6150. If she has such a balance, is it settled in goods?-I cannot answer that. If she wanted money she might get it, for anything that I know.
6151. Do you pay a subscription to the Shipwrecked Mariners"
Society?-Yes; 8s. a year.
6152. Have you ever lost any lines or a boat?-No.
6153. Have you ever had anything to receive from the Society?- Yes; I was once sent home when I was shipwrecked.
6154. Was that all you have had to get from it?-Yes.
6155. Do you know of any people who have been turned out of their land in Shetland?-Not in our district.
6156. Do you know of any who have been turned out elsewhere?-Yes; Mr. Walker turned out some Delting, on Major Cameron"s estate.
6157. What was that for?-Because he wanted the land. Some of them were very anxious to sit if they could have done so, but I suppose they could not comply with his terms.
6158. Were these men fishermen?-Yes.
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6159. He did not want their service as fishermen?-Not to my knowledge.
6160. Do you know of any man who has been turned out of his ground for refusing to fish, or for selling his fish away from his landlord or tacksmaster?-Not that I remember of.
6161. Does your wife sell any eggs?-Yes.
6162. Anything else off your farm?-She has nothing else to sