasionally punishment might have did not ask him what was his object, been less frequently and more leni- although he would doubtless have ently administered. Familiarity was

told me if 1 had done it. The fork certainly not the rule ; but when it 1 had often seen, and had once used was not indulged in, nothing offen- for a peculiar purpose, as I shall in sive took its place. There was suffi-

another place ex[)lain ; but the bas- cient of it to confirm and intensify IS REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

the affection on the part of the chil- I remember, when my bt other next dren which nature iuiplant-ed in their youngest to me, between three and

lireasts ; and for the rest they were four years old, required attendance, allowed every reasonable privilege of which was of frequent occurrence. children. Hence the affection on We were playing on a very warm the ])art of the children was accom- day, at the edge of the bay where the

]ianied by that feeling of obedience water was shallow ; and I called to which was proper to be shown to a Mary, who came like a tigress, and

father ; and in which fear in the of- tore the clothes oft' the child, and, fensive sense of the word had seizing him by the leg and arm. threw no i)lace. There was something that him into the water, and waded in after Feemed reasonable, or not unreason- him, and waslied him, and carried able, which we had to do, or take him on one arm, and his clothes on the consequences, which, however, the other, into the house, which was left no hard feelings behind them. close to where we were. On another He was the superintendent, and it occasion, pretty much all the children was only occasionally that he had to were sitting at the east side of the appear to preserve order. He never Lazaretto wall, when the child men- interfered with matters in the house tioned accidentally got well down the that came within the sphere of a pier, and we were all afraid that he woman's duties, for with these he would run over it. lUit Mary, with would never trouble himself. great tact, called him by name, with We had at all times a full-grown, ajiple the promise of an ; and gave sensible and exjierienced woman in him a good spanking on his reaching the family that could be relied on, her. ^lary was of the age at which and that could make herself useful in women are said to be desperate; but every way as regards housework and she got a husband, one much younger ihe care of children ; but we did than herself. .not keep them long, for they got I recollect in particular one of married, and left with the good-will these "maids," as they were called — •of us. all, and "tea things" costing Lillie, a fair-haired, blue-eyed, and ,])robably a ]5ound on each occasion. prepossessing young woman, rather I believe we had three sisters in sue- small in size, but of nerve and deci- cession. All these, being so well sion. However sharjily she managed -treated, never forfeited the confi- me, I never then or at any subsequent dence ])laced in them ; and I do not time had any feelings of resentment •recollect of an unpleasant circum- against her than if she had been my stance in connection with them. mother. She was a woman of tact. They certainly were a little arbitra- On one occasion, when in the kitchen, ry with us boys, as they would scrub 1 objected to go to church, and she us of a Saturday morning in a tub in said that even the birds had gone to the little nursery ; but there was our the church ; and sure enough there ifather for them to appeal to if we got were about twenty sparrows sitting obstreperous, which on that account around a blackbird in the leafless -seldom happened. They might grab hedge— p.'-obably from a hawk being us by the back of the neck and wash near. And when I objected to take us sharply in the tub, or dij) us in my porridge with " molasses" (trea- 'the sea less gently than they nn'ght cle diluted with water) when milk have done, but we never complained. was scarce, she said that I should The cou)plaint was more apt to come not do that, for if I took the molasses 'from those attending to us. I would have a beard as black as Mr.

They were generally decided kind Cobban's when I grew up.* Jn this -of women, with not the most forbear- * This Mr. Cobban was in the Custom- ling of tempers, as .on ,o,ne occasion house at Inverkeithing, and was trans- ;

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. 19 way was the difficulty got over in dry at low water, and the muddy sur- both instances. face presents a wretched contrast to My mother, with lier large family the scene when the tide has returned, following each other so closely, stood and is at its height. One day on in need of all the assistance which going home from school, with bag such women could give her. In on back, I turned up my trousers as every way we were well looked after; far as they could go, and started and there was not an accident worth across from the bottom of the manse speaking of that befell any of us ex- garden in the direction of Pinkie cept the trifling ones to myself, as I well. When nearly halfway over my shall rel-te. imagination became possessed by the After being ready to start for idea of bogs and the bottomless pit scliool, when I was about six years and it seemed the same if 1 tried to old, I had been playing on a stone turn back or proceed. I kept on my the top of which ])resented a sharp way, and got out at " Pinkie," and declivity. I slipped ofif it, and strik- there washed my little shanks in the ing on my chin, drove my teeth pool at which cows were watered, through my tongue, or cut it badly. none the worse, and less dis[)osed to

Still i was packed ofif to the school. repeat the feat. My tongue certainly felt sore, and After the cholera disappeared the particularly when 1 came to eat my Lazaretto was used for no other pur- midday bread and butter, in the house pose than any occasional one the of the kindly old family midwife. family might have for it. The wooden The occasion was very trying, for building, with its three stories, was a there was the appetite which could tine i)laying place for the elder chil- " for all not be gratified ; but bhe said, Let dren, and the stone building me see what a little sugar put on the the children, in wet weather ; and the butter will do," which helped me ground inside the wall served the wonderfully. —On another occasion, same purpose when it was dry. when between eight and nine, I was Hens when they had chickens were on a tree behind our house, and one put inside of the wall to protect them of my sisteis dared me to jump from against the weasels, which were com- it. " Yes," 1 said, " I'll jum;) if 1 mon outside, in consequence of which should break my neck." Tliere was we had no rats about the premises ; no real danger that could arise from at least I never saw but one, when the height, but the branch from which it was dead and being dragged by a 1 leapeil being unsteady, led to the weasel. The family monthly washing accident. My next conscious mo- was done in a room of the stone in wiiii twice a year a fire was ment was awaking bed, my j building ; and mother, father and uncle hanging kindled under a large pot on the over me. I afterwards learned that I ground to furnish, water to wash was stunned on reaching the ground, blankets and such things, in the open fashion. I which brought out my mother ; but air, and in the Scotch that before she reached me I got on also had the use of the premises for my feet, and ran around the most my pigeons and rabbits. jiart of the Lazaretto wall before I For several years before we left, in was caught. I was out the same 1835, all that was inside of the wall day, certainly the next one, as usual. was comprised in the following : — The other instance can hardly be two hand-trucks, a large swivel-musk- considered an acciilent. The inner et, a sail soiled by pigeons, a pot bay or harbour of Inveikeithing is left and a tin each half-full of tar, in which 1 found a hen and a blackbird, ferred to that at Alloa, I believe, about sitting as on a nest, long dead, but 1S53. He had remarkably large and bushy black whiskers. well preserved, and a small pot with —

20 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. about an inch of brown paint, nearly boats to a sloop, and there gutted as thick as putty, and a brush. The before finding their way into barrels last use I made of the place was to on the pier. —The next summer, or kill, for the table, the rabbits I had it may have been the summer of that running at large. Between the ends year, I had the opportunity of seeing of the wooden building and the wall how kelp was made in all its pro- were two high palings (with gates), cesses, which were few. 'J'here were which divided the ground nearly in l^eople who cut, with the ordinary two; while a net ran along the back reaping-hook, sea-weed growing on of the building, where there was an the rocks ; a little of which was got open space between the bottom of it inside of the harbour, and the rest on and die ground. These made a divi- the rocks between the pier and Port sion suitable for chickens. The pal- Laing sands. This was floated as the ing, being i)rivate ])roperty, was used tide rose, with a rope thrown around to brace our furniture for shii^ping. it, and towed to land by a boat. It

' On one occasion my mother used was then treated exactly as hay is the Lazaretto as a lock-up or prison cured, and burned in a round stone for myself, but on what provocation circle of moderate height ; when the 1 do not remember. One day we residue, after being puddled by iron noticed the boat of Captain rods, became the kelp of commerce. leaving InveikeiUiing, evidently to Jt was an interesting sight to see the pay us a visit. My mother imme- seine hauled. There was one end diately seized me by the collar and of the net fastened to the shore, and proceeded to " put me in quaran- the boat making a half circle till it tine"; but in place of acting more landed the other end of it, when like a pig when laid hold of than a both ends were brought together. lamb when handled, I went laughing The fish were then collected, and and capering before her, which evi- those not wanted thrown away or dently disconcerted her. I immedi- into the sea. ately availed myself of the knowl- I recollect but one instance of a edge acquired when investigating person fishing with the rod. Being the premises to ascertain how our a stranger, I watched him closely as neighbour's cat had reached my rab- he api^roached the place with his bits, and got on the wall and droj)- rod and basket. He was an elderly ped from it on the S. W. corner, man, dressed in something like port- where it was not so high as at other wine-coloured clothes, with a black

parts of it. I then received the dress hat, and spectacles. It was a Captain and Bessie and Bobbie as very blustering day, and he fixed his they landed, and brought them up tackle in Daniel Nicol's byre, and to the house, precisely as if nothing tied the bait, consisting of the inside of crabs, with had hapi)ened ; not daring to cast a on his hooks wool; questionable glance at my mother, for but he did not aj^parently get a bite. fear of making things worse than The most he could do was to keep they had been. However, I was his hat on, and prevent himself from never " put in quarantine " again. being blown over the pier. I stuck Isolated as we lived, there v.'ere to hmi from his arrival to his depart- few incidents to record in our his- ure, and treated him deferentially, tory. I remember, when the ground for he looked like a man that might was deeply covered with snow, the be allowed to go anywhere. With pier leading to the Lazaretto being this he seemed pleased ; but not a used, in the winter of 1831, for salt- word passed between us. ing and barrelling herrings, of which Between Port Laing sands a,nd there was a large catch in the firth. where we lived there was a bed of The fish were transferred from the tangle, that was exposed during —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. spiing-tides, and in which were many quarantine boatmen. —Occasionally urchins and hermit crabs. It was in- a large steamer would arrive at St, teresting to see the latter moving Davids for coals, and blow off her abont on the sand in the clear and steam, which always interested us. shallow water. I thought I had Our maid Lillie had a brother who seen every kind of animal that was was a sailor, and who always came to be found there ; and I felt sur- ashore to see her on the arrival of prised on observing an old man, on the vessel on which he was a hand. several occasions, returning past our We stood in considerable awe of the house from the direction of this tan- " sailor," yet when I afterwards gle-bed, generally with two lobsters, thought of his appearance and man- animals that I had never seen before. ner, I came to the conclusion that He was a queer-looking body, in he was more timid when in our corduroy knee-breeches, brown cloth house (with a man in black inside) coat, and dark cloth cap, with a tree than we were.— I remember the pin- leg having a large leathern socket, in nace from Leith arriving just as it which rested his knee, which was was getting dark, and missing the amputated a little below the joint. channel near the entrance of the He seemed to be a pensioner, living harbour, and getting aground, well somewhere in the neighbourhood. on towards low water, with tiie wind He carried a hooked stick of haw- blowing from the east. The men on thorn, apparently to pull out the board instantly jumped into the wa- lobsters from below or between the ter and tried to push the boat into rocks. I never could ascertain how the channel, and failing in that, in- or where he got them, and I used to dulged in a wonderful amount of watch for him when the time of low cursing and swearing. —On one oc- water allowed me to be on the spot. casion two fishing-boats left Inver- I asked him on the first occasion 1 keithing in company, but had not saw him wh»*re he got the lobsters, got more than half-way out of the but he declined telling me ; and I harbour before the crews began to concluded that, to avoid discovery, fight from their boats alongside of he went to the place by making a each other. It was the first fight be- detour by land, to prevent me fol- tween men I had ever seen, or rather lowing him. And yet he would ap- licard, for they were at some distance pear with his lobsters. On one oc- from me. They were evidently too casion I was examining one of them drunk to do each other much injury

very closely, and before I could with their fists ; but they made a hor- profit by his advice it caught me by rible noise. The leading spirit, who one of my fingers, which made a last- had children at the school I at- ing impression on my memory. tended, acted as if he had been

1 never got tlie length of fishing crazy ; and I still remember the beyond catching crabs, among the name he applied to one of iiis oppo- rocks, with a string having bait tied nents. —We were frequently annoyed to the end of it. — It was always an by careless shooting from the other interesting occasion to go to Port side of the harbour; two instances of Laing sands with the man who had which I recollect. One was a ball charge of the stake-nets there, and passing tlie right ear of our maul see him collect the salmon caught in when washing the steps outside of them. — Sometimes the crew of a the door, and fiattening itself on one boat from a man-of-war would land of them close at her hand ; and I he at the pier, and attract our special other was one passing through a attention. I recollect one in par- window of our sitting - room, and ticular doing it in grand style when striking the wall opposite it. compared with the way of the old The island of Inchcolm, between ;

22 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. two and three miles east of St. Da- sir," said I in fear. " Come out," vids, appeared from the back of our said he, " and be ready to go to place as if it made part of the coast Dunfermline jail with me to-morrow line; but as we moved a little towards morning, immediately after break- Port Laing sands a thread of water fast."* It was a long time before I would appear to separate it from the recovered from this fi-ight ; and morn-

mainland ; a little further would show ing after morning I was in the utmost that a ladder would bridge the two dread of the aj^pearance of the man and the distance would become great- to carry out the punishment threat- er and greater as we kept moving in ened. This young man was in all the same direction. This was always probability the nephew of the absen- a subject of interest to us. —The ap- tee owner. pearance of the lands of the Earl of From our house we could recog- Rosebery, on the opposite side of the nize i)eople leaving Inverkeithing firth, from Barnbougle Point to the that we knew, and much more easily west, also interested us greatly. when they left the high-road and 1 do not remember having seen a came along the beach in our direc- goose in Inverkeithing, and was not tion. My father, being about live aware of the existence of the animal, feet and nine inches in height, and although the word was frecjuently stout-built, and dressed in black, enough bandied about among people. could easily be made out as he left

Chickens and turkeys and ducks I the town ; and his coming always had seen, as well as the ordinary sea caused a pleasure at home. The fowls, whether tiyers or swimmers, view as far as the high-road might that never or hardly ever entered the have extended over half a mile, and harbour. On one very pleasant day, gave us time to i)rei)are for visitors, and when the tide was full, 1 noticed or consider in the event of the i)eo- two enormously large white birds tly ple being strangers. About half-way almost over my head (which at first the road took a slight turn, so that scared me) and light on the water. the passenger for a very short time With their snow-white plumage, black disappeared from view. On going bills, and large and graceful appear- home on one occasion, in wet weather, ance, they presented a grand sight, and long after the school had been iloating a little inside of the entrance dismisseii, I made this turn, and re- of the almost land-locked little inlet. mained there with a herd-boy, at the This was the first time 1 saw a swan. west end of some ruinous houses, My next grand sight, which did situated a little off the path, but to not turn out so i^leasanlly, was ob- which access could be had through a served a little behind the farm-house, ga|) in a dry stone fence, just where in a small strip of ground in which we were standing. It seems that my •were a few young trees, and consid- father had seen me coining along the erable grass. As I had never seen beach and felt impatient at my not sucli a i)henomenon before, 1 in- emerging from where the road took

stantly looked u]') with astonishment. the turn ; and had gone to see what Here was a young man dressed in a had become of me. However that ]iort-wine-coloured coat, white vest might be, the herd-bcy and 1 felt for and trousers, white beaver hat, pol- a moment paralyzed on seeing him ishetl boots, light-coloured gloves, pop his head through the gip, and

and brilliant cane, with an amazingly turn it U()on us without uttering a ])ompous and imposing air. He stood word. I naturally stood stock-still, looking at me while 1 stared at him * This was the identical language used in wonder, when he bawled out, b)' Daniel Nicol, as I have related. It " are you doing there, What you seems to have been the current phrase of " young scoundrel ? " Seeking nests, the neiH;hbourhood. —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. 23

but the herd instantly ran, throwing its dish—apparently its breakfast—to off his cloak to facilitate his ihght, which it was always made welcome.

when my father started after him, 1 coveted this dog, which I found one but soon gave up the chase. We morning, on my way to school, hunt- then went home in the best of hu- ing by itself, and "within the limits." mour, without any allusion to what I coaxed it to return with me, and

liad ha|)|)ened; but next morning I had it locked up till I returned in had some trouble in allaying the the afternoon, but with no definite herd-boy's fears. " Why did you idea of anything beyond that. On run?" said I. "Because I was the N. E. corner of the Lazaretto afraid," he replied. "And why were wall, facing the East Ness, was a you afraid ? " I continued. To that doubie-leafed door leading into a he could make no reply. My father small passage ; on the right side of had only gone to bring me home in which was the boatmen's house, and the wet weather; the rest was but a on the left the superintendent's office, whim of what 1 have already said both disused. There was a scuttle was at times a half-idle man. on the roof of this i)assage, leading There was a man who visited our to a small loft, which, to my soriow, house whose nominal calling was that I never had the oi)i)ortunity of rum- of a slater, but he was useful for a maging, to see whether it contained variety of purposes, including that of spy-glasses or such things. In the chimney-sweeping. He would even space between the two rooms 1 con- shoot rooks for those who wanted them fined the dog. I took little interest for i)ies, and would find them a hare in what passed at school that day, at almost any time. I was particu- for my thoughts were given to the larly attached to him, for he would dog, and the pleasure I would have bring me wild young rabbits, which on getting home ; without a thought I would put insiile of the Lazaretto of what was due to the dog, or as if wall among my tame ones. He was It had any rights. I was unconscious a peculiar-looking man, with a wide- of having done a wrong to any one, awake aspect, but in his way attract- or of having any unsettled troubles ive, and well liked — in short, every- on hand ; and I fiercely demanded of body's body; and on animals gen- my mother, " What have I been do- erally he was a great authority. He ing now ? " as she, without saying a might have been forty years old, and word, began to give me what, in the was remarkably active ; and in the language of the place, was called a summer season he was generally " tabbering," immediately on my en- clothed in something like coarse tering the house. " I'll teach you to linen. When lie visited us on busi- put a nasty dog into my milk-house," ness, of some kind or other, it was was her re[)ly. I denied the charge, always early in the morning, and by and stuck to my denial. 1 really crossing the bay when the tide was was not aware of the boatmen's out. He was invariably accom|)anied watch-house having been used for by a handsome bull-terrier, which was any i)uriK)se, as it must have been ai)i)arently so trained that it would visited only during school hours; the not, under almost any provocation, real milk-house being attached to our " even touch a cat unless set on it by dwelling-house. I said that I did its master. It was always a subject not put a nasty dog into your milk- of interest to us children when the house." She had no proof but ' hab- dog arrived. It never caused any it and repute, and the nature of disturbance in the kitchen, beyond things," and insisted on a confes-

the sullen and ziz/.ag retreat of the sion ; which I at last made by sa) ing, " into cat— yet never showing a full brush No, I did not put a nasty dog as the dog devoured the contents of your milk-Jionse ; I only put it into 24 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. the lobbyT I never learned how the on the Ferry Hills." The charge (log was released. It might have was too true and too unexpected, been by its howling, or on my mother and the danger too great, for me to going to the milk-house, when it raise a question as to our having would bolt out, leaving no doubt in been sleeping; and so I said noth- her n)ind how it had got there. ing. I got oft" on the promise of I had to be more cautious with my dropping the dog's acquaintance for fiither in regard to a bull-dog to the future. I still kept up that with which I took a fancy. In a place Will, against whom personally no ob-

like Inverkeithing, all kinds of chil- jection was taken ; but I did not dren attending the ])arish school venture to ask whether I might stroll mixed with each other ; it was only with him and a dog that was not a in the houses, or under special cir- bull-dog. •'umstances, that class ajii^eared. I I have already said that my father had little choice of companions, and was reasonable in such matters, al- had to take whatever came my way. though I ditl not thefi think that his My father said to me that he had no objection to the bull-dog was so. I objection to me "strolling the coun- might even characterize his govern- try with blackguard boys of my own ment as that of an amiab'e, sensible, age, or even with big blackguard and constitutional desi)otism, from stroll appeal. And boys ; but for me to with a big which there was no blackguard boy and a bull-dog was this is what should be shown by ev- what he would not permit." I ery one having the respon^ibility of thought his objection to tlie bull dog bringing up children, especially when was unreasonable, and I disregarded they are of a certain age. his orders. It was a large whue and I recollect, when 1 was about yellow dog, covered, like a black- seven years old, being at home guaid, with the remains of wounds sick — possibly of scarlet fever—in leceived in many a battle; which which case I remember I was only added to my regard and respect for one day in bed, so light was the at- it. It seemed as if I were getting a tack. I was playing with a wooden share in the dog, without the trouble hammer at the window on the stair and expense of kee|Mng it. I thought leading to the toj) floor, where there that \Vill, whom it followed, and I were some i>ots of flowers, and 1 ac- and the dog were fit for anything. cidentally broke a pane of glass. We had a stroll one Saturday after- Under ordinary circumstances this noon, and, when tired, laid down on was a capital offense, in conse- the grass, near the road leading to quence of the price of glass, when the Ferry, ftice downwards, and rest- there was a heavy duty on it. I ing our foreheads on our arms, but prudently went to bed shortly before without going to sleep. One of my my father'scoming honie; and when he sisters, unknown to me, saw us when approached the room in which I was ])assing, and reported the case to my I began to snore, while listening at- father. I walked wiih Will on his tentively to what might be said. In way home for nearly lialf a mile be- his allusion to n)y sickness my father yond the spot where I should have said, "Poor fellow !" which was sat- left him; and lingered there while ar- isfactory enough ; but the trying i)art ranging for our stroll on the follow- about the broken pane had yet to ing Saturday, in another direction. come. However, my mother On arriving at home 1 avoided my brought it up under extenuating father's presence, but was sent for, circumstances, which decided the and to my dismay charged with hav- question ; but I still kept snoring till ing been found "sleei)ing with the my father shook me up to know how big blackguard boy and his bull-dog I felt. —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 25

My father's repeated injunction to something like the father of every- us was, that when we did anything body, and the maker of all the

wrong we were to tell him ; which we money. \Vith this undefined and were always ready enough to do exalted idea of a king, it was with when we had to meet the conse- awe that I went to visit what pas>ed quences from any one outside, I in the neighbourhood for the "kinir remember one occasion in particu- o' the leears," to see whether I could

lar. The boy who occasionally do him obeisance ; but what a shuck herded the sheep near our house, to it gave to my feelings of reverence, which I have alluded, left me late on and what a contempt it raised ag-.iinst a Saturday night, with a bright fire such as admitted him to be their

and a roast of ]5otatoes under it, king!

which 1 ate, and dispensed with sup- The subject of ghosts I never per in consequence. He certainly heard alluded to in our house. It had treated me with great kindness, must have been purposely kept from yet for some unaccountable reason I us. Even Halloween I never heard

destroyed everything, after having mentioned ; and the only idea we eaten the potatoes, that were all but had of Hogmanay was some extra

ready when he left me. I had no fancy bread on the evening of , the sooner got to our house, which was last day of the year. As a natural at a very short distance, than I re- consequence, when I went to school gretted what I had done, not merely I had never heard of ghosts, and was on account of its baseness, but for therefore sceptical of them. I re-

the dread of the consequences ; and member one boy with whom I had before going to bed I told my father many a discussion on the subject. everything. He then gave me a " Where are they to be found ? " 1 penny, which 1 was to take to the said. " Well," said he, " there is one boy the fust thing I did on Monday in the house at the East Ness," a

morning ; and say that it was from building then vacant, and which aft- him, and that 1 was sorry fur what 1 erwards became the Custom-house. had done. The boy—a big fellow, This was coming rather near us, for with a cast in one of his eyes— re- the house was opi)osite ours, on the

ceived the penny with pleasure ; and other side of the narrow entrance to we contmued friends as if nothing the harbour, and had been (to a

jiad happened. Still, 1 would drive child) long uninhabited ; which had his sheep at night, and ride the big- given rise to a rather uncanny feel- gest of them that 1 could lay hold of ing, for even to a grown-up ])erson \\\ regard to our intercourse with the ideas associated with such a .other boys, my father's peremptory building are not pleasant. I pressed orders went no further than that we the boy with such questions as, were not to annoy th^m, or be ag- " How did he get into the house ? gressors in any way. The rest, al- where did he sleep ? and what did though never in any way expressed he have for bed-clothes? " And on " or implied, left to so asking him, " How could I see him ? was ourselves ; that if we gave " two for one " to he said that there were two ways for " those that annoyed us or proved ag- calling uj) the " father of ghosts gressors, or hunted them out of the to go to sleep with the bare right neighbourhood, we never* had a arm left outside of the bed-clothes, thought of trouble at home on that and by throwing out of a byr? three account. " empty grapefuls " immediately aft- As may be easily imagined, we er dark. I tried both, without suc- were all intensely loyal. The King cess— using the fork, alreaily men- was a being of whom I could {o\\w tioned, with which my father dug a no conception beyond his being small row of potatoes in a field. 26 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

And so far as I recollect, these were as we came home ; and I have no the only occasions on which the fork doubt that I furnished a full share. was used after we gave up keeping a We knew better than trouble our fa- cow, which is almost as far back as ther with such matters, and seldom my memory can carry me. our mother. Those interested were Alihough we in a general way de- ourselves and the maid. We were spised ghosts, we were always afraid all very industrious in bringing gossip of more tangible beings. Thus I got into the house, and as careful that up one day early in the morning to nothing should leave it. But we pull the gooseberries and currants found that there was a large leak (there was no other fruit) of Daniel somewhere, which turned out to be

Nicol before he and his wife were the boy next youngest to me ; who

afoot ; but I got up too early, for it would stop ))eople and tell everything was before complete daylight, and 1 that took place in the house, and boggled at something that looked answer questions pu-t to him, in which like a person silting with his back respect he was a pump that was al- against the corner of his house, wait- ways " on the fang." This habit

I us, only remedy ing for me ; and returned to my annoyed and our bed ; but when I rose at the usual was to say nothing in his hearing that time I went to see what had fright- we did not wish made public. I felt ened me, and found that it was a particularly aggravated when twitted stone placed there to keep carts off by people with such remarks as that the house, and which I had often I was " an industrious laddie to get seen before. And so, as I have al- up at three o'clock in the morning to tlie cat's ready said, I visited garden in catch mice for the breakf^ist" ; broad daylight, well on in the fore- and that I was " a foolish laddie not noon. to let the cat do that for herself" What gave us the greatest concern This habit became so notorious in a in the way spoken of was the cele- small place like Inverkeithing, that brated Dr. Knox, of Burke and Hare as we would pass through it on our notoriety, taking up his quarters with way to and from school, the women his family, in the autumn of 1835, in would come out and look at the boy the old Cruicks' farmhouse. When when accomiJanied by me. On one we i)assed in that direction during occasion a number of young women the day we kept as far away from the and half-grown girls accosted us, house as possible ; and would not clapping their hands, when one of pass close to it unless we were ac- them, more demonstrative than the companied by a grown-up person. others, almost spat out tlie following : At night the presence of an old per- —" If you were brither o' mine I son would not completely do away would tie a wisp o' strae about ye, with the fear which we entertained and stap ye up the lum !" —alluding for hinj as we passed his door. His to the habit of putting a bag tilled presence was regarded with great fa- with something in fire-places during vour by the farmers, whose crops the sununer, when no fires are used. were well protected in consequence The allusion to the cat and the from depredators ; and they regretted mice for her breakfast came about in that he did not return the following this way : —On getting home from year. Possibly some of them might school I found puss prostrate, as if have subscribed to pay for his lodg- her back had been broken, and not ings, which could not have cost much able even to crawl. Tiie explana- for the old house occupied by him. tion was that she had ariived from Isolated as we lived, gossip was the direction of the farm house, " with what we relished. We all contrib- the speed of lightning," and never uted our shares to the connnon stock rose after entering tlie house. On —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 27

enquiry I found tliat the thrashing- unobserved by my brother, withdrew null had been started while two cats to the outside of it, and raised the " were mousing there ; which resulted cry of a weasel." I then started in a terrific yell on the part of one for home, and had got near the road cat, while the farm one was not hurt. that leads to the farm, when two gen- In the condition described our cat tlemen stopped me, and asked me was an invalid that got the most impatiently what was the meaning of careful nursing for about fourteen my running, and of the boy on the days before she recovered. She was brow of the hill running and roaring reared, if not born, in the house, and so loudly as he did. The result was had a name, and was, as it were, one our going home together, and a good of the family, that never quarrelled behaviour on the boy's part for some

with another member of it ; and she time. had no dog to divide the affection From the part of the Ferry Hills with which we all regarded her, for a alluded to, and looking towards the dog was not allowed on the premises. west, on the same side of the firth, Always on coming home from school the ruins of Rosyth Castle present a the first question was, " How is puss, striking object for contemplation. A and when will she be on her feet and little before the time I have spoken at her work ? " She ultimately " got of, the view was rendered much more on her feet and at her w^ork," which sombre by the appearance, towards accumulated wonderfully during the th^ left and a little further uj) St. interval. If I had had sufficient re- Margaret's Hope, of five or six quar- flection [ would doubtless have caught antine hulks, that is, large men-of- mice for her " breakfast," or any other war liaving nothing but their lower of her meals; but it was not neces- masts and bow-sprits standing. I had sary to have got up at three o'clock often passed Rosyth Castl-^, but a lit- in the morning for that purpose. I tle inland of it, while going to and had indeed got up early one day in from Limekilns, in the company of connection with the mice ; which grown-up i)eople, Scotch boys then formed the foundation of the taunts were not partial to visiting places referred to, I naturally felt hurt at that were strange to them, unless that, and at the scandal of everything wiicn with others that were familiar done at home being niade the town's with them. And I presume the same talk ; but I had not the redress which peculiarity still exists among them. a thrashing would give. It was our They became suspicious of everybody father's exclusive prerogative in such and everything when strolling out of cases to ''do all the thrashing that what might be called their districts. was wanted"; but sometimes it was On one occasion I went with two difficult to make out a charge in the boys to Rosyth hamlet, with the ob- way of a complaint, however offensive ject of visiting, one of the hulks re- or provocative the circumstances ferred to, in the event of her boat might be. Hence I would sometimes coming ashore, and in which we ex- take i)leasure in seeing my brother pected to be taken to the vessel. well thiashed by other boys, when he We went along the beach, passing had thoroug'iily earned the ])unish- sloe-bushes that never bore sloes in nient. At other times 1 would fright- my recollection, till we reached the en hini, which was sometimes better east side of a small creek ; near the than beating him, and of which the head of which was a small foundery, following is a very fiiir illustration : with a few men working in it. Almost When in the middle of a young immediately opposite was the ruined plantation, of about an acre, back of castle. We waited patiently for the Port haiiig sands, and on the line of coming of the boat, which did not the small loch to the west of it, I, make its appearance ; and being dis- 28 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

appointed at that, we were anxious reach the old houses where my father to pass the founclery, and visit the had appeared so suddenly, and given ruin. But do what we could, we a herd-boy and myself so terrible a could not muster up courage to pass fright. At ordinary times we would the the foundery ; and so we returned as have walked on gravel-beach, and we came. And yet there was no made use of stepj^ing-stones over a ]:)ossible chance of any one interfer- " bad bit." Reaching the old houses, ing with us in carrying out our wishes, we had to make another detour to which were those of children under get round the bight already spoken of. ten years of age* This little bight was the trying part in Being disai)pointed in not being going to and from our house. Around able to visit the ruined castle, owing the west side of it the quarantine to oiw timidity in regard to passing boatmen had built an elevated road the foundery— the lion in the p^th — of about four feet in breadth, consist- I made up another expedition with ing of earth with a ragged stone fac- ing, to of high tides two boys. Profiting by experience, meet the case ; we went by the public road, ard but it was seldom used, owmg to the reached the ruin west of the dreaded spongy condition in which it gener- foundery. We got on the first floor, ally was. When the tide was not at which was easily reached, but we did its height, stepping-stones were used

not try to ascend higher. It was the in its place ; not in a straight line first ruin of the kind that I had vis- from the old houses to our dwelling, ]-)arallel with the raised ited ; and what struck me was that but almost ]xath. the little the floors were of stone ; the one up After lingering about to which we had got being covered bay (for to a child eVen a distance by a deep bed of earth and sod. We of three feet in any direction has a contemplating the . tlien started for the Lazaretto. The meaning), and tide being remarkably high, we had very high tide which had filled it so to make a detour to the riiiht, to completely, we started for the Lazar- etto. Nothing particularly attracted the other boy's notice there except * The feePng alluded to runs through that parts of the ])ier were covered almost every aspect 'and relation of by the scales of herrings that had Scotch lile and character. I have never lain there since the winter of 1831, spoken to Scotch people of intelligence and candour, in America, that did not nearly four years before. And from admit what I have said. They have at this it appeared that, in using the pier heart a feeling of having been cowed for cholera purposes, in the summer from their infancy upwards, in almost of 1832, the workmen had cleared every relation of life, that makes them sensitive and reserved, suspicious and away only such part of the refuse of timid, however brave and determined the fish as was necessary for their they may be when they once " sail in." purpose, and left the remainder to be The feeling in question does not appear disposed of by the elements. To be to them so plain while they live in Scot- sure, the pier was a public one, and land as it does after they leave it, and mix in a comnuiniiy of other people. They not under the exclusive jurisdiction

have not that confidence and assurance of the Crown ; but I often thought in their movements which would spring that the boatmen, with so nnich idle from its opposite impudence and a lack — time at their disposal, might have of shame. In that respect I once said to things look decent, especially a Scotch lady while on a visit to Amer- made ica:—"You Scotch are blate bodies, that as the pier was a small one. But at first appear like sheep that have neither they apparently acted the j^art which horns in their heads nor tongues in their seems to be characteristic of many mouths." " Aye," said she in reply, Government establishments— to touch " but we soon show people that we have specially both horns in our heads and tongues in nothing that does not con- our mouths." cern the service, and do no more REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. 29

even in regard to that than is abso- I was in no hurry for a settlement, lutely necessary. like a person whose claim for princi- The occasion of my other expedi- pal and accruing interest is well se-

tion to the neighbourhood of Rosyth cured ; and I never troubled the is not very distinctly impressed on debtor (who seems to have avoided my metnory. I recollect coming me) till I met him accidentally be- from it, with three boys, walking tween the church and the school, on four abreast— I on the right, a big the oi)posite side of the street. The boy next me, then a boy smaller than narrowness of the space and the con- myself, and on the outside of the figuration of the buildings may have line, a boy nearly of my own size, produced the effect, or it may have and with whom 1 was on the best of been an illusion on my part, still 1 terms. Taking advantage of the big could never divest myself of the idea boy's friendship for him, he began, that the blows on the culprit's ribs without the slightest provocation, to sounded like an echo somewhere. lash me over the back of a bird, the This much is certain, that a big boy name of which hai)pened to be my called " Biscuits " (from his large nickname. He would step out of cheeks of the colour of sailors' bis- tiie line, in advance (but always cuits) called out from the opposite keeping (he big boy between us), side of the street, that if I fought as and indulge in the most offensive well as I thrashed, I woukl do won- gestures and language in regard to ders. Still standing with his back at tlie bird. The other boys laughed the wall, and roaring for mercy while and jeered, and enjoyed themselves undergoing "the ])ublic administra-

amazingly ; and lett me no alterna- tion of law and justice," I said I tive but to book everything for a would let him off if he would tell me future settlement. For it must be of a nest. At this time it was early- rememl)ered that almost every person spring, which led to the most diligent living in Inverkeithing had a nick- search for a bird's nest, as something name, and was frequently spoken to be boa<;ted of at the school by the of in public by no other. At the fortunate finder of the first one. And. school every boy had such a that reminds me that the debt si)oken name, and sometimes more than of had been contracted about six

one ; and he was generally called by months before ; so that a long for-

it, except that small boys would not bearance had been shown in the col- venture to address big boys by these lection of what was generally "cash extra "given names" if they were over the counter." The boy was a more than ordinarily offensive. great " nester," and he immediately

Sometimes the very mention of the told me where I would find a nest ; nickname would immediately lead to describing everything so exactly that

a fight. As illustrative of what 1 1 had no doubt, of his sincerity. have said, I remember having been The i)lace where he said the nest considerably frightened by some boys was to be found was a little knoll impatiently demanding who had done in the middle of a ploughed field. Jt

so and so, that lie might be beaten was a spot to which 1 took a fancy for it, and one calling out the name merely on account of its appearance ; of the bird I have alluded to ; but and I could never pass it without a the others, still impatiently, asked pleasant feeling in regard to it for which it was. And the reply that reason alone. The year be- uj^per end being , I felt relieved, for fore, when parsing the of I was the other boy that had been it, on niy way home from the farn),

it all but dark, my eye christened after the bird ; the name when was of which was thus the nickname of caught the sight of a whin having one two boys at least. stem, and a round bunch at the top ; 30 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

which led me to scriituiize it closely, description of "boy and dog" for- when I found a nest of gray linnets, bidden to me by my father. so full-grown that every one flew Shortly after this, I was with this out of the nest, on my touching it, boy and another boy, and the hound, but one, which I caught. Daylight within a few feet of the spot where I was too fi\r gone to allow me to had been so greatly frightened by the search for the others where they had first " swell" I met with, dressed as flown to. I felt satisfied with the he was in a white hat, port-wine-col- one I had secured, in the belief that oured coat, etc., but on the op|)opite it was the baby of the family, the last side of the fence, and on another hatched, which was always consid- ])roperty. The unwritten law be- ered a singer. Next morning I took tween farmers and their herds was " " it down to the sea-shore, where I that the herd could pull anything thought I could try its powers of in a field he took a fancy to, and flight with safety, but I lost it by its treat his friend, provided it was eaten getting into a hole in the west side of on the si^ot. On this occasion, hav-

tlie pier ; which reminds me that the ing no herd with us, we had each pier was not built at a great expense, pulled a small turnip, at an early

for it was composed of stones not stage of its growth, when field turnips very closely laid together, without are palatable. The value of the three mortar, on the under part at least. if they had arrived at maturity might On the lower end of the knoll was not have exceeded a halfi^enny, or a

the whin bush in which I was told I penny at the most ; but to take such would find the nest, which the boy a liberty was against the most per- gave me as a settlement of the bal- emptory orders at home. I was ance of my claim. He described doubtless led to join in the action by the knoll very accurately, and the the exam[)le of the two boys with me. bush most minutely, even that it 1 was thoroughly conscious of having "hung over" the knoll. 1 had thor- done wrong, and with that on my oughly searched it a {^\v days before mind, and the vivid recollection of

without finding a nest ; but one having been threatened with being might have been commenced after sent to jail by the "swell" referred that. On again searching the bush to, while almost on the same spot,

1 found that 1 hatl been imposed nesting, I was in a condition to be on. influenced by a panic, which came I cannot say that I felt displeased from a quarter the most untx])ected. at the impromptu, circumstantial and While we were busily eating the tur- successful trick by which the boy de- nii)s, on our feet and with our backs ceived me, while he had his back at against a stone d)'ke, the hound, the wall, and was in the hands of the close by us, but out of sight, set up a

Philistine. Still, I never spoke of it howl that I had never heard before ; to him, for fear it might have opened at the sudden and horrible sound of the old sore, which I wished closed, which I instantly dropped the turnip as I really liked the boy, and had at my feet, speechless. I saw the it was dog running in our direction and often strolled with him ; and to me a matter of surprise and grief howling, apparently in i)ursuit of

that he should have so "wantonly nothing ; but on the sharp turn of a and wickedly " provoked me in the furze-lined path, close to me, an ani- way he did. We soon became mal which it was chasing passed me friends as before, and strolled as we so closely that I could have kicked had done. His having a hound re- it had I had a good conscience and to realize what it was; commended him greatly to me ; for it self-possession could not be said that his size and for the suddenness of the whole thing the kind of his dog came under the did not admit of an instant's reflec- REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 31 tion. The chase had proceeded some contemplated the object for a minute distance i^ast us before I became or two. I softly advanced, and yet aware that the dog had started a the hare moved not ; and still nearer, with the same effect. The result was hare ; when my attention became rivetted to a black and white animal that I got nj) to the hare and found following what had the appearance her in her form dead and cold, pre- of" a gray thread, as it pursued the cisely as when she had gone to rest. hare uj) a hill, when both disappeared Now, said I, I will have hares' ribs over the top of it. This ended what enough for a cross-bow; and returned was to me a real panic. Still I with the animal, and put it insiile of l)icked uji and finished the turnip, a sow's house, then in disuse. On which had dropped out of my hands, coming home from school my flither as if nothing had happened. demanded of me what I had done This leads me to speak of a hare with the dead hare, when I produced in answer to his in the burial of which was the only it ; and I told him, occasion on which I recollect hav- question, what use I intended to ing seen my father with a spade in make of it. He then entered the his hands, as 1' have already men- Lazaretto and buried the hare in my tioned. It had become the "rage" presence, saying, as he tramped the among the boys at the school to have earth on it, " Now, sir, that hare lies cross-bows, with hares' ribs for the there.'" '' Yes, sir," said I in reply.

bows. I had noticed the boy who I felt greatly disapi)ointed ; but what had so grossly insulted me, in refer- my father did was right. I had the ence to my having my sister's old most crude ideas about getting the

shoes on my feet, drop his bow in ribs of a dead hare ; for as I hod seen the school, when I picked it up, and the carcass 'of a horse beliind the

put it under my jacket, as some satis- Lazaretto rot, after it had b-jen shot faction for the offense he had been and skinned, so I thought I could guilty of. Some time after, he missed get the ribs of the hare after it had his bow, and made a great noise in become corrupted, and the ribs could the rest of the regard to it ; when 1 quietly drew it be separated from from under my jacket, and innocently body. I have often thought since of said to him, "Is this your gun?" the coincidence of finding the dead " Yes," said he, " and wliere did you hare under the circumstances men- nothing of what is get it)" "On the floor," said I, tioned ; saying and gave it to him. If hares had doubtless a rarity in natural history been in season I would have iiad no —that of gelling a hare dead in pre- ditficulty in getting the ribs of them cisely the same position in which it its form. for the purpose mentioned ; but as had gone to rest in they were not in season, I endeav- My finding a halfi)enny in a hen- oured (industriously and foolishly, as house was under more questionable the Inverkeithing wives would have circumstances. 1 ciossed 10 the East said,) to fmd a dead hare, by hunting Ness, when the tide was out, on my the all over the Cruicks' peninsula for way to school ; and as I passed one. I sjient probably three or four bridge that leads to the harbour vvynd hours on two successive long summer I climbed up a narrow ladder that evenings searching every likely and admitted chickens into their roost, unlikely place in which a dead hare which adjoined a large old-f.ishioned might possibly be found, but without white house, on the right, and closer success. A few days afterwards, as to the water. I had no apparent

I had reached about fifty yards from motive lor what I did ; it certainly our gate, on my way to school, my was not to take eggs, which I would eyes became rivetted on a hare have scorned to do. However, I through asleep ; and I instantly stopped and put in my hand at the hole 32 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

which the' chickens entered from the some soldiers that had been billeted street, while the door of the roost in the town while on their march.

was behind ; and 1 carefully scraped, And it appeals that I had gone home with my hand, the landing place from all the way from school with the bMg which the fowls apparently hopped to on my back, and the name outside. their perches. To my astonishment My father felt greatly provoked, and I drew out a halfpenny, which I spent had the writing taken off by the shoe- " on ?. stick of black man." I care- maker who made the bag, and had fully scraped the same i)lace, unsuc- my name written inside. Jn this

cessfully, three or four days in suc- condition I used it for a short time, cession, to find another halfpenny and then I ; got another bag ; in con- which I would not have done had I nection with which I got the fright known more of the " doctrine of alluded to. averages " relating to " finding a half- The school was dismissed at four penny in a hen-house " every day of o'clock, and I could easily get home, the week, unless it might have hap- even allowing for a little gossip, by j)ened that another boy had used the half-past four. One day I did not

place as a bank in which he ke]it his reach home till about half-past eight, money. This happened a little be- with no thought on my mind but fore nine o'clock in the morning, and what I should get to eat on my ar-

alongside of the dwelling-house ; and rival. r>ut before I had even i)iit a it was the only hen-roost that I foot on the outer step, the door, to troubled in any way. my astonishment, was abruptly As another illustration of what a opened by my father (who seems to child will sometimes do without any have scrutinized me while conn'ng up apparent motive, I may inention that the walk) with the demand of " Your

I removed from the Lazaretto ''a bag, sir? where's your bag.?" 1 iii- small pot, with about an inch of stmctively applied my hands to my brown paint, nearly as thick as initty, flanks, and said. "At}- bag? A)'e, and a brush," already mentioned; and where's my bag ? " "Don't let uie put it back in the same place the fol- see you come into my house witliout lowing day. I had no intention of your bag," was my father's reply. I making any use of the paint-pot. had nothing to do for it but to return The key of the quarantine premises on my tracks, and find the unfortu- was always at the disi)osal of any one nate satchel. I carefully thought of of the family, and was daily used by every place I had stoi)ped at, and me in connection with my pigeons scrutinized it unsuccessruily, till I and rabbits ; so that if I wanted the reached a well on the beach, near the jiaint-pot 1 could have got it at any foundery, where I had lingered a good time. I i)ut it back for safety, and while with another boy, and where I never thought anything further about felt all but certain that I had the it. bag. I made a diligent search for it The greatest fright I ever expe- in every direction, without success; rienced was connected with my sec- and my heart sank within me as I ond school-bag. With the first I in- thought of what I had heard : " Your nocently had had trouble enough. bag, sir? where's your bag?" I had This bag (made of leather) was the visited so many places before arriv- only one that had appeared at the ing at the well, in the first instance, school, and therefore had attracted during the previous four hours, that special notice. One of the big boys, 1 could not think in what i)articulat- unknown to me, i)rinted my name direction I should go in a furthei and address, in the largest-sized let- search ; and it never occurred to ters, on the outside of the bag, tak- me that my name being on a well- ing the idea from the knapsacks of known bag would lead to its return ;

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 33 by the finder. I sat down on the still, we lingered at the well in abso- start for well, the i)iclure of misery, when I lute silence ; I averse to and he as un- thought of what I had been told : home without the bag, " Don't let me see you come into my willing to leave me in my forlorn and house without your bag." But I did wretched state. The silence was

not weep, for I kept my tears for the broken, and our att^-ntion arrested, •• wallcpng " which I would get on by a boy of my own size approaching going home without the bag. As a from the direction of the manse gar- temporal y relief to my feelings, I be- den, with a long step and at a rapid gan to think of the well, and how 1 pace. " Hollo, what have you got " had seen it built, visiting it almost there ? said my friend to the boy as a' ways twice a day, on my way to he observed something like a string l.is and from school, as if I had been the hanging a little down from under inspector to see tiiat the job had not buttoned jacket, just as he was pass- been scamped. It was indeed a sub- ing us. The result was that the boy stantial ]Mece of work, of large, well- approached, and unbuttoned his hewn hard white sandstone, and well jacket, showing my bag. which he puddled with clay, and oblong in had found at the back of the hedge shai)e, running in the direction of the between the well and the manse gar- shore l.ne. den, about seventy yards from where it I h ve sa'd that I felt all but cer- we stood. "Yes," said I, "I put

tain that 1 had my bag when at the down there before climbing up to a in which I found well ; but whether that was so or blackbird's nest,

not, 1 passed round the harbour to nothing." The appearance of the the third or fourth house on the bag was the end of all trouble, for I re- ( rescenl to see the boy, with whom, knew that there w.^uld be no

a short time before, I had lingered at proaches when I got home. My ihe well. He was three or four years only and iuunediate thought was older than myself, and had rich dark about what I would find to fill my russet hair, a wonderfully freckled little crop at that time of night, f complexion, and black eyes of the did not enter the house with the va- greate>t brilliancy. He was a very pouring air of, " My bag sir? why, popular boy, and I never knew of there's my bag !" but I dutifully pro-

his having trouble with any one. I duced it, with an account of where it I re- presume tliat, like other people there, and how I had found ; when careful, and especially boys, he had a nickname ! advice to be more ; ceived but 1 never heard it, unless it was to come home earlier, for the future

the one he generally went by, that I then ])roceeded to my dinner and is, his surname curtailed. supper rolled into one, and went to

1 told him everything, and what I bed absolutely happy.

had done; and he satisfied me that 1 I felt extremely gratefiil to the boy hail the bag on back at the well mentioned. The last time I remem- my I

when I left him, which did not help me. ber seemg him was when he came 1 begged him to return with me to the across to our place, on a Saturday well, which he readily did with the afternoon, in the summer of 1835, greatest kindness and symjiathy, al- when the tide was out. We then though he said that he did not see sat talking about various matters by what use he could be to me there. the hedge at the bottom of our gar- "But only come," said I, with no den (so-called), when my eldest sis- idea of any assistance he could be to ter was practising her piano lessons, me. We then returned to the well, on the ui)per floor,, with the windows and searched unsuccessfully in every up.

direction. By this time it was nearly I have mentioned all the troubles dark, with not a creature moving which L can. remember having had OF INVERKEITIIING. 34 REMINISCENCES

at home. There were doubtless the well would have to be emptied. otiiers, of a minor importance, or This was ai)i)arently the grounds of ])resenting no saHent points by which an action raised by the town against they could be recollected. In going the person who bought the property to and from church my place was to from the Government, alleging that the walk alongside of my mother, which, well was within high-water mark. The however, did not prevent me from real reason seems to have been en- noticing anything that I could exam- mity between the parties. One of ine on the following day. For a the old boatmen told me afterwards good part of the distance (about half that he had been cited as a witness a mile) between our house and the in the action, on the part of the pro- high-road, we had to walk Indian prietor, when I asked him what he

file, along the narrow paths, or on knew about the well ; and he said the stepping-stones on parts of the that he ought to know something " beach, when I would have to take about it, for that he had " bigged the adv.'ince. On one occasion, it. He said that he had tried to find when going up a narrow and the spring inside of the Lazaretto crooked path from the valley (which wall, but failed. I always understood an athlete could almost have leaped that the town was beaten in the ac- over) to the high ground (which rose tion, which it well deserved to be, about twelve feet), I had almost a for the well was built by the Crown, fight with my mother. I was in ad- and was the only one on or near the

vance, and had noticed a foggie-bee premises ; and did not, in any reason- about to alight, the meaning of which able sense of the woril, come under I well understood. I instantly the phrase, " within high-water mark." stopped and, making way for the It was always kept locked, a|)parently others to pass, turned round to to prevent the children from falling

see the exact spot where the bee into it ; and also for the reason that, would disappear, when the trouble isolated as we lived, people would began. I was seized by the arm, sometimes take liberties with it. 'i'hus and after 'some resistance dragged I remember a sailor washing his looking behind but I feet in it, which caused no small in- along, while ; managed to see the bee get under dignation to all about the place. the leaf of a thistle. I dwelt on the This was the well out of which my circumstance while at church, and father drew the water to throw over caiefully noticed the leaf of the thistle, Daniel Nicol's cow, as Lizzie or

without daring to touch it, on my re- Pussie Nicol raced it backwards and turn home. On Monday morning I forwards, to cure it of the effects of discovered the nest which I felt sure it having eaten too freely of wet

was . there. —When very young I clover, as I have already mentioned. brought into the house the nest of a Some of my earliest and most pleas-

wren i.:i which was a large ])rogeny, ant recollections are connected with vwhen my mother, with an expression this well. •of pain which I could never forget, The next well, to the we t, was at " told me to place it where 1 had found the bottom of a hollow (called the

£t ; which 1 did. valley"), and near the sea ; the one Oi)posite the entrance to the Laz- in which Giles regarded frogs with aretto was a well, the roof of which such aversion, as 1 have stated. But consisted of stone slabs, sloping to this well had always a wretched ap- the ground in the direction of the pearance. A few yards west of that " town ; while its upright entrance faced was Pinkie," to which I have al- east. It was so near the sea that ready made allusion. The boatman the water would become unfit for use mentioned said that he was also at ,by occasjoiial very high tides, when the building of "Pinkie," and that REMIXISCEXCES OF IXVERKEITHING. 35

he tried to find the sjiring further up four wretched old pines at the Ferr\-; | the hill. This well was very small, recent plantation on the brow of jirettily built sur- but ; and was so the village ; about an acre of young rounded by whins that it was hardly wood above Port Laing sands, al- observable until search for was made ready referred to ; about a dozen of the source of the pool out of which scraggy trees and bushes scattered

stock were watered. Thi? pool was over the rest of the district ; and a few merely a hollow dug out, while nature small hawthorns in two small hedges. did the rest, giving it a fringe and I do not remember when I first surroundings, as if the hand of man went to school, or any of the circum-

had not been there. A little further stances connected with it. I pre- west, and at the bottom of the land sume it must have been in tlie spring of the Cruicks' farm, was a well, all or summer of 1831, for when the but covered by a flat roof on a level school was dismissed in 1832, in con- Avith the ground, that supplied the sequence of the cholera, 1 was con- old farm-house and formerly a small scious of having been for some time row of houses near the beach (al- at it. I also remember that previ- ready referred to), which were in ously, when the vacation had come ruins in my time, but which had con- round, I was jiacked oft" to a school sisted of three distinct apartments, kept by two sisters—one much young- with as many entrances. er than the other, and called '• wasp- Pini

ordinary ware, but of a handsome the left ; while there was a modern one form, and pretti!y decorated 111 blue, on the riglU. The school-room was with a woman milking a cow at the three or four stejis up into the old bottom, of superior design and exe- house,to the left, with the window to the

cution. Whenever our own well was street, above the spot where I caught

injured by the sea entering it, we al- the culprit mentioned. I thought it ways had recourse to "Pinkie"; but hard to be sent to this school after it was too far oft" for ordinary pur- the children of the other one had poses, superior as the water was. been dismissed to play ; and I was When going to school I would fill a either removed or I left because the pitcher at "Pinkie" for the use of vacation for this one had also come my father at the Custom-house. There round. I am sure that my industry was another interest connected with for learning was not tlie cause of my this well, it that was the only running being kept so closely at school ; it si>ring on the peninsula that I knew might have been to get rid of me at of. If there it was another, must home ; but of doing anything deserv- have been between St. Margaret's ing of tliat, I was never conscious. Point on the west and the Ferry on I might have seen the play-ground the east ; but I think that do not of the school before going to it ; but there was a running spring there. the great probability is that I liid not,

There was a good show of trees or did not remember it. When I inside of the Lazaretto wall, as well first saw the play-groimd, that part of as on the ground adjoining, where it on the upper end, of a triangular there was also a profuse growth of form, was neatly laid out in shrubs, ivy. These attracted the birds, for all around the wall and railing, with a they had no other foliage on the pe- triangular walk separating these shrubs ninsula to resort to, except three or from some in the centre of the ground. 36 REMINISCENCES OF IN VERA'EITHING.

In front of the end window was a his senior) quickly said, "Oh, never senn-circular clump of shrubs. There mind your brother ; he thinks that were also trees (all of one kind) we are only two of his bairns he is

around the sides of this part of the speaking to " ; and adroitly turned ground, and in front of the school, the conversation into another chan- imd at least one (I think two) behind nel. He was asked next day by the v. But very soon everything disap- dominie how he could ha\e spoken peared but the trees, of which the of hini in the way he did ; when he icacher took great care. replied, that it was to preserve the 'Jhe teacher was about thirty-one peace when an insult (however unin- yeafs old when I went to the school, tentional) had been shown to his and thirty-five when I left it. He brother, in his own house. And there was a licentiate of the church, teach- the matter ended. His unsatisfied ing a school till he could find a ambition as to a church, and his gay charge, which he did a few years after and more or less expensive habits, the oi.ihlishnient of the Free Church. doubtless made him occasionally ca- When 1 was at iiis school J remem- pricious in his temper while in school; ber hearing him preach at Dalgetv, but he was never cruel or partial in the adjoining i)arish, to the east. He his discipline. In school he was was always styled " The Reverend," obeyed absolutely, not so nnich from and he was very particular to let it a fear of punishment as from the re- be uncierstood that he was a "Preach- sjiect in which he was held by his er of the Word." He was unmarried, scholars, who would never think of and had his sister as housekeeper. making disparaging remarks in regard

In his person he was short and a lit- to him anywhere. And this feeling tle i)ursy, but gentlemanly, and had prevented harshness or cruelty. His dark (but not black) hair and eyes. being a standing candidate for a There were four gay people in Inver- church doubtless threw around him

keithing at this time : the teacher ; a an atmosphere which children were rather ujipish and extravagant but not capable of understanding, how- j)opular farmer of njiddle age (from ever much they might have been in- the same place in Fife as the teach- fluenced by it. In society he was er) ; a tall, fine-looking, fair and pleasant and even jocular, yet with a Horid, and gallant young doctor, who dignity that was unquestionable; but married a widow with four well grown- he could never throw off the dominie up children, and a good annuity, completely while following the call- which " went out at the door as the ing of one. He was considered a " doctor came in ; and the fashiona- good Greek and Latin scholar, and ble and handsome young wife of a in every sense of the word an excel- manufacturer, who was advanced in lent teacher; and the mention of his years, and had to be drawn about in name was always responded to with a hand-coach. Among these four respect, and at least an absence of there was nothing but gayety—eating ill-feeling on the part of those who and drinking and singing, music and did not sympathize with his convivial dancing and card-playing, with gnis- habits, which, however, did not ex- itig in its season. ceed those of thoroughly respectable The teacher had not reached the people in the place. In 1835 he goal of his aspiration —a church, and began to teach French, which he in the meantime had become a do- must have learned without the assist- minie all over. At his own table he ance of others, for he sadly mangled once used language to his brother the pronunciation of the words, as 1 that would have caused an exi)lobioii afterwards experienced. had not my father (who was the- only I dare say I was the subject of his other present, and about twenty years discipline, in one form or other, more ;

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 37 than most of the boys at the school sixpence, and the girl a penny, or " yet I can recall but two instances of that some one had not lent me a it, towards the time when 1 left it. penny" for the occasion; for when One day I was casting the rays of the sixpence was broken, half of the the sun through the school-room, by remaining fivepence was spent before means of a piece of glass, when I I got home, late at night. There was called ui> and told to " hold out was a "go-round" on the High Street, my hand." On another occasion I and in anticipation of the honse-race was raising and letting fall the palms on the following day, 1 rode three heats on horseback, costing i^d. of my hands on my ears, for the pe- ; culiar sound it yielded by the hum of another penny 1 spent on sometlimg the school, when I was called up for else, and I had only 2jd. for the a similar purpose. One day he was fair. visiting our house, when I ran and On one occasion a son of his bo- hid myself from him, merely through som friend the farmer, another boy sheepisliness, owing to our seldom whose father I think worked in a seeing strangers at home, and I did mill, and 1 were ordered to the i)orch. " not present myself; in consequence Being sent to the ])orch " was a of which I felt rather uneasy as to the capual punishment. We were three morrow. And the trouble came, for boys that were in the same class, and he called me, and as I caught his hardly ever apart. We had doubt- eye he tossed his tawse into the less been doing something, but I do not remember what it was. " To middle of the floor ; the meaning of which I well knew. On receiving the porch, and lock the outer door, these from me, he proceeded witii and make ready," was the order, his accusation and punishment before which we instantly obeyed, to the I could oi)cn my mouth, althougi I astonishment and horror of the whole had nothing to say in my defense. school. This was a ininishment I " What made you run away from me never saw administered, or knew of when 1 was at your father's last night ? any one who had been the subject of Hold up your hand, sir!" This I it. It was at least a tradition which of the scholars understood considered "abusing his office," but most ; and I entertained no hard feelings in it served an excellent purpose. We conseipience. The only case that I entered the i)orch, which was the remember of what might be consid- ground floor of the little tower in ered cruelty, or the appearance of it, tront of the school. Feeling instinct- was that of a boy wiiom he made to ively that somethmg had to be done, and that innnediately, 1 locked the stand on one foot ; but he was such an odd-looking boy, and had such only outer door in use, which added strange ways, that any one naturally to the distress of the other boys, who, " felt a disposition to tease him. The wee|)ing bitterly, asked me, What " day before Lammas Fair, in August, does he want us to do ? 1 explained 1835, he gave me, for being at the matters, and, showing an example, top of the class, a sixpence, out of urged them to do their duty, as we *' all wiiich I was to give a penny to the would get off the easier. 1 had girl next me." This phrase stuck in seen how the other scholars looked as they saw us going to the porch my memory, from which I conclude ; 1 (although I do not remember it as a but could only imagine how they fact) that in some of the classes at felt as they saw the teacher follow, least the boys and girls took their tawse in hand, shortly afterwards, i ])laces, although the girls occupied dare say they expected to hear a

the end of tlie school to the left as it noise somethmg like the killing of was entered. It was a pity the pigs as the teacher closed the school- teacher did not give me the whole door which led to the I'orch. liut he 38 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

it found us so abjectly submissive, and a great rearer ; and was always a such weeping on the part of the other subject of interest to see him mount boys, and such higubrious appearance it, and master the most troublesome of it on mine, that he said he would creature he had under his charge. school, forgive us that time ; and told us to This was the parish and follow him as soon as we could into the best in the place. It was at- the school. We were miserable ur- tended by the children of every kind chins, between eight and nine years of i)eoi)le in or near the town. As I old at the most; not much better than have already said, there were no dis- three mice in the presence of a cat. tinctions observed among the chil- We re-entered the school, not as he- dren in the school, or in ordinary roes, but pardoned criminals, and out-door associations, although these slunk away to our seats. We were would still show themselves on occa- all questioned by the other boys, but sions. Thus when a gardener to a it was only myself that had much to nobleman and his wife—both of presentable people in say on the subject ; the other boys them very being averse to tell anything. I told their way— brought their first "hope- everything, and dwelt on the other ful" to the school, some of the other boys weeping so bitterly. children ungraciously exclaimed, I always looked upon this event " What right has a gardener's son to " as a piece of strategy on the i)art of be dressed in that way ? alluding the teacher to maintain the discipline to a little boy, pretty in apjiearance, of one who was " not to be tritied and as prettily dressed. Sometimes

with"; and it certainly had that ef- the farmer's son would give the pi- fect. As I have said, I do not re- lot's son a bloody nose; and again occasion of it the quarryman's son would do the member what was the ; j the farmer's son, or "send but I am certain that none of us had I same to done anything deserving of being him home to his mother with his '• sent to the porch." The fact of eyes beautifully coloured." Prob- two' of the boys being the children ably half of the boys attending the of his most intimate friends, doubtless school went barefooted during the had some share in the strategy ])rac- summer, and the other half without tised, as if it were to show that there stockings, or what was called "slip- would be no mercy for the children shod." Meeting my father one day of poorer parents if they made them- with my shoes in my hand, he sharply selves amenable to his discipline. told me to put them on, saying that Tiie teacher, as was the rule in 1 might go barefooted when he could parish schools, had a free iiouse and not aflfcrd me shoes. Dispensing " coal and candle," and a fixed sal- with stockings during the summer ary, and was allowed to charge fees. was convenient for crossing the nar- 'J'he fees were dispensed with on the row entrance of the harbour at low part of a few poor boys, who gave water, in going to or returning from the teacher services in lieu thereof, school, instead of taking the much such as were connected with his gar- longer way around the bay, towards den and pony. On one occasion I the west. I had only to take off my had remained with three of these shoes when passing the shallow boys to assist in carrying in his hay, channel, and put them on after ar- when I was missed and sent for. 1 riving at the other side. About half was a little troubled for the conse- of the boys had pocket-handker-

quences, but on entering the school chiefs ; the rest used their jacket- 1 was merely sent to my seat, with sleeves. Several had neither caps the remark, that when he wished me nor shoes during the sununer, just as to carry in his hay he would ask me if they had been colts. to do it. He had a pony which was 1 was told at home that for the REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 39 first }-ear I attended scliool I was threw the stone. One boy said, never out of hot water with the other "The boy Simi)son." She instantly " boys ; which was doubtless an exag- replied, with great sharjiness, Mr. geration. Still, there might have Simson's son of the Ness?" (refer- been some truth in what was said, ring to me). " No," said another for most of such affairs would i^re- boy, " the boy Simi)son of the Shore"; sent no salient points by which they when she retreated abruptly into the could be remembered. I recollect house, and slaunned the door after having been badly cut up by a her. This was a jMece of gossip, to butcher bo\-, in his shirt-sleeves and the relating of which I found every with a basket on his arm. It was one at home, even including my fa- opposite the first house (a little old- ther, a ready listener. I believe 1 fashioned cottage) in the town on did justice to it when I compared che left on entering it from the south. the lady to a "raging bear" in com- It was in going to school that made ing to the door, and returning so the encounter so disagreeable; had it abruptly after her question had been " been when I was returning, I could answered. "Ah ! said my mother, have attended to myself. As it was, with a smile, " she thought she hatl I was much indebted to an oldish my laddie in a snapper." I wouKl man and his wife coming out of the indeed have been in a "snapper" cottage and making me presentable had I thrown the unlucky stone. for the school ; but I would have The minister of the parish was a felt much more so had they taken large, heavily-built and aged man me into the house, and used some that had been settled there for nearly kind of crockery, rather than carried fifty years. His predecessor filled a bucket of water to me in the mid- the charge for nearly the same dle of the road. From their son I length of time. I]oth being what got a geranium, which went by his were called " Moderates," it was said name as long as it lived. that the parish had "lain in weeds" Opposite the back of the school for a century. 1 recollect a squab- resided the father of a celebrated ble between him and his heruors missionary. My father's desk in the about the canopy of his i)ulpit not Custom-house was immediately op- being safe, and his refusing to preach I)osite his. He dwelt at first on the till it was made secure. The church top floor of a red-tiled house, to was in consequence closed for one which he had access by an outside Sunday at least ; on which occasion stair ; but he afterwards built a one- 1 think it was that the schoolmaster storied house adjoining. No doubt preached at Dalgety, as mentioned, the family must have been many when a good many of the parishion- times annoyed by the boys, for that ers went to hear hin). The canopy is unavoidable when people live so was then propped up by unpiinied near a public school, however great wooden beams, and afterwards taken the care to the contrary. Shortly down. 1 remember that the pre- after taking up their residence in the centor showed a wonderfully big new building, a stone was thrown mouth when ho sang. On one oc- through one of its windows ; which, casion I saw him asleep when he as I have already said, was a capital was wanted to begin the tune ; and offense. No sooner was the sound the clergynian doing his be^t to of the breakage heard than the boys awaken iiim by reaching down to instinctively ceased from their play, him widi his hand, but failing in that and stared at the door of the house he lengthened his reach by adding to see who would issue from it. And his psalm-book. Feeling that on his out came the mistress of the fan)ily, head, the precentor started up in as- with the fierce demand as to who tonishment, and took a little time in 40 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

assuming his ])lace in the services. at me ; and I never repeated the sal-

The , minister's son, who went to utation. This did not jjrevent me India as a chemist, used to go about from admiring his manse, or rather botanizing on the peninsula and in what was in front of it, for it had a the neighbourhood. He wrote the brier-like growth almost covering the scientific part of his father's descrip- whole of it, nearly packed with spar- tion of the parish for the Statistical rows' nests, which were plain to the Account of Scotland. He was a tall eye—a pretty sight to almost any man (the length mostly in the legs), child. There were many such under with long daik hair, and a sharp nose, the eaves of the Lazaretto, and in with glasses on it. He generally the ivy outside, but they were hidden carried a large spy-glass on his expe- from view. ditions. On going to school I no- In so small a place as Inverkeith- ticed the glass, and directed my ing there were certain local offices of youngest sister's attention to it. She a social nature which my father could

instantly sprang for it, and reached not well escajje from filling, when it before me ; and took it into the called ujion to do it, although he had manse, while I waited outside to no taste for the work. A regard for share the leward which we expected his family also doubtless led him to in the form of gooseberries, that com])ly with the popular request. were plentifid in the garden. She Thus he was instrumental in bringing got a handsome reward in gooseber- to the i)lace a dancing-master, who ries, and gave the half of them to a was assisted by his sons ; one of girl with her, whom we did not meet them a dancing-master and fiddler, a " siilor and fiddler," till after finrling the glass ; and I got and the other nothing, being " out " with her at the who furnished the music. They were time. very successful and became well liked; Having said that the parish had but unfortunately the old man at the been in charge of " Moderates" for end of the term ran away with the nearly a century, it followed that the wife of the man in whose house they religious instruction of the people had lodged ; and the sons would never became a home matter. That in again show their faces in the town. our house was mainly in the hands They had also classes in the neigh- of our mother. I still retain the im- bourhood; Limekilns, about four miles jjression left on my mind by her off, being one of them. On visiting leaching. It nianifested itself, in a an uncle of my father, at that place, striking and indelible degree, on the with my mother, we were told that occasion of the death of both grand- the dancing-master was coming to mothers, in the spring of 1835, as I tea ; and to our suri)rise he turned " was on my way home from school, out to be the " sailor and fiddler and was passing from the chemical mentioned. As he was going in our works towards the ruined houses men- direction, he could not do less than tioned, during a very high tide, and convoy us, and he gave my mother as 1 arrived opposite a hawthorn his arm ; with which I was highly bush inside of the stone fence there. satisfied, as I walked alongside of The Reverend Ebenezer Brown them. But there was a terrible ex- was then living at Inverkeithing. He plosion after we reached home, for was held in such veneration that even which I was probably to blame. the chiUlren would advance near to "That wife of his should take the the middle of the road and take off arm of a dancing-master—of a danc- " their caps to him as he passed. I ing-master's fiddler ! The circum- once did that, when the person driv- stances which I have stated imme- ing him — from whom different things diately allayed the trouble. could have been expected —laughed The dancing-master for the follow- REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING, 41

ing year (1835), whose school I at- in his movements, as if he would was a fine-looking man break away, or would sway from side tended, ; young, tall, rather slender but hand- to side, anything, in short, but stand

some, with fine black curly hair and still ; and he had a peculiar way of bushy whiskers, and a "white choker." winking his eyes, and spitting, almost 1 think he was an Englishman, which frothing, out his words, which would impression was confirmed by his send- come thick and close together. He ing his scholars to his lodgings (op- was a good scholar, and an excellent

])osite the woman's school which I hand at mental arithmetic ; and I. is once attended) for porter, which good-nature was only exceeded by would ai)pear in a white jug of good his habit of sneering. His running size and well filled. He certainly for the teacher's porter was in keep- had a difiiculty in understanding ing with his request for flowers to

much of wliat some of his scholars decorate his school ; for he must be

said ; none of whom indeed could captain or master of ceremonies on speak English, however well they all the occasions he could make him-

could read and understand it. I re- self such. collect one particular instance, when I have said that we had no flowers he asked a girl —almost too small to at home for the purpose wanted. have been a scholar—what her name Heliind the house there was a sniall " was ; and she replied, Aggy Sandy." flower-bed, of about fifteen feet by " What does she say ? " was his blank four, cultivated by my eldest sister, appeal to another girl, after twice but it contained nothing tiiat would asking the question. " Agnes Alex- suit. The only other tiling was a ander, sir." " Oh, yes," he replied, honey-suckle hanging from a tree. "Agries Alexander." This man could The flowers inside of the Eazarettu not have been a Scotchman, although wall were limited to crocuses and his name was common enough in lilies, which we used to admire as Scotland. they came out in the spring, but they The night before the ball, which had long since disappeared. On was to close the dancing-?chool, the thinking over the subject on my way boy who sneered so bitterly at me for home, I renieinbered that there was having my sister's old shoes on my a rose-bush, the last remains of a feet, asked me to bring, in the morn- garden, behind the old Cruicks' farm- ing, all the flowers 1 could get at house, which was then unoccupied ; home to decoiate the rc)om for the and on my return in the mornmg I occasion. A request from a boy like picked three or four very fine white

him was in reality a command ; and roses, which, to my relief, were ac- it caused me some concern, for we cepted by " the captain and master had no flowers at home that I could of ceren)onies," as my contriijution fall back on. As I have already to the decoration, although I did not mentioned this boy twice, I will de- tell him where 1 got them. And scribe him. He was three, if not that reminds me that the ball came four, years older than myself. His off pretty e-irly in the season, or that usual dress was dark corduroy trou- Dr. Knox did not take up his quar-

sers, blue cloth jacket, with sailor's ters in the old house till pretty late, pockets outside, blue cloth cap, and or that there was a very short interval

loose black silk handkerchief under a between the two; for 1 certainly did collar. straight; roses while Jie was there folded-over Figure not not pick the ; features not refined, but ngreeable his name being a sufiicient i)rotection ;

eyes light blue ; hair tow-like, and a for anything in his neighbourhood.

little curly ; and complexion of the After a few dances, three of the same shade as the hair, with no red smallest boys at the school, including in it, but healthy. He was restless myself (who was the smallest of all), ;;

42 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

asked to go out ; and on going down people" spoken of been living in the stairs we noticed that the floor below town it might have been otherwise the ball-room was filled witli small but the gallant young doctor who tables, all of which seemed occupied married the widow, and the fashion- by men drinking toddy, while there able young wife of the old man had was not a man to be seen above. We left it ; and there were apparently no lingered at the door, and were called others to take their places. I had in and treated. Having a day or two not noticed who were drinking be- before, while at the horse-race, ad- low, for I did not get beyond the ta- mired the jockey and envied his ble next the door, and was too much horse as he poured brandy down its engrossed while there to think of throat after a heat, 1 suppose I must anything else ; and I had no chance have emptied a glass of toddy in the of looking in while being taken up- same manner. Shortly after getting stairs by the officer. But I presume into the open air we began, in a the new superintendent of quaran- small way, and in the immediate tine would be among the drinkers, neighbourhood, to " raise the town," for his wife and three daughters were when the town-officer made his ap- in the ball-room. Being a recently pearance from the lowest floor of the arrived Englishman, he may have building in which the drmking and preferred something else to toddy dancing were going on. I was taken his choice being rum and brandy, up-stairs, in spite of some resistance, with which he " fortified " his tea and to my mother, and there " put in coffee. He did not seem to be poi)- " " along- ular at first perhaps from some feel- quarantine by being lashed ; side " of her. 1 vehemently asked, ing of disparagement of "Scotch " What had I done ; what had I bodies, and Fife at that," or like a done?" when the officer replied that foolish person who said that while he had found me "chasing rats around he lived there he would have an the cross and making a noise," which "opportunity for wearing out his old was doubtless a " breach of the clothes." His boisterous ways soon peace" at that lime of night. jirocured him a nickname. As I It was a subject of no small mor- have already said, his two daughters ball tification to find myself where I was, by his first wife were at the ; l)ointed and jeered at by the girls, interesting and attractive girls, ap- among whom I was, and by the boys jMoaching womanhood, who were on the ^opposite side of the room; shortly afterwards lost on the coast and I had no friendly feeling for the of India. There were also his " little " blue-eyed, florid-faced, and bald- angel," his second wife, and her lit- headed blockhead" that had done tle angel, who made considerable fnn the mischief. I was perfectly sensi- of me, but for which I did not blame ble of everything, but irritable, and her. not so observant as I might other- This English family made an in- wise have been ; while what I had teresting addition to the limited so- previously noticed became somewhat ciety of the place, such as it was, loosened and muddled in my mem- and added to the importance of the ory. Some of the men must have Captain's commission as a passport made their appearance in the ball- for him to go anywhere. They took recollect that their in the wretched room ; but I do not up residence any of them left their toddy on old farm-house above the Ferry, on the floor below, where their hearts the old road over the hills ; a build- seemed to be. It was a children's ing which seems to have been dancing-school ball, and the dancing erected when agriculture there was seems to have been confined to at a low ebb. At that time there them. Had all of the four "gay must have been few dwellings in the REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 43

village that could be rented to accom- three of them, all apparently past modate newly-arrived people of their middle life. Judging by my ob- standing. servation of this class of men else- There were two old maiden sisters where and afterwards, I would de- who lived opposite the end of the scribe these excisemen as rather su- school play-ground, in a small red- perior men probably young military ; tiled house with a tall chimney. One or naval officers, who had been dis-

of them, who was of a fair complex- charged at the peace of 181 5, or the ion and delicate, almost lived at children of others who had been the window, " flowering " on what killed in the service. They cer-

seemed an endless web ; and, as she tainly were in every way superior said, had never seen Preston Crescent to what I afterwards met under the since a house had been built on name of gangers in a large commu- it. The other sister, a small, dark- nity. Cheap rents and the absence featured, hardy and active woman, of social pressure, in a small popu- did all kinds 06 jobs in private fam- lation, enabled the excisemen, with ilies on special occasions, or any- the king's commission in their thing by which she could scrape to- pockets, to hold up their heads be- gether an honest living. At the win- fore tile world. dow there were little things for sale, One of these excisemen and his suitable for children. It was in this wife had in every way a highly pre- house that, for several years before sentable appearance ; but I could we left Inverkeithing, we ate our judge more accurately of their two "pieces" at mid-day when at school, boys, who attended the school —one or between sermons on Sunday, and of about ten and the other of about used it generally as a place of call or thirteen years. I do not remember convenience; and for which ample seeing boys at any school that were remuneration was made. There more creditable in their ai)pearance, were several other families residing dress, manners, and behaviour. An- at a distance that made a similar use other exciseman and his wife, both of the house. This was a great well up in years, presented a plainer l)lace for certain kinds of gossip that appearance than those alluded to, was circumstantial and reliable ; and and rather old-fashioned, but very we all enjoyed it thoroughly. The respectable -looking withal. They old maid at the window collected the occupied part of the teacher's pew in gossip that was brought into the the parish church, immediately in house, while the other one ferreted front of ours. Having the teacher outside for it in every direction. It so near me all the year round— Sun- was in this house that my eldest and days and Saturdays alike—was not sisters youngest caught typhus fever, to my liking ; but the case was made from a girl of the place recently re- worse by the exciseman's only child, covered from it coming into the a girl a little older than myself, and house, among so many children, of a very pert disposition. She sooner than was consistent with would watch me during the service, safety. They soon got over the ill- and especially to see whether I was ness ; but the third boy of the fam- looking on the book and joining in ily caught it, as the other two were the singing of the psalms. She man- recovering ; and it developed into aged to keep me in every way in or- tyi^hus in its most malignant form, der, to appearance at least, even if but from which he recovered. she had to thrust her straw bonnet, At this time there was a large dis- containing blue eyes and a scarlet tillery in Inverkeithing, in full opera- countenance, over the back of her tion, which required an attendance seat for that purpose, I had no re- of two excisemen. I remember dress but to say to myself that she "

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 44

in his dirty was a "nasty little puggie " ; the a man shoes standing on last of which words became her nick- her "good bed-clothes." My father name at the school. was very intimate with her, and many Another of these excisemen was a a good-natured bout they had on the

tall, white-haired, venerable-looking Highland and Lowland questions. man, who had been reduced from the My father would, in the best of hu- position of a supervisor, in conse- mour, use such expressions as quence of his having accepted a "half-savage, half-barbarous, blood- small keg of whiskey from a person tliirsty clans," and speak of " mon- who turned round and informed on keys being dressed in tartan"; when him. The whiskey was received un- she would retort, in as good humour, der the most honourable of circum- but what she said I do not reuiem- stances, with the single exception, ber, except that she would occasion- that such presents were prohibited ally drop words that were not used under a7iy circumstances. His wife, in our house. considerably i)ast middle life, was a Years afterwards, vvhen she was Highland lady, not far removed from advanced \\\ life, I had occasion to the main stem of a clan. She was convoy this lady to friends in Edin- tall and stout, and had blue eyes, burgli, whom she was visiting. A lit- dark brown hair, and a very dark tle ahead of us I saw a number of florid complexion. Dressed in black soldiers walking in the opposite di- and a cap or head-gear of what rection, late at night, apparently looked like dark-brown flowered drunk and disorderly. With her on lace, and with her dignified air and my arm, I abruptly left the narrow Highland spirit, she presented an sidewalk for the middle of the street; imposing appearance. I was which so mortified the soldiers that brought much in contact with her. they instantly made room for several What surprised and disappointed me like us to pass. I felt sorry for what was that, although she was large I had done on finding that the poor enough to make two mothers of a fellows were not so far " on " as I little boy like me, 1 never saw any thought. I also apologized to the children about the house for me to lady, saying that 1 thought it best to play with. She had a great fancy err on the safe side under the circum- for blackbirds ; and as these were stances ; when she incidentally re- very plentiful about the Lazaretto, I plied, " Oh, yes, I am a great coward got them for her. But she was very at night, but I'll face the devil in particular about the kind she daylight !

it was whistlers I was to My father was drafted from the wanted ; bring, and did I know which were the Customs to act as superintendent of whistlers ? " Oh, yes, ma'am," I quarantine, but in what particular said, "I know which are the whist- year I am uncertain. I see that he lers." I remember how sorry I felt is officially designated by the latter on losing a young whistler as I was office on the 25th May, 1829; but taking it to her, while on my way to his appointment was certainly made school, by trying its power of flight years before that. When the cholera and never recovering it. To me she in 1832 disappeared, the use of the appeared so much of a gentlemanly Lazaretto, as I have already said, lady that 1 thought she must have was at an end. What little occasion whistled herself. She certainly there was for quarantine purposes swore a little, on one occasion at could be met by the remaining hulk least, when she went down -stairs to or guardship in St. Margaret's Hope, visit her kitchen, to see who was the which fell to the charge of a naval visitor there, and opened the door officer; the first one employed* being of her maid's closet-bed and found the one 1 have referred to. While REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 45 the superintendent, my father was two points, St. Davids shows itself requested the authorities at head- on the opposite side of the firth by ; quarters to recommend a local sur- and within a mile towards the west geon to act during the cholera; and is Inverkeithing, prettily situated on the gallant young doctor referred to a bay of the same name, with a nar- received the appointment. The fee, row entrance, formed by the East it was said, was a guinea a ship, and West Nesses that almost hide which yielded five hundred guineas. the town from view. It may, for

This, it was alleged, was spent by the that reason, be said to be, in a sense, doctor in paying Iris debts and re- " out of the world," particularly after moving, some time afterwards, to a a ferry was established at Granton, Colony. When the merchant vessels which took away the traffic, such as were riding quarantine in St. Marga- it was, that passed between the North ret's Hope, the farmers and others and South Queensferries, and when on both sides of the firth suffered mails and travellers were carried by considerably by boats' crews, in spite rail, and in the absence, till lately, of of the quarantine regulations, exer- any railway in- the neighbourhood. cising " free pratique " with the shore Notwithstanding that the dignified at night, and plundering everything "ancient burgh" thus became (what green which they could eat. Once it was pretty much always) a sleepy a vessel, in spite of her "clean bill little place, out of sight and alm.ost of health," was refused admittance to out of mind, we could still have. ex- Teith by the tide surveyor, for the pected that such an inii)ortant work reason of an extraordinary blackness as the Encyclopccdia Britannica which he accidentally discovered in would have been more accurate in the mouth of one of the boys on its description of it than to have said board. The case was referred fo the that " it is beautifully situated on the doctor, who rej^lied that there was brow of an acclivity rising from the no danger ; and that the boy only margin of a bay called St. Margaret's required to be fed on porridge and Hope." Had Inverkeithing been turnips. situated in some secluded nook on For the education and general ad- the coast of Japan, in place of with- vantage of his large family, my father in sight of Edinburgh, the bay on applied to the Board of Customs to the edge of which it is built could be removed to Leith ; where, I be- not have been more incorrectly de lieve, he accei^ted a lower position scribed. St. Margaret's Hope is be- in point of rank, but having a larger tween one and two miles by land salary attached to it. And so, in from Inverkeithing, and several miles September or October, 1835, we left by water, judging from where it is Inverkeithing. supposed to begin. It may be said to extend from somewhere above the Inverkeithing is a very ancient North and South Queensferries to town, that at one time, it is said, the west, as far as there is deep wa- took precedence of Edinburgh in ter with good anchorage. Thus the the convention of royal burghs. It five or six quarantine hulks rode at is within nine or ten miles of that anchor probably opposite Rosyth city as the crow flies, but is hardly burying- ground, pretty close to- (if at all) observable from the gether, yet scattering, with room to steamer while on its way to Stirling. swing with the wind ami tide. The

The vessel on turning the project- remaining hulk, when I saw it from ing point of the Earl of Rosebery's the hamlet of Rosyth, as already grounds, on the south, keeps nearly mentioned, stood out in the firth at on a straight line till it arrives at the an angle that would bring it nearly oji- North Queensferry. Between these posite the burying-ground mentioned. ;

46 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

Chambers' Gazetteer of Scotland port of Inverkeithing is, by author- (published in 1846) is also inaccu- ity, a place for vessels riding quaran- rate in regard to St. Margaret's tine, and for that purpose Govern- Hope, for it says that "the bay ment stations a body of officers, with " between the promontory and Ro- a lazaretto on shore ; for, as I have syth Castle is called St. Margaret's already stated, the Lazaretto was dis- Hoj^e." That in reality is St. Mar- continued shortly after 1832, and garet's Bay ; a little bight that for the sold in 1835. most part goes dry at low water, and Besides the works mentioned, extends for a short distance to a there were a small tannery and meal grassy point called IJmpet Ness. or flour mill, opposite each other, on This was the most convenient spot the town-side of a bridge that cross- for Queen Margaret to land, on her ed what could hardly be called a way to Dunfermline, when the wind stream, although the tide, I think, was from the east ; for her vessel reached that far ;* and further up, had only to drive past the North on the opposite side of it, and "out Queensferry, and take a sharp turn of town," was a small fire-clay brick to the right, and enter the refuge work. The only other work was a ptepaied for it by nature. small ropery on the crescent that led Inverkeithing, when I left it in to the East Ness.

1835, had, as I have already said, a Small as Inverkeithing was, it had

large distillery in operation ; but it a provost and twelve councillors, a was discontinued some time before town-clerk, and a town-officer ; in 1841. The chemical works were consequence of which it was doubt- closed in 1833 or 1834, in conse- less well governed, if the number of quence of the death of their owner. those in "authority" would ensure There were salt-pans in use up to that. 1835, so far as I remember. These I do not remember anything par- had a well built of stone to hold the ticularly exciting in the town except- salt water, apparently of recent or ing at Lammas fair and its horse modern construction, judging from race, to which 1 have already allud-

the style of the work ; between ed. Every one, for miles around, which and a founder)^, a bone-mill made a public appearance on that and a ship-building yard was a public day, and entered into the spirit of it. road. This well was not railed or Even the herds had a half-holiday fenced off, so that there was much in antici[)ation of which they care- danger m passing it at night, in the fully kept their cows off a piece of absence of lamps so far as I recollect. grass long in advance of the fair (and The salt-pans, immediately back of hence called a "Lammas bite"), so tlie well, and rising with the ground, that on the morning of it the animals seemed to be of wood, and present- were turned into the reserve pasture, ed a wretched appearance, and as if which would furnish them as nnich covered with soot. I recollect how grass during the forenoon as they peculiar a noise was made by the could get the whole day under or- " salters " when pumping the water from the well for the purpose of con- * At this time there was no obstruc- tion to the flow of the fresh water till verting it into salt by boiling. nearly opposite the distillery, where Chambers, in 18^6, alludes to "three there was a dam with the usual sluice. l)ublic works on an extensive scale, In time of floods the stream would over- namely, a distillery, a magnesia work, flow the bank, on the right, and lodge and some salt-pans" — the first two where there was a row of willow trees, at the bottom of some gardens, one of at least having been long out of use. which belonged to the owner of the tan- is of Chambers much more out his nery, and contained an ancient stone " reckoning when he says : — The dove-cot. —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 47 dinary circumstances. I always took on a line with the blacksmith's shop, an interest in the herds' " Lammas which was inmiediately to the left of bites." All that took place at the the chemical works. A very short fair was merry-making and treating time elapsed between the first sound each other, at the stands in the of the mallets and the vessel enter- principal part of the main (or only) ing the bay. I particularly remem- street, with gingerbread and such ber the Esperance, for she came " things ; which was called a fairin'." alongside of the pier at the Lazaretto The semi-annual or periodical sale and took on board our furniture for of oxen, fed on the refuse of the dis- Leith ; which I saw packed, or tillery, was also an event in the i)lace, braced, as already mentioned, and especially as some of the animals, on shipped. It was after the dismissal of being removed by the purchasers, the school for the vacations; towards would become "raised" or go wild, the latter end of which I found time and cause a disturbance in the hang so heavily on my hands, at our neighbourhood. Another excitement isolated residence, that I was glad proper to the i)lace was the launch as the phrase ran — to find "any kind of a vessel. That was always a gala of a hole to i)ut my head into." 1 day, which was looked forward to spent my time in looking after things, with much interest long before its as if I had been placed there to see full that the man employed did his work occurrence, and called forth a ; assembly of spectators. The last which was not "witli all his might," two vessels which I saw launched but steadily, while he took many a was a brig, of about 200 tons, called snuff when at it. He might even the Lo?-d Dalmcny, and a sloop, call- have thought that I was there to ed the Esperance^ that had a pecu- watch him, if the work had been liarly square stern, and was com- done on " days' wages." manded by "Handy Davie" (from Inverkeithing, at the time alluded having lost a hand), a relative, I be- to, being on the way of certain kinds lieve, of the builder. The first I may of traffic between the nortli and the say 1 saw built, from the keel uji- south, had its share of all kinds of wards, but I regretted that I could native and foreign "gangrel bodies" not get on board of her when she was passing through it. 'I'he latter in- launched, although I made a " mess cluded Swiss girls with tambourine of myself" on the greased ways im- and singing, " Buy a broom," which mediately afterwards. I might also was of wood shaved off the stick of say that I saw her rigged, and was which it was made. There were on board of her every Sunday be- also " bearded blackguards " with tween sermons ; but I lost conceit monkeys, raccoons and bears. The of her, large as I thought she was, dancing bears attracted my particu- on seeing her very soon thereafter lar attention, fronv the Bible story of discharging coals at the coal-hill of two she ones coming out of a wood Leith. The Espcrance was laid and tearing forty-and-two ciiildren down inside of the Lord Dalnicny for mocking the prophet by saying, while she was being built, and was " Go uj), thou bald-head." The al- launched before her. I could not lusion had reference to my feeling learn when the launch was to take for old Daniel Nicol, and his cat place, but I saw it, notwithstanding, destroying my rabbits inside of the from immediately behind our house, Lazaretto wall, as already mentioned a little to the right, and well on in (p. 9). The place was well suited small the evening, when I heard the sound for a rabbit-warren on a scale ; of the mallets raising her on the and what with the grass inside of it, ways, and the huzzaing as she enter- and the feed which 1 could otherwise ed the water, in a direction almost find, I imagined I could make the ; —

INVERKEITIIING. 48 REMINISCENCES OF

business profitable even by selling the scene described to me, and en- rabbits a month old at fourpence a vied the boy who was present at a ])3ir have already said, squabble of that kind. ; but, as I " Every young rabbit, whether tame Indeed in a place like Inverkeith- or wild, put into the enclosure dis- ing the most trifling thing became a apjieared, nor could a brood be subject of more or less interest. reared; the old rabbits only held Even a journeyman tailor from Edin- his it their own" (p. lo). I might have burgh taking up residence in even cursed the old man and his cat. became the town's talk, as to how Daniel was certainly not a prophet he would succeed, and who would " " but I could not say whether he was or patronize him. — Occasionally a was not a " bald-head," for often as I regiment or several comjianies of foot-

was in his house it was almost always soldiers would be billeted in the town on tjieir way towards the south, v.-hen he was out ; and he had a habit of wearing his blue bonnet wherever and answer the roll-call and have he was, and might have slept with it their ranks dressed in the morning. on his head for anything I knew to — Frequently would droves of cattle the contrary. The bear for the rea- pass through it on their way from the son mentioned appeared to me as north. These would sometimes have " person" their front feet shod to enable them partaking something of a ; which impression was increased by to stand the travelling.—The ex- its dancing acquirements, its size, amination of the parish school was

and the muzzle that it had on it. always an event in the place ; but

Moreover, it was a wild animal that it was exceeded by the sacrament in could not be handled or ajjproached, the parish church, on which occasion while I had a crude idea of the rela- there would be present people that tion that such " strange brutes" bore were hardly ever seen inside of it to the human family. It was always at other times. — I particularly recol- a subject of interest where the bears lect an excitement caused by a trial were lodged, and on what they were at the town-house of several "big fed — sheeps' heads or what not. blackguard boys" for annoying the Every such bear I convoyed out of children of several families while on

the town when the time of its leav- their way to and from school ; and

ing it was at all suitable. One on of their parents [)aying a heavy fine

leaving it in our direction began rather than let them go to jail, which vigorously to dig into a "bum-bee's effectually stopped that trouble. bink" at the witches' knovve, disre- Laying the foundation of a building gardless of the attack of the bees, was a matter of no small importance while its owners were refreshing in the place. Three of these I par- themselves and counting their cop- ticularly remember. The first was that of the provost, who was a gro- pers ; anil it was then I learned that

it had a great taste for honey. On cer, building a shop, and a house another occasion, when I was not over it, immediately opposite the present, a bear left the town in the opening that led to the cross, and on oi)posite direction, when a tollman ground that had been occupied by of a surly -disposition insisted on a some miserable old houses, one of

fi:ire for it, and swung his gate to on which was entered by an outside its master refusing to pay it. The stair, and in which dwelt a crooked, ''bearded blackguard" immediately lame and limping woman that li/ed drew the bear to him and threatened by begging and selling "spunks"

to unmuzzle it, to " fight its way that is, splints f)f wood dipped in through," if a passage was not given; brimstone, and used in connection which the tollman was glad to assent with a tinder-box and flint and steel, to. I asked again and again to have for at this lime a lucifer-match was —

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 49 not to be seen in the place. An- Inverkeithing had but one main other building was the corn market, street, which separated into two, a which was erected on an open >pot little before the parish church was

that was covered by nettles and reached, on entering it from the rubbish which also ; covered the south ; the left-hand branch going ground in front of the place on which north., and the right-hand one ea^t the house behind the school-house down the mill wynd. This division to which I have alluded (p. 39) was formed a triangle, the base of which built. —The return of an Inverkeith- was the road back of the church and ing man from the P:ast Indies, with parish school that led to the entrance a coloured wife and a large family of to the harbour wynd. The other children, all born there, and a cor- wynd led to Dunfermline. Oppo- responding establishment of ser- site the school-house was a veimel vants, or rather slaves, was quite an that is, a small and narrow street event in the social history of the with no outlet. There were several place. At first the children attend- narrow closes, running in the direc- ed the parish school, but afterwards tion of the harbour ; but I never had a tutor, which created a sensa- went down any of them excei)t to tion. go to the old weaver to get my hair I have no recollection of political cut, as mentioned (p. 17). His door or municipal squabbles, although was the first or second one from tiie there were doubtless such ; nor of entrance on the left, on the ground social meetings an)ong the people floor ; and even then I would hesi- generally beyond a dim remembrance tate and survey the i)lace before of feasting, in the way of dinners entering it ; for these closes had the and suppers, and especially suppers, reputation of harbouring a wild set.

and the invariable toddy drinking, with which I was not desirous t)f which was not a|)i)arently carried to coming in contact, in consequence excess as a rule. Indeed in such a of the fresh tradition of Burke and l)lace people could have lew sources Hare "burking" people in sucli of amusement after business hours places in Edinbiu-gh, and selling but gossip and tea and toddy. In their bodies to Dr. Knox, whose all probability few newspapers would summer residence in our innnediate be taken but ; these would doubtless neighbourliood intensified the feehng be well read by the little circles sub- in question. I remember that there i-cribing for them. There was a was another wild set—the women town library, contained in a book- especially — whose house was up an case standing against the upper end overhanging stair, which I think was of the school-room, towards the left. of wood, on the left-hand side of die I saw it opened but once. The opening that led to the cross, going binding of the books indicated that from the direction of the church, i they were standard or old-fashioned still recollect their names.

works. — Sometimes, but not very The main, I nn'ght say the only, often, there would be a children's street in Inverkeuhing had two small party, or something like it ; on which detached "blocks" of houses, both occasions our maid would be sent to on the right as the town was entered bring us liome ; and she would have from the south. The first com- some one to see her home ; so that menced with the "beggars' inn," in passing, in the dark, the uninhabit- kept by Jenny , and ended ed old Cruicks' farm-house, and the where the street widened, a little be- ruinous houses below it, near the fore Dunfermline wynd was reached ; edge of the bay, we would feel se- and the other began where it nar- cure wlien in the presence of two rowed, near wliere there w;vs an an- grown-up people. cient draw-well, b^'i't, up,, th^ street. 50 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. and opposite a tall building in ruins, very superior tops at a penny called, I think, the " Gala Tower," apiece. and ended at the opening that led to The parish church, a modern the cross. The only passages from structure, was built on to a very the town to the harbour were by ancient tower, which was square in the wynd mentioned, and by a path shape and of a moderate height, or road (but not a street) from the and had a clock in it, and harboured inner end of the corn market. The a breed of wild pigeons in the top of town, as already mentioned, had a it. This church was small in size, crescent extending from the harbour notwithstanding which its roof was proper to the East Ness, at the en- supported by round stone columns, trance of the bay. Only one house forming, I think, two rows of three had a door-bell ; a few (but very pillars each. Inside of the tower few) had knockers; the others had was a very ancient stone font, of nature's provision —the tap of a large size, which divided the passage stick, or a rap from the knuckles. into the church. While repairs were No hou-se had any kind of bell-hang- being done to the roof of the church

ing; nor do I think that any shop it took fire ; which formed an ejioch had a sign, or house a door-jilate, or in the history of the town, as things street a name painted on it, for in that happened were spoken of as such a small place these seemed un- having occurred during that year or necessary. There were doubtless a in such or such a year before or after

{ii\s street lamps, burning oil, but I it. The school was immediately ad- do not recollect that there were such. joining, with the church-yard and its The town contained four bridges, not watch-house in ruins between them, counting what connected the two and was a handsome modern build- (juays at the port. These were at ing. There was also the dissenting the harbour and mill wynds, the church of Ebenezer Brown. The Boreland farm* and the brick-work. object that attracted my notice the I have already alluded to a well on most of all was the cross. It con- the beach near the foundery (p. 33) sisted of a round pillar on the top and an ancient one on the main of which was a griffin, surrounded street. There was another in a by a low round stone wall and iron recess from the street at the " Pop- railing. This was doubtless erected lars " ; another behind the church- on the place on which the real cross

yard ; and I think there was another had stood. near the road that led to the Bore- The town was partly surrounded land farm. The first and last two by three farms belonging to the were pump-wells. There were a Preston family — Spencerfield, the number of old buildings in the town, Boreland and Belle Knowes, a very of some of which I cannot speak valuable property, that extended {particularly. Opposite the church from near St. Davids to the rear of ithere was one called the " Ark," in the town near the Dunfermline which dwelt a turner, nicknamed wynd. I am uncertain whether the ''• Noah," from whom I used to buy pretty plantation on Letham hill, which dipped towards the sea near St. Davids, belonged to the Preston * This bridge had a fine way connect- estate. Next to it came the flag- ing it with the town, and an interesting yiew during the summer could be had staff, surrounded by a wall with a irom it, looking in the direction of the gate, to which I have already allu- mill. The ground between these was ded. This prominent land-mark was much frequented by the boys fishing for a favourite resort for us between ser- minnows, or otherwise amusing them- suita- selves, during the midday interval at mons, when the weather was ;S.cboQL. ble, for we could get a fine view of REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. 51 our place from it. I have been told consisted of the natural beach ex- that the flag is always hoisted on cept at the town ; the harbour of rent-days. Along the back of the which consisted of two quays oppo- town were gardens bounded by a site each other, with a small branch wall, from which to near the top of to the left as it was entered. the ridge were narrow strips of 1 could still enter the town and ground in cultivation, extending point out tlie residences and give from Belle Knowes' farm to a bullet- the names and callings of the prin- headed hill covered with rich green cipal people, and of those whose grass, back of the witches knov/e, and actions or characters presented saH- on which was a growth of wild garlic ent points, and describe them pretty

it — the only place where I found it. accurately ; but would not always On the side of the town reaching to be in good taste, were it only owing the harbour there were also gardens. to the many kindnesses of wiiich I From the Lazaretto we had a com- had been the subject at the hands of ])lete view of the bay, and every- most of them. I particularly rec- thing surrounding it ; the most strik- ollect a couple whose family con- ing objects being the gardens reach- sisted only of a cat and parrot, and ing to the harbour, a very tall old- in whose dwelling there were troubles, fashioned house containing deep but none of them of a deadly nature. rows of chinnieys, and a row of tall The parrot had in some way learned, J.ombardy poplars, that were fes- or been taught by others outside, to tooned with sparrows' nests. The take a part in these squabbles. Fre- manse and its garden reaching to the quently in passing the door 1 wouUi water comi)leted the objects that nat- walk as slowly as I could to hear urally attracted the eye. There was what was passing within. The town " also a stri|) of ground, several feet had its full share of '- characters of higher than the road, and covered various kinds ; but I will allude to with grass, at both ends of the town, none of them except to a seafaring on the left-hand side as it was enter- man of whom nothing good was ex- ed from tlie south, that were called pected, yet who recovered himself the west and east loans. and became so industrious and en- The bay of Inverkeithing is capa- terprising as, among other things, to ble of being converted into an ex- carry grain in an old yacht between cellent harbour of some depth, if the ports in the firth, having no one on demands of business called for it. board but himself and his dog. I All that would be necessary to be could still give many of the slang done would be to contract the en- phrases and doggerel of the place, trance by a sea wall and insert a but these would not be always pre- gate, and deepen the space inside. sentable. Under any circumstances it would I may be allowed to allude to a be what is called a " dry harbour," particular family. One Sunday after- for the tide recedes a considerable noon, as I was going home from way beyond the entrance ; but a church, I took particular notice of deep-water channel could be made the pigeons belonging to it —ordi- and doubtless maintained by scour- nary birds, but of a very pretty ap- ing it with the water collected be- pearance—when tlie head of it said, hind the gate. At the time I have " I see you are admiring my doos." alluded to, the shallow channel lead- Yes, I said, 1 was. " Well then," ing to the town passed close to the said he, " look in as you go home West Ness pier, and had ]M)les indi- from school to-morrow, and I will cating its course inland. The dci)th give you a pair."* This was a tall of water, at ordinary tides, might * There were also some " fantails," have admitted loaded vessels of 200 which I do not think were ever seen on tons. The circumference of the bay the street, near as that was to the " doo- "

52 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. and stout man, who owned tlie situated in the middle of a narrow ground he farmed, while his wife was garden, which, I think, had a door a httle but stout-built woman, both at the bottom of it. It was a red- c;f them well advanced in years, and tiled building having a wing or ex- in dress and appearance not unlike tension towards the water. Its oc- Quakers, although I believe they cupants were a widow, well advanced were Kirk people. Their oldest son in years, and almost toothless, and jtressed me, after my father's death, of a dark complexion ; and an un- to tell him, as a favour, in what re- married daughter, also of a sv.^arthy spect he had been indebted to him. hue, and of a very affected tone of I replied that he had recommended voice, which had become natural to hiin (which I believe was equivalent her, and was pleasant. From these to an appointment) to his govern- two ladies I received many kind- ment office, which he filled while at- nesses. tendmg X.6 his business proper ; and The last change in the population that it was entirely in keeping with of the place was a family in the

Ills chara(!ter never to have mention- spring of 1835 temporarily taking ed the subject to \\\m. An unmarried up their residence in the house op- daughter,. of a prim and precise but posite ours, on the other side of the lady-like appearance and disjiosition, entrance to the bay, and which, as I had always a kind word for us. Another have already said (p. 25), had been son went about with a dog and gun, long uninhabited, and had the repu- and wore a coat containing so many tation of being haunted by ghosts ; "pouches" that I could never man- in which condition it had been an age to count them. eyesore to us. The father of the The maiden sister of the principal family had just left a factorship or grocer, who was the provost of die some §uch occupation. The chil- burgh, and who lived with him, used dren Tivere very prepossessing in to frequent the neighbourhood of our every way, and, becoming as it were l)lace several days every month with neighbours, helped to relieve us of her " washing," where there was a the monotony of our existence in suitable piece of grass sloping to the our isolated residence. The water sea, and bleach it with the water between us kept the children good from Pinkie well, a few yards to the friends. We could see them at their west. She was " a little black-eyed plays, and by going to the end of body," and always had a pleasant our i)ier would call on them. When word for us when going to and from the tide was out we would cross over school. to them, or they to us ; and we would There was a house, entered from sometimes visit them on our way the right on going down the harbour home from school when the tide wynd, in connection with which suited ; but we had to be carpful in many pleasant associations are wrap- getting over in time, or we would ped up in my memory. It was have had a long journey home by land. cot." Among my earliest recollections In referring to the cholera in is that of a very large flock of pigeons 1832, I have said that in regard to kept in the " small dilapidated that were the subject of death I was satisfied stone building that apparently had been that I was incapable of realizing it, used as a temporary smithy," inside of at that time, " unless it had been of the Lazaretto wall ; from which they were transferred to the upper story of the death of an inmate of the family, the Lazaretto itself, with a large sail or of one with whom I had stood in spread on the floor, and some of the close and constant relationship slats left open. But very soon they first case that was disappeared for the most part, in conse- (p. 16). The quence of people shooting them. brought home particularly to me was ;

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 53 that of an old man, standing in near to (p. 40), I think it is stated that it relationship to the Inverkeithing is considerably above a mile across farmer first alluded to. He gener- it, and that it rises to 300 feet at its ally went under the name of " Auld highest part. The neck connecting Pow," owing to his bald head. He it with what might be called the main- was killed by the horses that were land is about half a mile in length, turning the threshing - mill. As which might be about a fifth of its en- may be easily imagined, there were tire circumference. On the northern many stories of the appearance of side of this neck is Inverkeithing bay, '' Auld Pow's " ghost. Shortly after and on the southern is St. Margaret's this two boys of the farmer, one bay. The old road from the direc- about three years and the other tion of Inverkeithing passed between about five years old, were scalded in the chemical works and the black-

the farm boiler ; the youngest to smith's shop, and crossed it diago- above the hips, in consequence of nally, nearly in a straight line, till it which he died. They were pretty ended at the brow of the hill aboye children, the youngest especially the Ferry. This peninsula occupies fair-haired, black-eyed and almost a peculiar position in the estuary of little Spaniards in their complexion the Forth, and presents a striking ap- (one parent being very dark, and the pearance, and I believe is the only other very fair) — literally "olive one of the kind connected with the branches." The event created an river. The Forth ceases to be a intense feeling in the neighbourhood. river at or near Alloa, where it The parents paid us a visit immedi- widens into the firth, and contracts ately thereafter, and the mother, sit- between the ferries, by the jutting

ting at the fireside, took the fourth out of the Cruicks' peninsula ; so boy of the family on her knee, and that in looking west from it the wa- acted very strangely in regard to ter has almost the appearance of be- him. She said that he was exactly ing a lake. The projecting ground of the age of the child she had lost, by being turned by vessels flying and commenced to take off his shoes from a storm from the east or west (showing a hole in one of his stock- gives ample protection to them on ings, at the sight of which my mother either side of it. winced), and burst into tears, amid The ground in my time presented the solemn silence of all present. nothing in the way of adornment ex- This was the first occasion on which cept the recent erection of the new 1 saw a grown-up person weep. I Cruicks' farm-house, with some trees remember another painful occur- which had not had time to grow. rence of a different nature—that of There was also Mr. Cathcart's house two boys, of about four or five years at St. Margaret's, with some pine or old, playing on a heap of sand, at fir trees which hud just been planted. the beginning of the crescent, and The other place, which had a pretty in so(ne way one of them having appearance, 1 have already alluded had the sand thrown in his face, and to (p. 35) as "a recent plantation completely covering his eye-balls.* on the brow of the village" of the Ferry. This I believe belonged to It remains for me to speak of the a Captain Macconnochie, who, I also Cruicks' Peninsula. In the descrip- believe, was the well-known Captain

tion given of it in the Statistical Ac- Macconnochie of penal transporta- count of Scotland, already referred tion discussion. If the whole pe- ninsula could have become the prop- erty of a mtin of taste, it could have * The population of Inverkeithing has been made an attractive place, with 1861 it was been going down. In 1,817 I the water surrounding it (when the in 1871, 1,755 ; and in 18S1, 1,646. REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 54 tide was in) and the various aspects the highest part, between Port Laing of the land in immediate view. sands on the east and St. Margaret's

There was nothing very striking in bay on the west ; both of which the appearance of the place. Behind bend inwards, and contract the the first ridge, facing Inverkeithing, ground to its narrowest width. Be- and extending from behind the tween these ridges the ground dips chemical works to opposite the old somewhat to the west. I have al- Cruicks' farm-house, it was general- ready alluded to the views to be had ly believed that the Parliamentary from this part (pp. 13 and 27). Look- army in Cromwell's time erected ing towards the east, we have before their batteries in the action that was us both coasts of the Forth, and its fought in the neighbourhood. At islands — Inchgarvie to the light, fhe same time there had doubtless Inchcolm to the left, Inchmickery in been a battery erected to guard the the centre, and beyond that, but a entrance of the bay, for about a little to the left of it, Inchkeilh, and hundred yards from it there were Cramond island to the right, a little two sides of a square that appeared to beyond Barnbougle Point. On ar- iiave been the remains of a light riving at the top of the hill behind earthwork. In Cronnvell's time it the Ferry, the eye is immediately would seem that there was nothing attracted by the view on the north but a bridle-road across the hills, coast, from the East Ness to beyond with a few houses at the Ferry, and Inchcolm, which is really fine. The a landing at projecting rocks. Even other views are of a less striking in my father's recollection a landing nature, and more or less attractive was effected at what appeared to me by associations of ideas, and the to be a rock, near the light-house, on seasons, and the state of the atmos- the west side of the pier, and close to l^here. A very interesting one, from

where it commenced. A few of the this elevated spot, presents itself houses at the Ferry in 1835 doubt- from the East Ness to the left, tak less existed in the middle of the ing in both sides of the almost land-

seventeenth century ; and the same locked little inlet (when the tide is might possibly be said of the black- in), with Inverkeithing rising from smith's shop alluded to, and especial- the water, and the ground rising be- ly of the old farm-house on the iiill hind it, and the country still rising

(|). 42). In all probability the coast behind that, excepting that the row from the Ferry to Inverkeithing. in- of old white-washed houses called cluding both sides of the entrance to Castland Hill, acting like an eye-

the bay, was as nature left it ; that sore, sj^oiled the view in that direc- is, there would be no piers before tion. When the Lazaretto was near- the town was reached. In my time ly reached, on the way from the the East Ness had no pier, but a Ferry, a view could be had of Edin-

substantial wall, of blue stone, of burgh Castle ; and at times the re- apparently recent construction, that ports of its salutes could be heard. served the purpose of a pier, at the I have already said (p. 13) that "the

sharp turn of the coast ; and a low Ferry Hills, east of the road," ex- stone platform for boats at different tending to Caroline's Nose (or " the stages of the tide. The pier at the Caroline Knowes," as it was fre- West Ness (as seen in the frontis- quently expressed), were "clothed piece) was apparently of consider- throughout in the finest of pasture, able age, and was built, I think, of and (one might say) covered with blue and sand stone. horses, cattle and sheep." Caroline's From the first ridge on the penin- Nose, in 1835, was a perpendicular sula, on the north side, the road kept precipice which was being gradually

ascending till it reached the second, eaten away by quarrying the stone REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

for street-paving and such purposes. side of which I never saw an animal If the work has been kept up till grazing.

now there must be comi^aratively In the jireceding pages I have fre- htlle remaining of it. Laying the quently alluded to Port Laing sands, land down and keeping it so long in although the expression generally ])asture had its origin in its having made use of was " Pork Laing." It been leased by a very enterprising was a place considerably spoken of, and successful man at the Ferry, as it was the only sandy beach with- who kept a first-class inn there, of in miles on either side of it. In my moderate size, and was extensively time, with the jiasture land above it, connected with those having mail it was a pretty place, not merely in contracts and posting generally. a child's estimation, but in that of Grazing the land with horses, cattle anyone. It was about half a mile and sheep, all at the same time, kept from our house, a little beyond it in the fine condition described. " Henderson's dyke," a dry-stone He seemed to have occasionally dealt fence that ran from the sea towards in cattle, or grazed them temporarily the walled garden of the Cruicks' for others, for there were many of farm-house, and met another such

them ; and they would sometimes fence that led to the sea inside of the become wild and break out of the bay. These and the sea coast form- enclosure, which is the reason for ed nearly a square, and constituted what I have said, that " none of us "the limits" (pp. 8, 15 and 23) in- had ever thought of passing over the side of which we felt that no one pasture land .... unless we were but ourselves and friends and the with a grown-up person" (p. 13). farmer's people had a right to enter. The highest ridge which 1 have Immediately after passing Hender- alluded to is nearly opposite the son's dyke the coast bends into Port middle of Port Laing sands ; the Laing sands, and then takes a turn eastern end being about a hundred outwards till it passes Caroline's yards from the road. It is very Nose, and then bends into the Fer- short in length. The western end ry. Port Laing sands was our favour- of it looks down on St. Margaret's ite resort. There we would amuse bay. The best view to be got, look- ourselves in many ways, and among ing towards the east, is from where others by picking up oyster shells there was a tomb, erected by a per- and skimming them along the surface son who apparently never occupied of the sea. Sometimes we would it. It was immediately above the climb the face of the ground to the sands. The prosjiect seems to have level of the plateau on which the attracted him, as if that was to be cattle were grazing, and, if they the spot where he wished to rest. It were at some distance from us, make was a plain structure, on a sharp in- for the old farm-house ; or take the cline, with the entrance facing the east. narrow path along the steep coast

The top, surrounded by a low para- line past Caroline's Nose till we pet, was covered with whin bushes. came to the Ferry. Attractive as

Everything connected with it looked Port Laing was considered, I do not as if it had never been cared for remember ever having seen any one from the day of its erection. Latter- there but ourselves and those with ly the door gave way, and nothing us ; and I was very often there. I was to be seen inside but a dark- certainly never saw any one bathing brown empty jar, of a large size and at the place. The Ferry does not antique shape. This tomb was seem to have been nuich resorted to nearly in the middle of a small field- at the time alluded to, as a summer like enclosure, formed by the most residence ; or it had its own facili- common-place dry-stone dyke, in- ties for sea-bathing without lesorting 56 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. to Port Laing sands. The distance top of the Ferry Hills, immediately between the two was not great, al- back of Port Laing sands (p. 27). though there was a little climbing to It was of a very small size, yet it be done on both sides. It was at had an artificial island in the middle Port Laing I first learned that of it, and a boat in the shape of a crabs (called " partans ") hid them- Norwegian skift". I remember these selves in the sand, for I dug them two things particularly, because one out of it, near the salmon stake-nets day I saw a very attractive walking- that were there. stick on the island, when I imme- Between the sand proper and the diately made for the boat, but found bill there was what geologists call a it padlocked, so that I had to take "raised beach," of a very little ele- leave of the stick, on account of not vation, on which I have seen very being able to swim. Indeed I do fair crops reaped by old Adam , not remember having even bathed in who made or used a very good road the sea ; the aversion to which hav- from the hill down to it. Between ing apparently had its origin in the the cultivated ground and the sand rough handling of our maid when there were some stones of consider- she bathed me. But it was quite able size and irregular shape, that common for my father, when the could hardly be considered a fence tide suited, to leave the house in the made by the hand of man, although morning, with nothing on him but a they served that purpose, but as if cloak and slippers, and avail himself they had almost been left there by of the excellent facilities that we had nature. Immediately near these for sea-bathing.* stones, on the side facing the sea, The loch spoken of had evidently yet not washed by it, there were been made or put in order by Mr. some pretty specimens of what are Cathcart, already alluded to, whose to be found in such a place, that is, property, towards the west, and under tall and stout stalks, with few leaves, the hill, adjoined it, with the high- bearing flowers of a delicate pink- road between them. In that case he like colour. must have got the consent of the This sandy beach is associated in owner and occupier of the land. my memory with an adventure with The loch was kept in a very neat two boys, a very little older than condition, and had the appearance myself, getting a boat at Inverkeith- of having been recently put in order, ing and leaving the bay in it. My for the bank on the north side looked first care was to lie down in the boat as if covered with a peat like soil till it passed our pier, when we pulled that had been thrown up from the along the shore in the direction of bottom of it. The south side of Port Laing, and out of what current this small sheet of water seemed flat there might have been. It was a and marshy. There were no trees small boat and easily managed, one or anything of that nature surround- oar being on one side near the bow, ing it. and two on tiie other side nearer the Immediately below this loch, but stern. We were wretched rowers, a little to the right, is St. Margaret's taking "sj>oonful about" with our oars. The other boys insisted on * Our usual bathing place was imme- passing the sands, but I got frighten- diately behind the Lazaretto wall, where ed at the idea of going beyond the | the rocks had been removed for the pur- first head-land into a sea unknown to pose. The people of the town who me, and refused to pull another could swim bathed at the East Ness, and the others on the beach near the found- stroke, when we returned, and got ery. The water of the bay was pretty home in safety. pure, judging from the fact that salt was 1 have alluded to a loch on the made from it. REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 57 bay. This also was one of our the stone from it ; which seems to favourite places of amusement, par- have led Captain Elder to convert ticularly when the wind was from the it into a dock for his yacht. In my east. Saturday being house-clean- time there was no such water-way, ing day, all the children, after a although the tide when at its height hastily got-up dinner, were, I might merely entered it by a less than rill- say, almost "turned out of doors" like channel, which seems to have if tlie weather was suitable. Inside been made to get rid of the water of the Lazaretto wall was frequently gathering in it. It must have made resorted to by us on such occasions an admirable dock of the kind, as it when the weather or condition of the is almost completely surrounded by it doubtless pre- ground was questionable ; but the high lands ; and hill looking down on St. Margaret's sents an interesting sight to a stranger bay was frequently our choice. From when he views the yacht so securely the ground surrounding it we had a protected in so unexj^ected a place. fine view of the five or six quaran- Frequently I would go on Satur- tine hulks at anchor in St. Marga- day afternoons to the neighbourhood ret's Hope, and the ruins of Rosyth of St. Margaret's bay with the Cru- Castle, to the right, before alluded to icks' ploughman. Once I recollect (p, 27). The only dwelling in sight being with him, a little towards was the tollhouse. There is nothing Rosyth, when he stopped his cart particular to be said about this little and pointed out the spot where, on bay, although it is not devoid of in- passing long before daybreak for terest. The origin of its name has Charlestown for a load of lime, he at least created a sentimental feeling was attacked by a bulldog coming out in regard to it. I have a number of of a tinker's tent, when he took his personal reminiscences connected "gully" and cut its throat. He dis- with the place. First, there was a played such feeling in his narrative quarry of free or sand-stone immedi- as to leave in my mind no doubt of ately adjoining Mr. Cathcart's prop- the truth of his assertion, which I erty of St. Margaret's, if it did not listened to with awe.

form part of it. It seems to have On another occasion we went

been opened to build his house ; and there, with Bob and Jess, tandem never to have been resorted to for fasliion, for a load of sea-sand. On any other purpose. Its size indica- arriving on the beach, the plough- " ted that. I frequently resorted to it man abruptly exclaimed, Dear me, with the blacksmith's dog for the see how they fought till they killed

purpose of swimming it in it, as it each other," pointing to two dead was easily reached by passing from yellow-hammers. " No," said I, with his house behind the chemical works. my familiarity with " scuffling," " To a child there is a peculiar awe- that was not a fight ; for had it inspiring fascination connected with been a fight the sand would have quarries and lochs of unknown depth. been disturbed, and the birds ' tou- The stone of this quarry was evi- sled.' " Some time before this it was dently of superior quality, judging asserted by the boys at the school

from my impression of it when com- that no one had ever found a dead pared with such in other places sparrow. As these birds were very afterwards. And this estimation was numerous about our place, as I have confirmed by the fixct that the stone already said (p. 40), I thought I used in the building of Bemer beacon could find one, and sought diligently towards the west, in 1841, by a for it, without success. And so the Leith contractor, was taken from finding of the two dead yellow-ham- this quarry. On this occasion he mers attracted my special attention must have dug a water-way to ship in regard to their condition and sur- ;

58 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

ronndings ; but I could form no the rats about our place. The opinion on what was always a mys- ground was common to almost any tery to me. The birds lay very close one, and there was not even the ap- together on sand that had not been pearance of game-preserving ; not- disturbed by the elements since a withstanding which hares were often high tide had passed over it some met with, while formerly, by my account, they were numer- days before ; in which condition the father's sand on the seashore always presents ous ; and 1 recollect him pointing an attractive appearance. Nor did out the spot where he had "got one a feather of the birds present a ruf- with each barrel." Sometimes, but fled or soiled api)earance. How not very often, a covey of partridges then did these two cock yellow-ham- would be raised. mers get there ? Such birds do not Adders (pronounced "ethers") or frequent the beach, away from where vipers were frequently met with near they nest, and particularly for the our place, where, as I have said be- purpose of settling disputes. If they fore (p. 9), they had been numer- had been washed ashore by the tide, ous. With this animal I was famil- by what coincidence had they found iar from my earliest recollection their way into the sea, and been and the allusion to it, or to any of landed on the beach, almost touch- the serpent tribe, at once attracts ing each other, head to head ?* my attention. The last one I recol- On another occasion when at the lect seeing was inmiediately behind tollhouse at St. Margaret's bay, late our house. It was lying upon the in the evening, I got on the back of bare earth that connected the lower a gentleman's caniage going to the with the higher level of an abrupt

Ferry, and left it just before it enter- breaking of the ground, and that ed the village, without being annoyed had become warm by the rays of by any envious boy crying, " whip the sun. I was on my way to join behind," for we did not even see a my sisters near Port Laing sands, living creature of any kind on the but I instantly stopped and made a way. I inunediately started across detour to reach the place where they the hills for home, and, as was my were. It was not a single viper I invariable custom, looked over the was afraid of, but of others that dyke to take a view of Port Laing rnighirbe there.* sands, when I noticed, in the dusk of the evening, the only rabbit I ever I have written considerably on the other saw on the peninsula. There were subject of vipers (and certain snakes) " swallowing their young," which rabbit holes, and the usual indica- has been denied by some people inter- tions of rabbits, but to me it was a esting themselves in natural history, al- surprise that I never met with one, though it is as much a fact as anything said to be the most although I always kept a sharp look- can be. This may be interesting trait in the snake family, out for it. There was no place that which should not be allowed to remain would ai)parently suit for a rabbit- an open question. A further importance warren, so that the rabbits seemed to attaches to it as illustrative of the laws have got scattered, and to have kept of evidence, that is, whether it or any be decided accord- imder ground during the day. Under other question should ing to evidence, or by the preconceived circumstances they could not any ideas of the world, the popular belief as be numerous, and more especially is in the affirmative, which makes it in- weasels were plentiful, and would teresting to know how it originated. keep down the rabbits, as they did Then we have the evidence of people who have seen old snakes open their *The yellow-hammer in Scotland gen- mouths and give refuge to their progeny, of them. This they erally is called the yorling, but in some and taken them out places, as in Inverkeithing, the " yite." have done with oviparous snakes, whose " iji the soil. Viviparous The male is a "little prince of a bird. eggs are hatched THING. REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEI 59

The birds about our house were by use made a well-beaten track to principally house and hedge or field it. The birds were very little dis-

sparrows, robins and wrens, black- turbed ; so much so that the two birtls and thrushes, chaffinches and kinds of larks would sometimes build green linnets. All these were nu- their nests very close to the footpath, merous. At a greater or less dis- that would generally be passed by us tance from the house they were, for once a day in both directions. —There tlie most part, and in considerable was another bird, of a much shyer numbers, gray and rose linnets, yel- nature than the larks, that built its low-hammers, and a bird called a nest on the ground. It was appar-

'• chir-maftit," that is, a mean-looking ently a little larger than a house little bird, of a light brown colour, sparrow, and its plumage was about that generally built its nest, of long equally divided into, 1 think, red, dry grass, among scraggy bramble white and black. It was called a bushes, near the road-side. When " coal-head." I never found more

approached, its cry of "chir-iit" than three nests of this species ; two would be heard sometimes on this with young ones, and one with eggs. side of the road, and sometiuies on Sometimes the blackbird would

it visible build in singular places, even inside' that, without making itself ; which was so provoking that it would of the Lazaretto. I recollect, on be stoned, and sometimes have its entering it, being startled by the pe- nest destroyed. culiar cry of this bird when forced to Skylarks and titlarks (called " tit- leave its nest. Looking up to a lies") were numerous. There was a beam under the second fioor, I saw considerable resemblance between the nest, and a row of others in every the colours of their eggs, but those stage of ruins till the last one ap- of the former were much the largest, peared to be a little rubbish. The while its nest was in its construction bird, in short, had built a nest every very inferior to that of the other. season, adding it to the row of the Titlarks would build their nests on preceding ones. Pieces of news- the sides of ditches having a grass papers were often used by this bird facing, or at the roots of whin sprouts, when it built on a tree. or such places. Skylarks were rather The robin was also sometimes ca- promiscuous in that respect. When pricious as to the place in which it the nest was in the midst of anything would build its nest, although it was growing over or around it, the bird never far from a dwelling. It was always alighted a little from it, and generally on the rising side of a path snakes are born either as the eggs are The evidence on this question I sub- being dropped on the ground, or by their mitted last December to the publishers wriggling out of them after touching it of the Encyclopicdia Britaniiica, with ; which makes it impossible that the young the idea that justice will be done to it in of the viper, contained in eggs about the the article on the Rcptilia when it ap- size of those of a blackbird, and measur- pears. In the last edition the subject ing at birth about four aud a half or five was not noticed, cither because it was inches, could have been taken out of a accidentally or purposely omitted, or mother, by White of Selborne, free of was doubted or denied, or because the the eggs, and upwards of seven inches in writer or editor would not assume the length, unless they had entered her by responsibility of maintaining the afTirma- the mouth. tive, in the face of what he might look (3bjections have been advanced that upon as the ridicule of a certain part of the phenomenon is impossible, for the society. In the forthcoming article on reason that there is no room in the the Reptilia, the question, it is hoped, will stomach and among the vital organs iox \.\\q be settled "once for all," so that it may it }Oung ones ; while the fact is that they never again come up for discussion. If iio not enter that part of the mother, but is again omitted, the article will have left take refuge in the chamber that contain- out what might be said to be " the most ed them when in the eggs. interesting trait in the snake family." 6o REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

that was seldom used, ornear the top The crested plover or lapwing or of ground that presented a broken " pee-weep" did not build on the pe- edge, or under a small isolated bush; ninsula^ although it would occasional-

but never in or on anythin'g that could ly be seen on it singly or in pairs. I be moved, or in a field as such. One knew of only one wood pigeon's nest, nest I found in long grass near a brier, on the small young plantation back of very close to the sea, on ground that Port Laing sands, alluded to (pp. 27

rose a little ; and another near the and 35). I have said that this piece top of what had the appearance of of wood was " of about an acre." It an atteiupt at the making of an open might not have exceeded half an acre. well of little depth. On the other It certainly was nearly square, and hand I knew of one inside of our had apparently been well laid out, disused byre. The birds entered by but had been neglected, for whins a hole in the door, and built in the had been allowed to grow to a good

furthest and highest part, where I height inside of it.

had to lift a tile to see the progeny. Having so many house-sparrows The only time I disturbed a robin about our place, we liad frequent was under the following circum- visits from sparrow-hawks, which stances. I was nesting behind the sometimes showed a wonderful te- second house west of ours (the one merity, as the following instance wi*l

that had been occupied by Mark illustrate. One evening, when it was Hadden and Giles), as I was on my nearly dusk, I noticed, from a win- way to school, when a robin sudden- dow in our sitting-room, one of these ly flew out of the brae-side, so near birds eating something, at a very me as almost to touch me. I had short distance from the house, and I some trouble in finding the nest, directed my father's attention to ir. which was reached by a hole, little It was late for almost any kind of Jarger than v^ould admit the bird, bird to be abroad, and especially to

through a long and thick fringe of be feeding ; but late as it was it

wire-like grass that hung over an could be seen that it was a sparrow- abrupt breaking of the ground. I hawk. My father then told me to thought over the subject when at the sit still, while he opened the door in school, and, notwithstanding the pop- sight of the bird, which faced us, and ular feeling in regard to the bird, re- going behind the house passed round solved to catch it on my way home the Lazaretto wall to take it in ; by which I attempted by clapping my the rear. I waited patiently till he cap on the hole, when the robin in- made his appearance, hat in hand, stantly glided past me. " Two holes," and got very near the hawk, when it said I in my chagrin, and, on exam- flew away. I immediately left the ining the place closely, I noticed an house to see what it had been eat- open space between the grassy fringe ing, when I found that it had carried

and the ground it overlapped. On off its prey, leaving only a few fea- finding that the bird had abandoned its eggs, I regretted what I had done ; the purpose of sea-bathing-, they used although the fact of there being two the upper floor, which was entered by a holes made as lasting an impression stair behind, at a right angle with the building. At all other times it was un- on me as if they had been purposely occupied. These ladies were tall > and prepared for safety.* plain in their appearance, and unpre- tentious in their dress and habits. They * The house mentioned, I omitted to were very quiet and kindly, but not in- say, on a former occasion, was the prop- clined to be social. I never was inside erty of two maiden sisters, probably of the part of the house occupied by

past middle life, who owned the land on them ; and I felt disappointed at never part of which the Lazaretto was built, as having had my curiosity gratified by a 1 always understood. One summer, for sight of it. REMIYISCE.VCES OF IXVERKEITHING. 6i

thers behind. I could not but smile custom to search for the first apjiear- at the idea of a person trying to ance of the latter, so that we came "catch a hawk" by getting in the to know where to go for them.

rear of it and dro[)ping his hat over it. Bramble bushes were very common Wlien I lived at the Lazaretto I between our house and Port Laing enjoyed to the full the charms of sands; and from Henderson's dyke- bird-nesting. But rearing of birds in to tiiat sandy beach the rocks on the the house was discouraged, while seashore were fringed with what blowing and stringing their eggs was might be called a magnificent growth j)rohibited. Occasionally 1 would of them. The fruit of these we join other boys at "blind smashie," would occasionally use, particularly

that is, an egg would be placed on at the opening of the season, and on the ground and we would shut our Saturday afternoons, when we would

eyes and advance on it. But I never "take to the hills" during house- did that of my own accord. How- cleaning. On such occasions the ever, I remember taking a bird that oldest girl, who was in every way of was pretty well fledged and putting a superior character, and much look-

it on a nest of eggs on which an- ed up to by the others, generally

other had been incubating, and at a took the lead ; and a taste wiiich short distance watching the result of she had for what might be called the intending mother finding another botany added to the feeling of defer- sitting on her eggs, when I was glad ence which we all showed her. The to put the young bird where I had second girl claimed the exclusive

fountl it. right to take charge of the youngest j B-ing often in the quarantine child, and lead or carry it, as might

j

watch-house, I had many stories told be ; and her jieaceable, disinteresteal

j me by the old boatmen of mermaids and obliging disposition would have their hair the been sorely tried, if any of the cjinbing on rocks at I to disj^ute low water. 1 really believed what ! others had attempted her these old men told me, and pictured claim. The third girl and 1 did all | to myself these apocryphal animals on the quarreling there was, and it was

the island of Inclicolm ; the sound frequent and sometimes bitter. She of the word contributing to the illu- would catch at my phrases and sion of them ''•combing their hair" actions and turn them into ridicule.

on it. Now and then a seal would She would say, "Watch him, just pop its head above water, which I at watch him, and you will see him " first imagined might be one of the show his airs ! This she would do mermaids. Speaking of Inchcolm, even before company, where she

I might say that the island and the would keep her eye fixed on me, and

ruins on it were associated in my if I even moved she would point her mind with feelings which it would be finger at me' and loudly exclaim, " " difficult to describe. There, he shows his airs ! This The natural products of the Cru- was very provoking, and would have icks' peninsula, especially in the justified a thrashing, if I had resort- neighbourhood and back of our place, ed to that for redress. might be said to be whin and bram- During my recollection, which ex- if I not remem- ble bushes and ferns ; and cultiva- tends over 183 1-5, do tion had been discontinued the ber any violent winds. Our house ground would soon have become was well protected from the effects covered with them. Not even a of such by the quarantine ])remises sprig of heather did I ever find on the east, and i)retty well by the there. The wild fiowers that attract- ground in the other directions, saying

it ed us the most were bluebells and nothing of the trees surrounding ; especially, primroses ; .and it was our invariable so that, at night we were 62 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

soinctinies hardly aware of the wind it was only about a mile from our being high. Had there been violent place. I often heard people speak- storms from the east, the effects of ing of "the ferry," which I under- them must have been more or less stood to be the one on the south seen on the coast back of our place side of the firth.

towards the Ferry ; hut I never saw Some time after I began to go to such. The same can be said of the school at Inverkeithing I hap- snow storms. I do not remember pened to say to the herd that a Ferry ever having been kept from going to boy attending it had a long way to school on account of them. We go home, pointing to the west, as if had always a method of escaping he had to travel around the water to

the effects of snow in that respect, reach it ; so crude were my ideas in for the tide swept the edge of the that respect. The herd, with the

bay of it, so that we could easily go greatest astonishment, said, "There's

along it ; which, however, proved de- the Ferry," pointing in the direction

structive to shoes, in consequence of it, when I made for the brow of

of the effects of salt water on them. the hill and surveyed it with all the The state of the tide was a matter feelings attending a discovery.

of constant thought ; not that it ever While on the top of the ridge men- prevented us going to and returning tioned, a gale suddenly sprung up from the town, but merely influenced from the west, when the herd said, us in the way by which we would do " Now we will see it strike the sea

it. Personally it was attractive to on the other side," where it was ])er- me, both when I got up in the morn- fectly smooth. Very soon the water ing, and when I left the school for became ruffled as Ib.e wind reached home. And as eaily impressions it over the hill, at quite a distance

are the most lasting, the sea in its from the shore ; towards which it re- ebb and flow has always been a sub- mained calm, and would have given ject of sj^eciol interest to me. ample protection to a vessel seeking

It would be incorrect for me to say shelter near it. that I could still go over the Cru- On another occasion we picked up icks' peninsula blindfolded, although a dog that had lost its master. It

I think that, in that condition, 1 presented a forlorn appearance when could describe pretty correctly to one met with, but soon it seemed to feel with me, the directions and turns of at home in our company. Its eyes the roads and paths, the configuration were of different colours. "That one," of the ground, the knolls and what said the herd, " is for sheep, and this grew on them, the few trees, and the one for cattle"; which had some sunple objects on it, when I lived truth in it, as I found on meeting the there. Even the state of the weather dog the same year in Leith, when I and atmosphere on certain occasions, asked its master if he had not lost it and especially the snow scenes, could latel)^ Yes, he said, he had lost it be recalled by me. There is hardly on the Ferry Hills. It turned out a spot on it that would not elicit, not that it was good for both sheep and one but frequently several reminis- cattle. cences connected with it. My favour- At another time the herd said to ite place was the highest ridge between me, " Come and I will show you " Port Laing sands and St. Margaret's something ; and, going towards the bay, where I often sat with the Cru- dyke at the road, he lifted a piece of icks' herd-boy, who was three or sod, and putting his hand into a hole, four years older than myself. brought out a young rabbit. He had It was near this spot that I dis- come across a nest of them, and, covered that there was such a place judging of the direction of it, cut out as the North Quecnsfcrry, although the sod and dug down to the nest, REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 63 and replaced the sod till the rabbits in life. With the latter I filled my were old enough to be taken. This pocket-handkerchief, with a view to was the only nest of rabbits I knew treating our cat, if no other use of on the peninsula, although I had would be made of them. On passing heard of other boys occasionally the ruinous houses near the edge of finding them. The sight of the young the bay, so frequently alluded to, I rabbits interested me greatly ; nor stopped to have some gossij:) with the could I help observing how cunning- herd-boy, and put my bundle of fish ly the old rabbit had closed the on the ground, and moved further up mouth of the hole by throwing back the hill with him. On leaving for the earth on it, and what skill or ex- home I found that one of the cows

]>erience it required to find a rabbit's had just finished swallowing both fish nest. and handkerchief. It was then I first One day he showed me a i^retty learned that cows will eat fish, partly, large stone supported by many small I dare say, for the salt contained in sticks, and asked me if I knew how them, of which they are fond ; and he had succeeded in doing it. On yet I do not remember ever having confessing my ignorance he knocked seen the cows "salted" at the farm- it over, and ])ropped it up with small house. It seems that that is never stones, which he removed as he in- or hardly ever done in Scotland, al- serted the sticks in their place, till though I found pieces of rock-salt in the large stone appeared as when fields in which sheep were kept ; first shown to me. l)laced there apparently for their Some time after this there were op- use. position steamers— I think the Stir- I have said (p. 7) that the Cru- liiii; Castle and the Dumbarton Castle icks' farm-house " stood about a — running between Leith (Newha- third of a mile from the Lazaretto." ven j and Stirling, both starting at the It might have been half a mile. I same time from Newhaven, pretty was ot"ten there, and I have a very well on in the evening. It was al- fair recollection of h.ow the farm was ways interesting to us to see them managed, and what kinds of work approach and pass the Ferry, par- were done when the weather would ticularly as each of us had his favour- not admit of anything being attended ite boat, and wished it success. to out-of-doors, and particularly in This was the first racing between regard to making straw-iope for steamers that I saw. thatching the following season. Mes- A brotlier of this boy, when at the sages between our house and that of jilace mentioned, one day wished to the farm were generally carried by get some milk from one of the cows, me ; but anything of weight was to mix with peasemeal to feed a nest borne by the maid. One morning, of (Irooi)ing birds that he carried either because she had got up late or about with him, in a small, round re- was very busy with her work, I was ceptacle made of twisted straw, and asked to go for the family's milk, having a lid. Both of us knew that with a tin pitcher of a size that could th's was an unpardonable otTense what would fill ; almost hold a small still, with the dread of Nell, at the pail. I took the path straight for the farm-house, before us, we managed to farm, which crossed a ploughed field, catch and hold the cow for it the pur- between and our house ; over l)ose wanted. which, to the extent of about a fourth One day on going home from of the whole distance, we always ex- school along the beach I noticed ercised the right of way, whatever thnt it was strewn with " garvies," might have been sown or planted on which had been washed ashore ; and it. I noticed that the ground was that each wave landed some still so wet and slippery that 1 could not 64 [REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

safely return by it with my burden. ing in such a small community al- On leaving the farm-house with the ways secured for me the boys' respect- nu'lk, Nell expressed a doubt whether ful regard in every way ; and in re- I could carry it home, when I said turn I treated them with kindness.

that I thought I could do it ; and However quarrelsome I nu'ght have she stood at the door looking at me been with others, I never had the

for a short time after left it. I In heart to be so with the herd-boys ; place of going straight to our house but I would be of service to them in l)y the way I came, I turned to the many ways. If they built their fires lefr, and walked on the grass as near our house, I would find them far as Pinkie well, near the beach, lights and coal. In that respect I from which a path led to our house was once rather too kind them, ; to thus forming two sides of a triangle, for I appropriated to their (and my and making the distance to be trav- own) use a piece of peat that served elled considerably greater than by the the purj^ose of cleaning the irons for way I set out. What with the weight dressing clothes. This had become

carried, and not being accustomed to hard and glazed by age and use ; and such work, I felt completely " done although it was missed, susi)icion did up"; and so I put the pitcher on a not fall on me, and as nothing was

grassy spot, nearly surrounded by said to me about it, I also kept silent whin bushes, and started for home, on the subject. after seeing that neither " beast nor Saturday afternoons were the usu- body" was within sight, and casting al times when we would have our

a look behind to see that it remained fires, which were generally at a brae-

as 1 had placed it. The maid was side, or in some way more or less sent to bring it home, and 1 was told sheltered, yet so that the herd-boy that she found it safe, but the milk could keep his eye on his charge spilt. Whether that was true or not, when he happened to be with us. I was rewarded for my pains by being We would on such occasions roast dubbed " Coup the milk " for many shell-fish —crabs, limpets, and whelks days. For the future my only thought —and potatoes and mushrooms, ac- in regard to the milk was to see that cording to the season, dispensing

I got my share of it, it with tea in however was and supi)er consecjuence ; brought into the house. and we would linger over the fires 1 have frefjuently alluded to the till it would get so late that the maid herds, some of whom were really de- would be sent in search of us. cent lads, but occasionally there Speaking of fires in the fields re- would be, in every sense -of the word, minds me of getting a light before a "blackguard boy" among them. lucifer matches were invented or had Indeed many distinguished Scotch- come into use. The invariable cus- men have herded cows in their youth. tom was to prepare the kitchen fire

The very word " herd-boy," as ap- for the morning by letting it get pret- plicable to Scotland, stirs in my ty well down before retiring for the breast a feeling of sympathy, as I night, and placing on it a thick piece know well what it means, having of coal nearly of the size of the grate, come next to being one myself. Gen- and drawing the cinders and ashes erally I had no others outside of our around the edges of it. \\\ the morn- family even to speak to near home. ing the coal would generally be about

Their employment was a monoto- two-thirds burned, and the rest of it nous one ; and glad were they to so dry and infiammable that on being meet one besides the dumb creatures broken up in the morning a good fiie they attended to. The feelings of could be easily made. If the "gath- association were mutual. My father's ering coal" happened to go out, a official, personal, and social stand- light would be got by going to a REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 65

neighbour with alantern ready for use. in blue cloth, and was very tidy in his A very important thing in using coal person. This might have been his was to lay aside such pieces of it as Sunday "rig," for all the work he would suit for "gathering" or "rest- had to do. With much of the " sea- ing" purposes. dog " in his countenance, he was con- But the primitive mode of getting siderably shrunken in the lower part a light was by using flint and steel of his body. He had arrived at that and tinder, and "spunks," that is, as age when a discharge on a pension I have already said, " splints of wood was soon to be expected. Latterly dipped in brimstone." I do not re- these two men had nothing to do but member having noticed this appara- "kill" their time in the best way they tus in our house ; I certainly never could. Most of it was spent in pac- saw it used there. But I often wit- ing to and fro, sometimes on one side nessed the getting of a light in this of the Lazaretto wall and some-

way by the boatmen in the quaran- times on the other ; and, when the tine watch-house. They would pro- weather was cold, in slapping their duce a small tin box with a lid, inside hands under their arm-pits, to keep of which were some burned or char- their blood in circulation when in the red rags, which would catch the spark open air. Sometimes they would coming from the flint and steel. This gossip on the pier with Andrew would be gently blown upon after a Stewart, the pilot, as he made his ap- little of the tinder had been drawni pearance with his Norwegian skiff together by the " spunk," the sulphur and spy-glass. So far as 1 noticed at the end of which would produce they were not readers. The uncer- the light wanted. Getting a light in tainty of the continuance of the quar- this way was an easy matter after antine establishment doubtless fret- daybreak ; but it must have been ted them ; and old John, who had different in the dark, although neces- naturally a voice that both creaked sity and use lessened what would be and croaked, showed it i)eculiarly in found on trial to be a trouble nowa- his querulous impatience about his days. Getting a light out-of-doors official disjjosal. "Any news from was by flint and steel or the back of Borrowstounness? " (the local ofli- a pocket-knife blade and a piece of cial headquarters) was his constant match, that is, loose-made paper that question ; and he harped so much had been steeped in salti)etre, or rub- on this one string, that even a child bed by bruised and moistened gun- got tired of hearing the word men- l)owder. This mode doubtless is tioned.* John's age, face, and voice still occasionally used by old people and slightly boisterous way evidently when ligluing their pipes. made him "cajitainof the watch," In the watch-house, as I might and left the other little to say on have said on a former occasion, there almost any occasion. were two boatmen who lived, that is, According to McCulloch's Com- cooked and slept there after the mercial Dictionary (1869), there are, cholera in 1832, and left it some at least were, eiglit places in England time in 1833, One of them, who for vessels performing quarantine : was much younger than the other, and two in Scotland— Inverkeithing did not present a single salient point Bay for the east coast of Scotland, (excepting his large size) by which I and Holy Loch in the Firth of Clyde, could remember him his for the west coast. The vessels des- ; even name

I do not recollect, if 1 ever heard it. tined for the Inverkeithing Station The other one was a gray-haired man during the cholera of 1832 either who was generally spoken of as " Old * John's pronunciation of the word John Hamilton," and was pretty-well was Borstonness, which was the current liked. was He always neatly-dressed one in the place. Nowadays it is Ep'ne«s„ REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

proceeded direct to St. Margaret's the public service was doubtless well Hjpe after being boarded at Leith, attended to, there had been frequent or first to little to excursions in hove a the south the neighbourhood ; and east of the Lazaretto before go- which the boatmen were apt to en- ing there. I recollect my father say- joy, especially when eating and ing that on a foreign vessel not drinking made part of them. 1 re- '• heaving to " he ordered one of the member the api)earance of the boat boatmen to raise a musket, when used on such occasions. It was those on board instantly dipped be- large in size, full in the beam, not low the bulwarks, but soon peered high above the water-line, very con- over the edge of them, and again dis- veniently seated towards the stern,

aj^peared at the sight of it, till they and of a handsome model, but ap- came to understand what was want- parently not lieavy enough for man-

ed. This musket was doubtless un- of-war purposes ; the very ideal of a loaded and carried under the regula- boat for pleasure excursions. The tions adopted before or during the annual expense connected with the long wars, so recently ended, and establishment, including the feu duty still continued in force. or ground rent, did not i:)robably ex- The only occasion I remember of a ceed _;^4oo, while the original cost vessel " riding quarantine " at St. of the buildings might not have ex- Margaret's Hope after 1832 was one ceeded ^1,200, or ;^i,5oo at the bound for Leith from Alexandria, most ; not a heavy burden for the about 1842. Her English owners, whole of the east coast of Scotland. in anliciinition of her arrival, at first My acquaintance with the " wide wished her to conform with the reg- world" at this time extended no ulations at Standgate Creek, in or further than strolling over the Cru- near the Thames, not knowing that icks' Peninsula, and going to and St. Margaret's Hope, about twelve returning from school, with the fol- miles distant, was so convenient lowing cxcej)tions, not including for the vessel. She had on board three trips to Rosyth Castle, and vis- some ilax, which was one of the enu- iting Limekilns, as mentioned. merated articles " considered as One day I arranged for an ex- most liable to infection'" ; and even pedition to Fordel with the two boys then I think she was detained only in whose company I found my way about fourteen days, while the term into the school porch (p. 37), to get "quarantine" implies forty days or bark to make bird-lime, which I six weeks. From the fact of the think was the only really lawless ad- Lazaretto at Lnverkeithing having venture I engaged in. At this tmie been abolished, it is presumed that Fordel was in the possession of Ad- the same took place at the other miral Sir Philip Durham ; three of that quarantine is now the children of whose factor attend- Stations ; and occasionally performed by vessels ed the school I did. St. Davids •remaining a certain time, according was the shipping port for the coal to circumstances, separated from mined on the estate, if it did not be- the community, like the one referred long to it. The harbour was small, to at St, Margaret's Hope. but convenient in every way, and For some time j^revious to the well protected from every wind, and rcholera of 1832, the services of my of easy access. I believe it admitted father at the Lazaretto could not vessels of 600 tons ; the tide re- have been much more than nom- ceding a very little way from the end it that. inal ; and it is difficult to imagine of the pier, if even did how he and the boatmen could have There was a house with a circular- managed to pass their time. I knew, like front, painted white, facing the

.ae a matter ui' tradition, that, while Lazaretto, and in which there was a liETJIXISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. 67 dear light at night, which attracted ly under it a robin's nest, which I our special notice. To the left were watched from the time it contamed some salt-i)ans that sent up a heavy eggs till the young took flight, if volume of smoke. Above these, I had had any idea that by stri])ping and nestling under the eastern side the stem of the holly of its bark, of Letham wooded hill, was a farm- the tree would be destroyed, I house occupied by a widow, three of would doubtless not have touched it. whose children attended the school As it was, I got the two boys to act as I went to. But I never had my curi- sentinels while I cut the bark from osity gratified in regard to the ap- the tree, and divided the spoil. I pearance of the ground behind St. was told that the bird-lime was made

Davids. by boiling and beating the bark ; and I have said (p. 27) that "Scotch so I attempted the operation, which boys then were not partial to visiting came to nothing, as I was not allow- places that were strange to them, un- ed the use of a pot at home, and less when with others that were had the bark thrown out-of-doors. familiar with them," as "they be- When at school the boys men- came suspicious of everybody and tioned kept showing me walnuts, and everything, when strolling out of what their hands stained with the husks of might be called their districts." them, without taking me into their The two boys mentioned lived a confidence as to where they had got little in the direction of Fordel, and them ; which was a breach of what were i:)retty-well known there. We was an understanding between us, first visited the factor's house, which that we were to share in everything. seemed an awkward-looking building, It was some time before I learned facing an open space, with its back that the nuts were got from trees at towards Inverkeithing. After going Balbougie farm-house ; but when I there as friends, we proceeded on went there with another boy in search our return to get the bark in the of them I was too late, for not one *' policy " on the western side of a was to be seen on the trees or on the pretty-wide road that led in the direc- ground. As it was, this small walnut tion of St. Davids. I was not grove proved lo me the " end of the aware of the kind of bark that was earth" in that direction. The name wanted, and when 1 found that it of this fine farm always sounded pleas- was of the holly, I hesitated in touch- antly to me. It was tenanted by a ing it from my regard to it, as we short and thick-set oldish man, who had only one of the kind at our had two boys at our school, and who " hon- place ; and it was nuich prized for always occujiied the seat of its brilliant green leaves, which were our" at the examination of it. strong and armed all round with Scott's Mill was reached by going hard and sharp spikes,—a protection from the Boreland farm along the in itself, and a notice to people not " cast," that is, water led from the to touch it. Then there were its dam there to the distillery. I was beautiful red berries during the win- only twice at this mill, the first time ter. When everything else was bare, being to buy rabbits. It was driven this evergreen presented a lovely ap- by water that came from the direction ])earance, and especially in the snow. of Fordel. When I heard of Hercu- While nature seemed dead, the holly les cleaning a stable by turning a riv- appeared alive, and, excepting the er into it, I thought that that was no ivy, was the only evergreen we had. great " labour," for it would have I was still more attached to this tree been an easy matter to have turned

(if tree it could be called), which the "cast" into Inverkeithing mill- was inside of the Lazaretto wall, dam, and " mucked the byre " at- from having found almost immediate- tached to the bridge there, in which —

68 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

were kept oxen belonging to the dis- on cutting a switch from a hedge was

tillery. At Scott's Mill there lived a gruffly taken to task for it by a boy who was lost in the steamship ploughman, who was immediately President on her return voyage from " placated " by him saying, " Come New York, while acting as second or to my place and cut as many switches third engineer, in the early part of as you please." We passed through 1841, I have a very distinct recol- the arch at the Abbey on our way to lection of him in 1835, and can al- " Inglis'," a famous dealer in all kinds most recall the sound of his voice. of " soft goods," whose shop, on a He sat on one of the most advanced pretty-wide street, looked towards the forms (holding two scholars each), Forth, perhaps on a line leading to facing the two end windows, his being St. Margaret's Bay or Rosyth Castle. next the church. He was a good- I was accustomed to the little cribs

looking boy, neatly dressed in light- of shops at Inverkeithing ; but when

coloured moleskin ; was a good schol- I entered Inglis' large establishment, ar, fairly jieaceable, and well-be- in which were a number of well-

haved ; and was of a superior char- dressed men bare-headed, I instantly acter, but with a good share of con- took off my cap, and was sharply told

fidence in himself, and faultfinding in by my father to put it on so that I ; others. I recollect how sadly I felt erred on the safe side on that occa- on hearing of his early and pitiful end. sion. Various purchases were made The little mill mentioned, situated as jjreparatory to our leaving for Leith, it were in the vale, presented a sleepy- among which was a pair of braces for looking object in the landscape. Its my father, which 1 remember partic- dam was a subject of interest to me, ularly, owing to having seen him a owing to its being frequented by short time before repairing his old "water hens," which stirred my cu- ones. Another purchase was blue riosity to see in what respect they cloth to make a suit for the third boy

difitered from ordinary hens ; but I of the family, who had just recovered never had it gratified, nor the oppor- from an attack of typhus fever, as tunity of tracing the water towards its mentioned (p. 43). On my asking source. why the articles purchased were not The little village called Hillend, bought in Inverkeithing, I was told near the upper end of Letham Hill that nothing but trash could be got (which is said to be now entirely oc- there, and that "Inglis'" was the cupied by Irish), is associated in my place to go to for such goods. The memory mainly with its teacher, of same might have been said of the the name of Scotland, having been local tailor, who was told to make " thrashed by his scholars ; and by the the child's clothes pretty big for a second boy of the family asking "if growing laddie"; for we were all it was Scotland o' Hillend that was mortified, on arriving at Leith, at see- told to draw the sword," on hearing ing good cloth converted into a our maid singing, " Draw the sword, wretched garment, when the very pre- Scotland." It was also the head- possessing child—with his blue eyes, quarters of a rather peculiar man who curly fair hair, and rosy complexion " whipped the cat " around the coun- entitled him to at least what would try, that is, tailored from house to have looked decent. house. After doing our shopping we went My last expedition was to Dun- to a place for refreshments, which did fermline, in the latter part of the not consist of a great variety, as mut- summer of 1835, in comi)any with ton pies were the only things to be my parents and two oldest sisters, had in the way of pastry. On our while the youngest one was left at way home we were overtaken by the home. On our way to it my father two doctors who had attended the "

REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. 69 child mentioned, riding in a gig, when rival of her two sisters. On this oc- a conversation ensued, during which casion I did not ask if what I saw I got close to the gig and applied my was for " swallowing over your hand to the spokes of one of the throat," but did it without ceremony, wheels as it revolved. They seemed thus "showing my airs" in the most to think that I was fishing for a ride, offensive manner. It would be hard for they stopped the gig and asked to say which of us was most to blame me to get into it, which I did with in these squabbles. Even when she great celerity.* We soon left the would voluntarily help me at my les- I^edestrians far behind. I got out at sons at night, which she often did, es- the foot of the hill that led to Inver- pecially when writing "meanings," keithing, and made for home by cross- that is, the definition of words, it ing the high ground where there was would be "cat and dog " between us. a gap opposite the road along the At night she would also prettily sing beach that Jed to our house. Riding duets with my oldest sister, which in a gig, and between two doctors at were greatly improved by attending that, had such an effect upon me that a singing class, along with other three I was in a humour to quarrel with of the family, including myself, of anybody ; but as I met no one on whom nothing could be made, ex- the way, I innnediately sought out cept that I would appreciate and en- my youngest sister, with whom I had joy the singing of others. The teach- always an open or running account er was a "professor" from Dunferm- in that line. I have said that she line, of the name of R , whose would "catch at my phrases and ac- class was in the top story of the town- tions and turn them into ridicule hall of Inverkeithing, on the floor of (p, 6i). Among the former J re- which he chalked his music, in place men)ber that I used to ask, not mere- of on aboard against the wall. One ly if a thing was for eating, or swal- day we had him to dinner, when he lowing, but "is this for swallowing brought my oldest sister's piano, and over your throat ? " When she saw it was then I first had an opportunity me eating anything outside of a meal of closely observing a " singing man." she would say, "Oh, yes, that's for He gave us during the afternoon and swallowing over your throat 1 " I evening both playing and singing in found that during our absence at abundance, which I greatly admired, Dunfermline she had made jelly from as well as the way in which he en- brambles, and had it nicely set out in joyed his dinner and toddy. He was dishes in the open air, waiting the ar- about or past middle lite, medium in height, pursy in person, and a bon-vi- in his habits. * One of these doctors, of the name of vant I recollect having been at one time B , had succeeded to the local prac- tice of the one mentioned as having acted in "perfect accord" with my young- for the Government during the cholera, est sister, but it did not last long. and who had recently left for America Of the Lazaretto I have said that (pp. 36, 42, and on which occasion 45); " there was a strong feeling shown by the the last use I made of the place inhabitants on losing him. The three was to kill, for the table, the rab- members of our family mentioned " (p. 43), bits I had running at large (^p. 20). were among the new doctor's first pa- My father had fixed a day for doing tients. The two girls he managed easily, that, but youngest sister, the but he had to call in a well-known Dun- my fermline doctor of the name of D night before, suggested to me that , {the other one in the gig), in the case of we should get up early in the morn- the boy, which was a very critical one. ing and do it. Her proposal as- For a barber to shave his head they got tonished me, but I instantly entered the old Inverkeithing weaver whom I into it with spirit. I do not recollect have alluded to on two occasions (pp. 17 and 49). who awoke the other, but we got up 70 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

very early for the work. She armed very much exposed from the lack of herself with a long stick, with which trees, which led a person, while on she smote one of the rabbits over the the steamboat on the way to Stirling, back, when I said, " Hold on, that's and in the hearing of Mr. Cathcart, not the way to kill a rabbit"; and to make a very disparaging remark seizing the disabled one by the hind in regard to its owner, but which I

legs, I gave it a sharp blow behind the need not repeat. By having occu- ears with the outside edge of the hand. l)ied our house, a close intimacy and " That's the way to do it," I con- friendship sprung up between him tinued, and told her to help me to and my father, who was often at his catch the others, which were disposed house till the day we left the neigh- of in the same way. After getting bouihood. Mr. Cathcart had in- through with our job, by which we deed no great choice of neighbours, earned our breakfasts, we looked at which seems to have led him to each other as if we had been crim- ai:)preciate my father, who, with- inals, and I agreed to say nothing out any apparent personal pretense of her in connection with it. With of the nature to be offensive, or de- niuch misgiving on my part, I carried sire for society, was yet suitable for my load of dead rabbits to my father, any company into which he might without a remark of any kind, when enter. It was always an interesting he, with the greatest good-humour, sight to see Mr. Cathcart and his merely asked me if I had got theni young fiimily walking to church (for all — apparently pleased that I had ihey never drove to It). Frequently, saved him trouble. When the rab- as they left St. Margaret's bay, and bits were brought to the table, my we went along the beach of Inver- assistant in the killing of them keithing bay, we would meet on our craned her neck to get a sight of way to church ; or, the one company them, and instantly left the room, would walk slowly for the other to for the reason that she was sick and make up to it on the occasion. Mr. could eat nothing ; so that to allay Cathcart was a very tall, handsome, the alarm, I had to explain matters. fine-looking, and dignified man, who 1 had a habit lifting had no such squeamishness ; per- of his hat and haps for the reason of the rabbits wiping his forehead in warm weather. having been running at large, so dif- His wife, who was matronly in her ferent from what might have been figure, and of a fair height, looked the case, had they been kept in a short when walking alongside of him. hutch. The daughters, I think, were of a I have frequently alluded to Mr. pretty-fair complexion, and seemed Cathcart's house at St. Margaret's, to "take after" their mother. The which was built some time after 1829, oldest son, who was tall of his age about which year he occupied our and fine-looking, wore a tall white house for sea-bathing, as mentioned beaver hat, and appeared of a differ- (p. 6). There was this peculiarity ent order from the boys of the neigh- about the house, that it could not be bourhood. Brown seemed to be the seen from the land, except from near favourite colour of the family in the Is-osyth Castle. From it there was a matter of dress. fine view of both sides of the Forth It must have been shortly after to the west, the sunsets being pe- Mr. Cathcart's house was built that I culiarly attractive.* At first it was

the graveyard of Limekilns there is said * I sometimes saw fine sunsets as well to be the tombstone of a sea-faring man, as moonlight scenes while looking west with An inscription beginning with the from near this place. The five or six words,— "At anchor now in death's dark large quarantine liulks had a very strik- road " in evident allusion to St. Mar- ing appearance on such occasions. In garet's Hope in front of the place. REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING. n

myself, would whistle to was first at it with my parents, possibly and who on some such occasion as " house- help the " poor beast" in its labours. heating," for I remember but two Of asses, called "cuddies," I recol- circumstances connected with the lect having seen a kind of a fight visit, which might be called " salient between a grown-up boy and one of points." I was naturally excited them, as to whether or not it should when going to a house of that kind, be allowed to bray, when the boy ajv pre- and felt astonished at seeing a horse plied his hands to its mouth to had the inside of it, on the door being vent it. But the "cuddy" opened; for up to this time I had best of it, although its music was con- never seen anything in the imitation siderably marred by the attempt at of a horse, except a small toy on stopping it. wheels, or something in a shop win- Almost immediately adjoining St. dow that could be eaten. This Margaret's, in the direction of the seemed to me a real horse in the Ferry, was the little one-storied i\x\\\- lobby, which was very roomy, com- house called the Ferry Barns, situa- pared to the narrow passage into our ted on some low-lying ground near little house, on the right hand side the sea, and not, I think, observable of which hung a heavy navy pistol from the road above it, unless from and a marine's cartridge-box. When the brow of the hill leading down to I saw how the horse " ran," I soon it. It was a primitive building, cov- got on its back, and behaved very ered, if 1 mistake not, with thatch, much like a certain personage when and had a little garden on the west mounted on a real one. The other side of it, in which were some fine " salient point " was quite in keeping gooseberries, the most attractive with this one, for, as I got through things there to me. I was often with my tea (it being an afternoon there. This little farm-house (if such visit), 1 bawled out, " Mamma, I'm it could be called), and that of the done," which caused an instant Cruicks were the only ones in use on silence, and led all present to look the peninsula. From the Ferry Barns in my direction, and the lady of the to the school-house (in which the ten- house to remark, " What does he ant, a very little man, had been teach- say ? " To this no reply was made, er), on the north side of the road, ex- and the rudeness passed off. I was tended the planted grjand of Cap- doubtless corrected afterwards. I tain Macconnochie, on whose prop- certainly never repeated the words erty I never was. al- at home, and I have still a sensitive The Ferry itself 1 have aheady feeling of having committed myself luded to (pp. 55 and 62). It was and others on the occasion. long after 1 became aware of the ex- Speaking of horses reminds me of istence of the place that I ventured frecjuently as the first one I saw, which was an old into it; but I would go white one that grazed around the far as the brow of the hill, where the Lazaretto with the farmer's cows. It school-house was, and look at it from was too old to do work of conse- that spot. The reason for this was quence or perhaps any kind of labour. the aversion which, as I have said, into strange It had a habit of scratching itself Scotch boys had to stray more than ordinary, and as there were places Gradually I got into the stroUing there no trees there it would throw itself habit of sometimes by ihefauiily on which on its back and turn over and over. going errands for ; occasions I held that 1 had a right to One turn was the gain of a shoe ; a return made a pair. I frequently be there, and feeling very brave would " Wlia daur meddle wi' saw it earn a complete set without say to myself, ? " after I had got ac- getting on its feet ; such was the feel- me One day ing and almost the belief of the herd customed to visit the village tl.e cap- — " "

7^ REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING.

tain of the okl rickety steam ferry- way over the hills ; but I got to log- boat told me to "jump aboard," when gerheads with the oldest one about I made a trip to the South Queens- her "expecting to ride some day in ferry, which was an important event her carriage," when I went with them in my experience there. by the high road as far as the old The school at the Ferry seemed to Cruicks' farm-house, " arguing the meet the wants of the place, except question," and stood there for some that occasionally scholars from it time doing it. This was my first ex- would find their way to the school of perience of what is called " female Inverkeithing to "finish" their edu- pertinacity," for I could make noth- cation. I recollect but six such ing of her in the way of argument, al- four boys and two girls. The last though it was doubtless " mere asser- two boys were big fellows who always tion " on both sides. I almost came kept together, ai)parently for defence, to blows with her before parting, and fur they were never seen in the town went home completely discomfited. except when hurrying to and from There I pestered every one for sym- school, as if they dreaded the enmity pathy, and harped on the words, " To of all belonging to the place. They think o' a muckle, coorse-looking jad might have been described as " Cun- like that riding in her carriage ! ning and Cruelty.'' On one occasion, At the Ferry there was an old-es- when outside of the town, they seized tablished comj^any or association of a little boy, who had perhaps insulted boatmen that might have been called them, and crammed his mouth with a close corporation, before the intro- what they found on the highway. duction of steam. In my father's The feeling between the children of work on the Gipsies (which I edited the two places, as was conmion in and published in 1865), there is the

Scotland, could not be called friend- following in reference to them : — ly, although it never, in niy experi- " So well did they [the Gipsies] pay actual hostilities. The ence, led to their way at the village and passage behaviour of each set was regulated alluded to, that the boatmen gave by their being in the camp of the them the kindly name of ' our frien's.' other. Thus I remember, when at These wanderers were all known at the Ferry with three Inverkeithing the village by the name of ' Gillie Wheesels.* or ' Killie Wheesh,' which boys, that it was not the grown-up in the west of Fife signified ' the lads ])eople nor the dogs that we were that take the purses.' Old Thomas afraid of, but boys of our own age Chalmers informed me that he had growth. and those of a larger My frequently seen these sharks of boat- complete identity with Inverkeithing men shake these Gipsy thieves heart- seems to have influenced me at first ily by the hand, and, with a signifi- in my relation to the Ferry. The cant smile on their harsh, weather- feeling alluded to was even manifest- beaten countenances, wish them a good market as they landed them ed, but in a less degree, towards the on the north side of the Forth, on their Ferry girls that attended our school. way to picking pockets at fairs 1 recollect going home from it on a 173)- Saturday forenoon with the two men- (P- tioned —one a big, coarse-looking Before the introduction of a steam girl, almost a woman, wearing a brown ferry-boat, these boatmen had things their beaver bonnet and a fur tii)pet that pretty much own way ; for at- had seen better days; and the other tempts had been made to employ a blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked, and good- other boatmen, which failed, in con- looking girl of about my own age, in sequence of their not being familiar a green-checked tartan plaid. I with the tides and currents in the should have left them to go home gut between the ferries. In my rec- along the beach, while they took their ollection there was still some little REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITHING. n boating done there, while the men body," and when he met with a perhaps eked out a Hving by tishing. serious accident— the breakage of They were frequently seen loitering one or both legs, or some such mis- about the light-house. The only one fortune—the feeling was that "that

that I particularly noticed was a was the end of him" ; but he "got queer -looking little body, called on his legs " as before. Most of his "Daft W G "; but he was dress was in the pink of almost not so " daft " as not to know what youthful fashion, with a broad- to do with a pocket-book containing brimmed beaver hat that inclined bank notes which he found, for it was a little towards his shoulders, and reported that he " burned the book, from under it hung a queue or pig- but kept the bonnie pictures." tail, while opposite that was a coun- The only " business man " living tenance that was not very imposing at the Ferry was the one who leased in its aspect. I recollect my father the Ferry Hills, and was extensively pointing out a narrow close at the connected with the mail service and Ferry, in which the Captain had an posting, and kept the inn, as men- adventure. He had gone there to tioned (p. 55). He was a very act- make peace between a woman and ive, enterprising, and successful man, her wild and drunken husband, when and was well known far and wide, the ruffian roared and rushed for his and well liked. In his manner he gun, and the Captain made for the was pushing and energetic and pop- door, but, instead of running straight " ular, and was quite a " character." out of the close, threw or " wapped It was alleged that he would enter himself from side to side till he his stable and kindly slap his horses twisted himself round the entrance and descant on their merits. To one of it, so as not to give his assailant he said, "Ay, you have earned me (whether real or pretended) a good ;^2oo." I once heard him say that aim at him. In that respect he fol- when he was young he did not rest lowed the regulation tactics observed a moment after awaking in the when retreating, pell-mell, in narrow morning, but instantly gathered his streets. A son of the Captain on bed-clothes on his feet and threw returning to Leith, after a residence them over the end of his bed, and in England, said, " How do you sprung to the floor. These were two people in Scotland keep your holi- distinct movements, but so active was days at Christmas?" "Just as they he in after-life that in his youth they do at the North Queensferry, where might almost have passed for one. I have been many a day," was the " There was another " character reply of a person present, who was also living at the Ferry, but often seen in a native of the place. Inverkeithing, who bore the title of During Bonaparte's wars my father Captain, from having been a sailing- was a lieutenant in the volunteer ar- master in the navy, as I always un- tillery stationed at the North Queens- derstood, although in the neighbour- ferry. I recollect him pointing out hood any one who had held a commis- where the guns were placed. There sion seems to have been styled Captain were two batteries ; one along the by courtesy. Although jiretty-well edge of the cliff that encircled the advanced in life and hardly straight village on the east of it, and one on in his figure, he was active in his a small low-lying piece or point of habits, s[)ringy in his movements, and land outside of the pier that formed buoyant in his manners. He took the eastern side of the little harbour. the first place in suggesting all kinds This battery had consisted of but two of improvements. In every way he guns, with earth forming three small was an object of public interest and mounds to protect them at the sides even admnation, as a "wonderful! only. This light earth-work had kept 74 REMINISCENCES OF INVERKEITIIING.

its appearance wonderfully. Every- While loitering about the Ferry thing relating to the high battery, till nearly dark, before the time of which had doubtless been of a more steam, my father noticed a ])ost- extensive, heavier, and more solid chaise arrive from the north in gal-

nature than the other one, had disap- lant style. Out of it came a young peared. My father's commission, njan in the highest fashion, and took ei)aulets, sash, and sword were well his departure for the south side, on taken care of, but his coat— I think his way to Edinburgh, in a ferry-boat blue with red trimmings—and hat that sank deep in the water with were allowed to go to ruin. some heavy trunks that formed his In my time the only recently-built luggage. After thinking over what houses at the Ferry were the inn he had seen, my father hired a boat and the school-house at the top of and reported the circumstance to hill. The inn was a handsome the Customs' authorities at Leith the ; building, having its back so close to when next day the trunks were traced the water that it seemed to form ])art and seized, but not before some of the sea-line. Its inmates had thus marks had been removed from the the most convenient facilities for bottom of them. It turned out that bathing. The school-house was of they contained costly British lace, an

two stories ; the full length of the article that had bee-n frequently ex- under one for the school-room, and ported by a Leith mercantile house the upper one for the teachers' dwell- to Holland, in the face of Bonaparte's ing, which was entered by a stair Berlin decrees, prohibiting trade with

from the north side. The windows Great Britain ; to counteract which dift'ered from ordinary ones, being of the British Government granted the " cottage " order, or of some licenses to import free of duty, goods such description. In the school- to the same value that were landed room in the evenings there was fre- in Holland. The removal of the quently preaching, which seems to marks from the trunks ended the in- have differed from what was heard vestigation ; for in smuggling, as in from the " Old Moderate " in the murder, the goods must be produced parish church. I always went there and identified before an action can cheerfully except on one occasion, hold. Up to this time the mercan- when, a little before starting for the tile house alluded to had been very place, I had the misfortune to fall successful in exporting lace (always into the sea, at the east side of the lace, that was very valuable and Lazaretto wall, and wet myself to the easily handled) and importing the knees, but not while "gathering value of it, free of duty, as men- sticks," which was rigidly prohibited tioned, and producing certificates of on Sundays. I said nothing of the the lace having been landed in Hol- occurrence, but started for church, land, to the astonishment and envy while I felt most anxious for a change of their neighbours. But their trade of clothing ; but it being in the •"at once ceased and was never re- height of summer, the disagreeable sumed. A singular circumstance feeling and the danger were consider- connected with the subject was, that ably modified. The only oldish the searcher who cleared the trunks building at the Ferry (excepting the for export found in one of them a old inn) that I took particular notice pen which he had lost on the day he

of, was a heavy-looking house facing did it ; but that was not deemed suf- the street, with its back to the sea, on ficient evidence. It was believed the right as the village was entered from that a fishing boat had run alongside

the west. In it resided an old gentle- of the vessel below the island of man who had been my father's rank- Inchkeith, and landed the trunks on ing officer in the volunteer artillery. the Fife coast, from which they were REMINISCENCES OF hYVERKEITIIING. 75

laken to Edinburgh in the way de- immediately to the west, for of the scribed. In that case it was possible pier at Limekilns I might say that I

that the same trunks, or the lace never saw a vessel near it, except the contained in them, had been the " bones of an old sloop," or some basis of many profitable Dutch ad- such craft, that had been drawn up ventures. Had the marks on the alongside of it as far as it could be trunks not been removed (which was floated at the highest tide. We spent probably done before they left the a night of great hilarity in the house vessel), my father would doubtless of a kindly and worthy old man, of have received a " nice sum " for his limited education and capacity, but services. in appearance, manners, and charac- ter of a high order. Early next day I bring these " Reminiscences of we embarked at Charlestown for Childhood at Inverkeithing " to a Newhaven in a little steamtug called close by saying that, after seeing the the Lion—which was painted black, Esperance leave the Lazaretto pier white, and green, and "clinker-built" with our furniture for Leith, the fatn- —and picked up the rest of the fam- ily scattered, and passed their last ily at the Ferry. Although the wea- night in the neighbourhood among ther was wt?t, I got a good view of friends and relations. 1 went with what was to be seen on our side of my three sisters to an uncle of my St. Margaret's Hope, including the father at Limekilns. He was the guard-ship, the ruins of Rosyth Castle out-port deputy-collector or coast- and St. Margaret's, and after these, officer of the Customhouse at Bo'ness, of the Ferry and Caroline's Nose, and and dwelt in the eastern one of two enjoyed the novelty of seeing familiar houses at the foot of a hill, a little places from a point outside of them. west of the pier, and nearly opposite After fairly passing the F'erry, and an ancient structure on the sea-shore, getting a good sight of the island of of the nature of which I could never Inchgarvie, I cast many a look along learn. It was of heavy stone, and the coast towards the Lazaretto and nught have been the well of salt-pans Inverkeithing. When these became that had long ceased to exist, and indistinct, as we advanced towards looked as if it had been at least three our new home, I bade them adieu, centuries old. The business of the but not for ever. district seemed to be at Charlestown,

—

APPENDIX.

WITH reference to the History of : very name of Gipsy is such that it the Gipsies, I have said in tlie is with the utmost difficulty, or barely " Preface, that it is partly in relation ! ])ossible, attention can be arrested to this work that I have prepared these for almost anything sensible i good or

Reminiscences, as alluded to in the in regard to it. But that was no

I

Appendix." 1 sent the book home I reason why the subject, as treated in in with the idea that it would at tiiis book, should j^ro- 1865, [ have been least be treated fairly by the Scotch scribed, in the face of the evidence

I j)ress generally ; but it seems that furnished in relation to it. the most part of it declined to notice To intelligent and disinterested it in any way, while not a single pub- people it should appear intuitively lication discussed it with reference and instinctively, that the hard feel- to the really important aspect of the ing on the i)art of the world at large subject — the development of the race against the Gii)sy race results in the as Its blood became mixed with na- following positions : tive, and its members took their 1st. Our knowing so little of the places, more or less, in the ranks of Gipsies in general, and absolutely settled life, in common with the other nothing of them when, by dropping inhabitants. Indeed there seems to their original habits, and keeping have been an aversion even to touch ' silent on the subject, they "cease to the work, or tlic subject of it, in any be Gipsies" in popular estimation. way, were I to judgp by the very 2d. Separation in their feelings, favourable notice of it in the Edin- private associations, and marriages burgh Weekly Herald, in which, after from the community at large ; and a much api)arent hesitation or " swith- corresponding perpetuation of their ering," it began thus : —" This, let us existence as Gipsies or members of say it at once," 1 can only conjec- the Gipsy tribe. ture in regard to the reason for this, 3d. A natural feeling of antipathy, for I am not in a jiosition to make a whether active or passive, on the part specific charge against anyone for of the (}ii)sies towards the rest of the what I cannot but consider a dere- population. liction of duty. A book of such a 4th. The moral impossibility of nature, originating as this one did, the race, as a rule, marrying with on being returned to Scotland, was and " auialgamating and becoming entitled to be received there with the lost " among the natives, when they greatest courtesy and candour ; for have never been allowed by them such is not a thing of every-day oc- even to " open their mouths " as currence, that can be passed over as (iipsies. a matter of indifference. I admit 5th. That the Gipsy element, whe- that the popular feeling against tiie ther [)ure in regard to blood (of the "

APPENDIX. 78 existence of which there is great found it difficult to frame an intelli- doubt) or mixed, or even common gible answer to the question. He blood " gipsified," will also naturally could not have referred to a much marry with the Gipsy element, and better authority than himself; and thereby perpetuate itself, as a tribe, he could hardly have said (whatever or a community in the midst of an- he might have/*?//) that he objected other, by a law of nature, as much as to what was given as facts merely " that by which other races or families because he chose to do so." of men are preserved distinct from In The Scottish Churches and the " others. Gipsies I said that the social eman- 6th. That habits or character, call- cipation of the Gipsies is in reality a ing or creed, do not enter into the turning-point in history " (p. 24). question of a person being a member But in treating the question the first of a race springing from a tent, that thing to be done is to investigate entered Scotland not later than 1506, and understand it, and intelligibly and England in the time of Henry realize the fact that the race is not VIII., and that has a knowledge or confined to the few that go about, belief of its existence all over the somewhat in the more primitive con- world. dition of it. 7th. That no one should object'to Here there is no room for preju- a person claiming to be, and being dices, preconceived opinions or pre- in fact, a member of this race, and cedents, or any other motives bear- priding himself in it, in the face of ing on the investigation of truth, the ferocity of prejudice against it, whatever may have been the conven- while he, on his part, claims the priv- tional light in which it may have been ilege of being a member of a partic- looked at heretofore. What becomes ular native family, or of an associa- of the Gipsies as they (or the repre- tion that is in any way separated sentatives of the blood) disapi)ear from view, is simply a subject of in- from the rest of the population : see- ing that the first is such pre-eminently vestigation, in which common sense by a law of nature and social pres- and fair i)lay should be shown. And yet, instead of confining the inquiry sure, and not by choice ; and the second mainly by family records, exclusively to the race itself, people " while as a member of an association are very apt to go off at a tangent other for- he is such entirely by choice. in regard to some one ; With these remarks, I ask, What getting that the Jewish and Gipsy were the objections to the History of elements of society are the only ap- the Gipsies 1 It referred to a people parent exceptions to the rule of ab- living in Scotland, and was a purely sorption of foreign blood in the Brit- Scotch question, in which every " pa- ish population, as I have illustrated triot" was supposed to be interested. at great length, in the Disquisition on Did anyone know that what was con- the Gipsies, in regard to the descend- tained in the work was not true ? If ants of people from other parts of British he did, then it was his duty to have Europe becoming subjects by " birth rearing on the soil." exposed it. If he knew or believed mere and " Brit- that it was true, it was also his duty But although they thus become is of the to have admitted it, and done justice ish," that not the whole two to it. If he did not know whether it question. Eor even when peo- was true or not, he should have had ple from different towns in Scotland

it investigated and discussed, and have children born to them and reared admitted if true, or rejected if false. in another town in Scotland, the issue If he had asked himself what reason have the feelings of being natives of he had for objecting to what was that town, as much as those who.se " published as truth, he would have ancestors lived in it for time out — "

APPENDIX. 79 of mind," but retain a sense of be- ety, as it settles and divests itself of longing to a particular family or con- what is outwardly characteristic of it nection, whatever the quarter to which in its primitive condition, than to say they may trace it. And if we admit that it thereby becomes " absorbed that, cannot we easily realize, in a in the surrounding population." I much greater degree, the same of a could hardly have thought that a Gipsy family, which is of such a re- journal of the standing of the Specta- cent addition to the Scotch popula- tor could have used such language, tion, when it has not only never been after all that I had written on the acknowledged, but has been legally subject and submitted to it, unless it " and socially i^roscribed, so tliat they appears that this " absorption the- have carefully and rigidly kept a ory is so absolutely conventional that knowledge of it to themselves, as if no one must call it in question, how- they had had to " skulk through life ever much it may be demonstrated like thieves, conspirators or assas- to have no foundation in fact. It sins, afraid of being apprehended by must be obvious to anyone that even all they meet with, in the event of an ordinary native does not get " ab- " these coming to learn all about them, sorbed in the i)opulation of London however good their characters may by taking up his residence in it ; al- " be ? Contributions, etc., p. 202. though it might be said, in a general " So far from the Gii)sies (whatever way, that he gets " lost in it, that the occasional exceptions) getting is, he loses his self-inii)ortance, and " mixed and lost " among the na- makes it a difficult matter to find tives, a certain part of the native him. All the influences bearing on blood has got " mixed and lost the destiny of the Gipsies—those that originate within among them ; having had the effect themselves and those greatly adding to their number, that press upon them frorn without of — , modifying their appearance, and fa- should surely lead to a conclusion cilitating their disappearance, to the different from the one in vogue. We eye, among the rest of the population. have had elaborate treatises on all Under any circumstances it should kinds of subjects, including cats and not be maintained, without investi- insects, and migin have them on the gation and proof, that the Gipsy ele- mechanism of butterflies' wings—all ment has been " lost," merely be- more or less interesting, in conn^.ion cause it relieves the public of the with whatever society directs its at-

trouble and responsibility of discharg- tention to ; and yet it seems difiicult ing its duty in regard to the race, in to get a common-sense theory adopt- the various stages of its development ed, and the facts received, in regard after dropping, for the most part, the to a people that appeared in England outward peculiarities of the original so recently as the time of Henry representatives of it. As illustrative VIII., particularly in reference to the of what I have said, I give the fol- principles of its existence and destiny, lowing from the Spectator, of so re- as it absorbs the native blood, and cent a date as the 22d October, contemplates all outside of the circle 1881 :— of its sympathy, which embraces a

" If Gipsies could be induced to set- relatively-large number of people in tle in England, as they have been in the British Isles. Scotland, where roamers are now very It was with the object of directing few, they would have to work, and attention to the History of the Gip- would soon be absorbed in the sur- sies, and to my addition to the sub- rounding population." ject of it, that I lately sent by mail a The English language is surely ca- great many copies of a pamphlet, en- pable of defining n)ore accurately the titled The English Universities and destiny of the Gipsy element in soci- John Biinyan^ to the press in Great — — — —

8o APPENDIX.

Britain and Ireland, the universities, fully explained in S/mson's History of English great high schools, and the the Gipsies (pp. 116, 117, 205 and 218), where will also be found 206) the bishops and deans. Shortly after (p. fancy the tribe have always had for that I distributed in the same way terming themselves ' braziers,' and hav- publication four hundred copies of a ing the word put on their tombstones." entitled The Scottish Churches and {Con., p. 185). And that "John Bun- the Gipsies, which contained the pre- yan could not possibly have been a ceding one and some other matter Gipsy, for the reason that others of the relating to the Gipsies and the Jews. British race were of the same name ! and, as a corollary, that no one bearing Of these I sent a copy to each of the a British name can, under any circum- presbytery clerks of the three Pres- " stances, be a Gipsy ! (p. 184). byterian Churches in Scotland, the British and Irish universities, the En- Let us consider this subject as one

glish great high schools, and the of law between two ])arties ; one bishops and deans, and one of the clamorously calling on the judge and canons, " and for the perusal by jury to give him i)ossession of an es- courtesy of the other canons." I tate on the strength of his name^ adopted this course, to bring the without regard to his pedigree, antl subject before the university men of absolutely refusing to allow the real England, for the reasons given in evidence to be laid before the court, the pamphlet specially addressed to in regard to the rightful heir. Of liie (the them ; and yet I find the Saturday two writers Rev. John Brown, Review, on the occasion of a meet- of Bunyan Meeting, and one in the ing of the Archaeological Institute at Sunday Magazine), who put lorth the Bedford, writing, on the 17th Sep- illusion that the name settles the tember, 1S81, as follows: question of Hunyan not having been " Mr. Brown showed that, so far a Gipsy, I wrote in the article al- from Bunyan being of Gipsy descent, luded to, thus : American writer has as an ingenious " The two gentlemen mentioned seem endeavoured to prove, the name Bunyan, to know very little, if anything, of the in one of its many forms, had been al- subject, and should have exhausted ready known in Bedfordshire for full source of information, and looked i every seven centuries." I at every side of the question, before so 1 had an article, published in Notes dogmatically asserting that they ' do

and Queries, of the 27th March, 1875, 1 away with the supposition of those who think that John 13unyan may have had and reprinted in Contributions, etc., I ' ' Gipsy blood in his veins ; that the in 1S75, and in 77ie Scottish Churches i

! idea of Bunyan being of Gipsy race, is and the Gipsies, in 188 r, showing ' totally discountenanced ; and that the very fully the unreasonableness of long existence of the name in the coun- maintaining that John Bunyan could ty, ' effectually disposes of the supposi- " not have been a Gipsy because the tion that the Bunyans were Gipsies ' name Bunyan (variously speltj w^as (p. 184). in existence in England before the The real evidence in regard to Cripsies arrived there. In that arti- Bunyan' s pedigree and nationality is cle I wrote as follows : to be found in what he told us of " The tradition among all the British himself, in Grace Abounding, as fol- Gipsies is that their British names were :

1 lows originally assumed from those of people

of influence, among whom the tribe ! " For my descent, it was, as is "well

settled, as they scattered over the coun- ! known to many, of a low and inconsid- try, districts assigned to them, erable generation, my father's house and had j under chieftains, with a king over all, being of that rank that is meanest and

and tokens or passes to keep each in \ most despised of all the families in the his district, or from infringing on the land."—" Another thought came into

rights of other families. All that is ! my mind, and that was, whether we — ! —

APPENDIX. 8l

[his family and relations] were of the Even in regard to solid English

Israelites or no ; for tinding in the farmers of to-day, no one would eveii Scriptures that they were once the pe- think of saying that a tinker (what- culiar people of God, thought I, if I ever his pedigree) was necessarily, were one of this race [how significant or under any circumstances, a bro- is the expression !] my soul must needs ther or a cousin of them, merely on be happy. Now, again, I found within me a great longing to be resolved about account of the similarity of the sur- this question, but could not tell how I name, and his frequenting or living should. At last I asked my father of in their neighbourhood, or having

it, who told me. No, we [his father in- been born in it. And no more rea- cluded] were not,"* son would there be for saying the

I have not been able to see Mr. same in 1628, when Bunyan was Brown's book (although I wrote for born. Between 1506, when the Gip- it), and cannot therefore say whether sies arrived in Great Britain, and " he attempted to give an explanation 1628, I have said that there had of Banyan's account of himself, in doubtless been six generations of the regard to what he was and zvas not, race born in the land "; so that there ample time for it, in its or entirely ignored it. Having raised had been the question about his pedigree or mixture of blood, to have settled and nationality, he should have " ex- advanced so far as it did to the birth hausted every source of informa- of the immortal dreamer.* tion " before even attempting to de- The question at issue is really not

cide it ; but he seems to have wil- * At the meeting at Bedford alluded fully disregarded everything bearing to, Mr. Brown is reported as "having on the subject. In that respect 1 said : have said that ' ' The Bunyans of Elstow —where they " The name of Bunyan having been were living as early as 1603—appear to have been the poor retainers of a family borne by native families would not, un- other branches of which were substantial der any circumstances, even make it yeomen in the county quite three centu- probable that John Bunyan was not a ries ago." The expression " poor retain- Gipsy, for there is a great variety of na- ers of a family" would imply that John tive names among the race. Had he Bunyan's family were a broken-down belonged to the native race, he could branch of one of the English aristocracy, have said in all probability, that he was, titled or untitled ; whereas, as we have of a ' fine old Saxon family in reduced seen, Bunyan himself said that his "fa- circumstances, related to a baronet and ther's house," in point of " rank," was " many respectable families'" (p. 185), of the meanest and most despised of or of one that entered England with all the families in the land," and that William the Conqueror they were not yews. Mr. Brown says (and in this respect — he is apparently correct) that the father * Bunyan adds : " But, notwithstand- and grandfather of John Bunyan were

ing the meanness and inconsiderableness called Thomas ; and that the former was of my parents, it pleased God to put it into baptized at Elstow Church on the their hearts to put me to school, to learn February, 1603, and married on the 23d

both to read and write ; the which I May, 1627, to his second wife, Margaret also attained, according to the rate of Bentley, the mother of John Bunyan, other poor men's children."—He does who was baptized at Elstow on the 30th not say, " according to the rate of poor November, 1628. There are doubtless men's children," but of ''other poor men's other records and other information " children : a form of expression always bearing on the name Bunyan, which Mr. used by the Gipsies when speaking of Brown has withheld from the world. themselves, as distinguished from others. For example, is nothing said of the call- The language of Bunyan, in speaking of ings and residences of the fathers of Thom- his family, was in harmony with that of as Bunyan and Margaret Bentley in the the population at large ; but he, doubt- entry of the marriage ? less, had the feelings peculiar to all the The Saturday Review further said that tribe, in reference to their origin and " even Dean Merivale had to devote race. Disquisition, p. 511. several paragraphs of his address to the —

82 APPENDIX.

one of evidence, but of an unfortu- that is legal and moral in its nature. nate feeling of caste, and the aver- The same may be said of the laws and courts of criticism ; for if they are in a sion tliat many have to change their sound state they will at once entertain, opinions, particularly in regard to discuss and settle any and every ques- in the preface, who those alluded to tion suitable to the journal before which are not given to research or original it is brought. It is unquestionably with- thought, and have not '• the mental in their sphere to entertain dcjuurrcrs, ilexibility that enables others to look and see that they are respected, to the back and forward, and throw them- extent at least that no one can be al- asser- selves into positions besides those lowed to make assertions, and tions only, alter they have been repeat- they iiad been long and carefully edly denied, with proofs of denial, or trained to fill ; saying nothing of " arguments showing them to be untena- " those who, 'caring for none of these ble, or highly improbable. They should things,' are for the most part en- also see that no denial or assertion is grossed in their callings, and the permitted unless it is accompanied by " amenities connected with their posi- evidence, or an argument in its favour tions in life." The subject is one of (p. 204). " It is a law in literature, indeed it is vital importance and interest, al- common sense, that if nothing can be though society, from whatever cause, said in favour of one of two hypotheses, indisposed to entertain it. seems to be and everything in favour of the other, In Contributions to Natural His- the latter must be accepted as the

: tory, etc., I wrote as follows truth ; and this vye have in the one that Bunyan was a Gipsy. All that is " Nor could it be almost imagined wanting to change the hypothesis into that, in a constitutional country, in a a fact would be Bunyan 's verbal ac- time of peace, with the courts in full knowledgment, which the legal and so- is actiona- operation, any question that cial proscription of the race and name ble should be denied even a hearing by would prevent him making, and which a competent court, on the plea of fa- strengthens the Gipsy hypothesis as vouring the defendant .... or to such ; so that if we have not \i\s formal gratify popular prejudices against a suit confession, we have his itiferential ad- mission, as circumstantial evidence, which is better than assertion either local hero," speaking of him as almost estate, character, or " the patron saint, the pride and glory of way, when a man's " the town, the famous John Bunyan " life is at stake (p. 202). ; and yet he did not acknowledge him, but As to Bunyan not having maintained, or allowed it to be said, in John spite of evidence, that in regard to his been a Gipsy, but an ordinary native race he was what he was not. Long be- of England, there is not a particle of fore the meeting I sent the Dean a copy evidence to show it ; for which rea- of the pamphlets entitled The English son it should never be maintained Universities and yohn Bunyan and The Scottish Churches and the Gipsies. The by sensible and self-respecting men. Saturday Review, as we have seen, indi- On the other hand, the proof in fa- rectly acknowledged the copy of the vour of his having been a member of former, v/hich was sent to it. the Gipsy tribe is complete, for it The whole trouble or mystery in re- was not necessary that he should gard to Bunyan is solved by the simple idea of a Gipsy family settling in the have used the word in the face of the neighbourhood of native families of influ- legal and social responsibility attach- ence, whose surname they assumed, and ing to it ; the latter of which is ap- making Elstow their headquarters or parently as great to-day as it was in residence, as was the uniform custom of s time. In the Disquisition the tribe all over Great Britain. This Bunyan' circumstance makes it a difficult matter, on the Gipsies I said that "John in some instances, to distinguish, by the Bunyan has told us as much of his Christian and surnames in county parish history as he dared to do" (p. 516) ; registers, " w^hich was which," so far and that " in mentioning that much back as the early part of the seventeenth century. of himself which he did, Bunyan — — ;

APPENDIX. 83 doubtless imagined tlKit the world besides that, there is a strong conserva- understood, or would have under- tive feeling peculiar to most of them that impels them to be careful in regard stood, what he meant, and would, to what they introduce to their readers sooner or later, acknowledge the race ; which is a great drawback to anything to which he belonged" (p. 517). novel or original, whatever its truth or And in regard to matters of fact attraction, being given to the world " " generally, I have said, that if it is through their pages (p. 205).* wrong to believe that to be a truth This feeling of conservative con- which has never been investigated, ventionalism has been characteris- it becomes culpable to enunciate it tic of man in all ages, and under as such " (C

tutes it, however it may change ; and is representative of many others ; and could not fail to have an immense in- * fluence on the raising up of the Gipsy In what I have published I seem to " have incurred the ill-will of the Scotsman. tribe, to which Bunyan belonged (p. " It spoke of the " pretentious absurdity 203). of the title of the History of the Gipsies, a

book of 575 closely printed pages ; and whether it applied to the more ])rim- said that it was "worse than calling a itive the race or to those members of school an academy to take a number of differing in no outtoard respect from loose notes upon the Gipsies of Scotland, the rest of the population. to add to them a few looser notes upon Gipsies in general, then In regard to this subject, what I and to entitle the volume a history of that remarkable wrote in Contributions, etc., in 1878, people."— In its critique on Cottnbutioiis is applicable to 1882 : equally to Natural History, etc., copied at page— 206 in the second edition of it, it said : " The " It would also be strange to have it puzzle is, why he should suppose that his said that, in the year 1878, the British views .... are of the smallest impor- press, religious or secular, would not tance to any human being except himself." tolerate the idea that John Bunyan was Its notice of The Scottish Churches and to appear in its a Gipsy even columns the Gipsies, on the 22d December, iSSi, that people frowned upon or be- — and read as follows : " All that can be posi- came fired with indignation at the bare tively asserted about the strange oUa- mention of it, while they wondered that, podrida which Mr. James Simson has put if it were so, Bunyan should not have together under the title, The Scottish told us plainly of the fact, when it was Churches and the Gipsies, is that it con- odious to the rest of the population, and tains a great deal of rambling writing death by law for being a Gipsy, and ' fel- about the Gipsies, and next to nothing about the Scottish Churches, or their atti- ony without benefit of clergy ' for as- tude towards the sociating with the race, or even being 'Romany Rye.' Mr. " Simson is one of those troublesome per- found in its company (p. 203). sons who think that they know every- thing, and nobody else anything, about What I have said of the Spectator some pet subject ; that anybody who pre- the Saturday Revieuf, detracts and sumes to treat that subject without study- somewhat from the following passage ing and accepting as gospel what they in regard to a part of the English have written upon it, is guilty of a crime press : of the deepest dye ; and that their petty literary squabbles are deserving of elab- " Still, in England, there is that sense orate record. This book is an embodi- of dignity and honourable dealing among ment of Mr. Simson's idiosyncrasies in a high-class, high-toned journals, that if very pronounced form. No more cruel they do not entertain or do justice to penaky could be inflicted on the author's the book (or rather to the subjects dis- worst literary foe than to be condemned cussed in it), they will not abuse it. And, to read it through." 84 APPEXDIX.

is a great good in itself, i)rovided native country has no rights in it. that it does not last too long or go too Britons should have that much good far, and is accompanied by the cour- sense as to see that if they keep u}) tesy and candour that open the way their prejudice (the only one they to the entertainment, discussion, and have in regard to race) against the reception of truth, whatever it may Gipsies (so far, at least, as the name refer to. As regards social inter- is concerned), they will not acknowl- course, it is indispensable in civil- edge themselves, excepting those who ized communities, and manifests it- cannot help it, and who live by being self more or less among savage and such ; and that much love of country barbarous races, especially in rela- and humanity as not to allow this tion to their religious or supersti- race, or name, to remain in the po- tious observances. Among civilized sition it has hitherto done. Moreover, l)eople, after many a battle, conven- they should not permit it to be said tional beliefs, with little or no real that any of their battles should be investigation, may be said to be the fought exclusively by one of them- mental condition of human nature ; selves (and at his expense), thirty for which reason, if one's knowledge years absent, and three thousand is limited to what is merely current, miles distant from them ; or that they however much he may have been shirk responsibilities of any kind. trained in it, or however much he I add a few extracts from the Dis- may have acquired of it, it may still quisitioti on the Gipsies (published in be said that, in the absence of origi- 1865), bearing on the leading fea- nality of mind, he is little more than tures of the race after leaving the a "commonplace personage," and tent, and conforming, more or less, often a " bar in the way " to the de- with the ways of the other inhabitants. velopment of every form of truth. I am afraid that what has been said As regards the subject of the is not sufliciently explanatory to enable Gipsy race, what is aimed at is to some people to understand this subject. establish that which should have been These people know what a Gipsy, in the settled in the time of Henry VIII., popular sense, means ; they have either " jjarticularly in reference to the seen him and observed his general l)rinciples of its existence and des- mode of life, or had the same described in books. idea tiny, as /'/ absorbs the native blood, to them This of a Gipsy has been impressed upon their minds and contemplates all outside of the almost from infancy. But it puzzles circle of its sympathy" On (p. 79). most people to form any idea of a Gip- this subject assertions have been sy of a higher order ; such a Gipsy, for made, and may yet be made, with- example, as preaches the Gospel, or ar- out regard to investigation and proof, gues the law : that seems, hitherto, to by people interesting themselves in have been almost incomprehensible to them. They know intuitively what is it ; in regard to some of whom, what- meant by any particular people who oc- ever their positions in life, there is cupy a territory any country, tract of no evidence of their non-connection — land, or isle. They also know what is with the tribe, and of their not play- meant by the existence of the Jews. ing on words, or writing in not good For the subject is familiar to them from faith. infancy ; it is wrapt up in their early

I have spent too much money, and reading ; it is associated with the knowl- have had too much trouble, in con- edge and practice of their religion, and the attendance, on the part of the nection with this matter ; and it is at a place of worship. They have time, after this and previous appeals Jews, likewise seen and conversed with the to those living in Great Britain, that Jews, or others who have done either it should be taken ofif my hands. Per- or both ; or they are acquainted with sonally it has hitherto almost appear- them by the current remarks of the ed that one who is absent from his world. But a people resembling, in so APPENDIX. 85

with habits peculiar to itself, and many respects, the Jews, without hav- tribe, inseparable from its very nature, great ing any territory, or form of creed, pe- allowance ought to be made for its culiar to itself, or any histor>% or any gradual absorption into settled socie- peculiar outward associations or resi- That could only be the result of dences, or any material difference in ap- ty.* generations, even if the race had not pearance, character, or occupation, is treated so harshly as it has been, something that the general mind of been displayed against would seem never to have or had such a prejudice mankind a Gipsy has ot it. The difficulties which dreamt of, or to be almost capable to encounter in leaving the tent are realizing to itself (p. 447)- great, for he has been bom in that reared in it Then his original state, and state, and been Take a Gipsy in the there is the prejudice of the world— can find nothing really 7////^rtr about we him into any com- not consider him- objection to receive him He does any as munity, and his children into self as belonging to the same race school that commonly prevails, and the native, and would rather be judged — him to steal into settled standard. The life which which compels by a different with the class life. It has always been so he leads is not that of the lowest Gipsy race. Gipsies brought up in the of the country in which he dwells, but tent have the same difficulties to en- the primitive, original state of a people counter in leaving it to-day that others great antiquity, proscribed by law of But, notwithstand- of, and had centuries ago. ; himself an enemy and society keeping with the ing all that, they are always an enemy to, all around him ; moving out of the tent, and becoming population so prejudiced against him, settled and civilized (p. 482). that attempts to change his condition, consistently with his feelings as a man, to show that that, on the It requires no argument are frequently in vain ; so there is no tribe or nation but finds ground of strict morals, or even admin- said something that leads it to cling to its istrative justice, the man can be origin and descent, and not despise the to be only half responsible. The sub- its own veins, al- assumes quite a different blood that runs in ject, however, or though it may despise the condition aspect when we consider a Gipsy of ed- conduct of some of its members. Where ucation and refinement, like the worthy shall we find an exception to this rule ? clergyman mentioned, between whose Gipsy race is no exception to it. condition and that of his tented ances- The Civilize a Gipsy, and you make him a tor an interval of, perhaps, two or three civilized Gipsy; educate him, and you centuries has elapsed. We should then make him an educated Gipsy; bring put him on the footing of any other race him up to any profession you like. Chris- having a barbarous origin, and enter- as much as you may, and prejudice against him on ac- tianize him tain no he is remains a Gipsy ; because the race to which he belongs. he still count of influences a Gipsy on of the Gipsy race, and all the .... I would place such of nature and revelation do not affect the footing of the Hungarian race; the questions of blood, tribe, and nation- with this difference, that the Hunga- ality 412).—The principle of pro- rians entered Europe in the ninth cent- (p. gression, the passing through one phase ury, and became a people, occupying a appeared of history into another, while the race ; the Gipsies territory while with to maintains its identity, holds good in the fifteenth century, and are now the Gipsies, as well as with any other be found, civilized and uncivilized, in al- people 414)-—By bringing up the most every comer of the known world (p. manner done in this work, 414).— That the Gipsies were a bar- body in the (p. making a sweep of the whole tribe, the barous race when they entered Europe, by responsibility becomes spread over a the beginning of the fifteenth cent- in so that, should ex- large number of people ; ury, is just what could have been pected of any Asiatic, migratory, tented inhabitants settled horde, at a time when the * I have said, "absorption into better than barba- " different idea from of Europe were little society ; a very the pop- rous themselves, and many ot them "getting lost among the rest of popularly believed, with- absolutely so (p. 465). ulation," as is out investigation or knowledge of the As a wandering, barbarous, tented subject. APPENDIX. the Gipsy become by any means known a race distinct from any particular fam- personally to the world, he would have ily (p. 451).—When the Gipsies emerge the satisfaction of knowing that he had from their original condition, they oc- others to keep him company ; men oc- cupy as good positions in the world as cupying respectable positions in life, the Jews ; while they have about them and respected by the world at large as none of those outward peculiarities of individuals (p. 465). the Jews that make them, in a manner, offensive to other people. In every sense In their wild state, they have never but that of belonging to the Gipsy tribe, been charged by anyone with an out- they are ordinary natives ; for the cir- ward contempt for religion, whatever cumstances that have formed the char- their inward feelings may have been for acters of the ordinary natives have it ; but, on the contrary, as always hav- formed theirs Indeed one will ing shown an apparent respect for it. naturally look for certain superior points No one has ever complained of the of character in a man who has fairly Gipsy scoffing at religion, or even for emerged from a wild and barbarous not yielding to its genera! truths ; what state, which he will not be apt to find has been said of him is, that he is, at in another who has fallen from a higher heart, so heedless and volatile in his position in the scale of nations (p. 500). disposition, that everything in regard to —For this reason, it must be said of religion passes in at the one ear and the race, that whenever it shakes itself goes out at the other As re- clear of objectionable habits, and fol- gards the question of religion, it is very lows any kind of ordinary industry, the fortunate for the Gipsy race that they cause of every prejudice against it is

to ; for then, brought no particular one with them ; gone, or ought disappear for, objectionable as they have been as I have already said, the Gipsies be- held to be, the feeling towards them come ordinary citizens, of the Gipsy would have been worse if they had had clan (p. 479).—The Gipsy, as he emerges a system of priestcraft and heathen from his wild state, makes ample amends idolatr}' among them. But this circum- for his original offensiveness, by hiding stance greatly worries a respectable everything relative to his being a Gipsy

Gipsy ; he would much rather have it from his neighbours around him (p. said that his ancestors had some sort of 483)- religion, than that they had none (p. 477).—It is the weak position which the What are the respectable, well-dis- Gipsy race occupies in the world, as it posed Scottish Gipsies but Scotch peo- enters upon a settled life and engages ple, after all ? They are to be met with in steady pursuits, that compels it to in almost every, if not every, sphere in is to found. assume an incognito ; for it has nothing which the ordinary Scot be is, to appeal to as regards the past ; no The only difference between the two history, except it be acts of legislation that, however mixed the blood of these passed against the race. In looking Gipsies may be, their associations of into a dictionary or a cyclopaedia, the descent and tribe go back to those Gipsy finds his race described as vaga- black, mysterious heroes who entered bonds, always as vagabonds ; and he Scotland, upwards of three hundred this may be said never to have heard a good and fifty years ago ; and that, with word spoken of it, during the whole of descent, they have the words and signs his hfe. Hence he and his descendants of Gipsies, The possession of all these, " keep as quiet as pussy," and pass from with the knowledge of the feelings which the observation of the world. Besides the ordinary natives have for the very this, there is no prominent feature con- name of Gipsy, makes the only distinc- nected with his race, to bring it before tion between them and other Scotch- the world, such as there is with the men. I do not say that the world against these Jewish, viz : —history, church or litera- would have any prejudice still they are mor- ture (p. 480). Gipsies, as Gipsies ; bidly sensitive that it would have such In the descent of a native family, in a feeling (p. 437).—As for the other the instance given, the issue follows the part of the race—those whose, habits name of the family. But, with the are unexceptionable—it is for us to con- Gipsy race, the thing to be transmitted vince them that no prejudice is enter- is not merely a question of family, but tained for them on account of their be- APPENDIX. 87

stare spised, and the community would that it would rather ing Gipsies ; but see the civilized Gipsies make their pleasing and interesting for us to to be they would come buzzing them as Gipsies, appearance ; know something of even from Gipsies, out, like bees, emerging that is, about their feelings as where a person, not in the se- and hear them talk some of this lan- places never would have dreamt of (p. guage which they have, or are supposed cret, 481).—The fact of these Gipsies being have 484)-— To an intelligent to (p. society, and respected as utterly ridiculous received into people it must appear present as Gipsies (as it is with them at that a prejudice is to be entertained men), could not fail to have a wonder- against any Scotchman, without know- upon many of the humble, ig- is, merely on ful effect ing who that Scotchman per- norant, or wild ones. They would account of his blood (p. 529). which ceive, at once, that the objections proceeded, In receiving a Gipsy, as a Gipsy, into the community had to them but from society, there should be no kind of offi- not from their being Gipsies, cious sympathy shown him, for he is their habits only (p. 436)- submit to be made the ob- too proud to of part of the race who is a Speaking ject of it. Should he say that he like other people, I have said Gipsy, the remark ought to be received live feels a little irksoiiie in as a mere matter of course, and little that "one is just as if it made no Gipsy's company"; which notice taken of it ; such a difference to the other party whether he Illustrated by the following circum- surprise was a Gipsy or not. A little stance. A little before the publica- like ; but anythmg would be allowable tion of the History of the Gipsies, condolence would be out ot the ques- inten- I accidentally mentioned my tion. And let the Gipsy himself, rather, tion to a Scotchman, living in New talk upon the subject, than a desire be York, with whom I dealt for articles shown to ask him questions, unless his he dropped a remarks should allow them, in a natural of personal use, when instantly to dis- way, to be put to him Such an remark that led me admission on the part of a Gipsy would continue the subject, and try him the he was a real- then presumptively prove that next time I called on him. I for few upright person ; ap- ly candid and entered fully into it, as indirectly Scottish Gipsies, beyond those about plicable to himself, when he brought would make such a confes- Yetholm, his counter with one of his hand down on sion (p. 445).—In approaching oath, and said, " I am one myself, this class we should be careful not to an family." The only express that prejudice for him as a Gip- for ours is a Gipsy was, that sy which we might have for him as a remark I made in reply is natural enough to feel a " of them." This man ; for it there are plenty we meet dislike for many people whom man looked like an ordinary Scotch- which, if the people were with, and man, but was far above the average insensibly allow to Gipsies, we might and much respected, and on account of tribe of his class, fall upon them next time shake one's worthy of respect. The alone ; so difficult is it to his eyes did not catch mine, self clear of the prejudice of caste to- we met, never again al- wards the Gipsy name (p. 483).— It is nor mine his, and we As no business of mine to ask them, how luded to the Gipsies in any way. ancestors left the of what is long it is since their a means of giving an idea even know when tent, or, indeed, if they perhaps too abstract for some people that occurred; and still less, if they confession easily to understand, his know when any of them ever did any- might be used as a catch-phrase, to thing that was contrary to law. Still, kind— illustrate a Gipsy of a certain one feels a little irksome in such a Gip- " myself, for ours is a Gipsy sy's company, until the Gipsy question I am one of this eastern has been fairly brought before the family"; that is, one Scot- world, and the point settled, that a race that arrived so recently in and that no tented life, Gipsy may be a gentleman, land, while following a is necessarily connected a disparagement and whose descendants, owing to with the name, considered in itself. . . . . mixture of native blood, are now to Let the name of Gipsy be as much re- found of all colours. spected, in Scotland, as it is now de- be

—

^K REMIiN ISCENCES

\ OK

CHILDHOOD AT INVERxKEITHING,

LIFE AT A LAZARETTO.

BY JAMES SIArSON,

Editor of "SIM son's history UK THE GIPSIES,"

and Author of

contributions to natural history anu papers on other subjects' " "charles waterton ; "the english universities and john bunyan"; and "the Scottish churches and the gipsies."

' O ! is all forgot ? " All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence ? Siiaicspeare.

NEW YORK: JAMES MILLER.

EDINBURGH: MACLACHLAN cS: STEWART.

LONDON : BAILLIERE, TYNDALL & CO.

1S82. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.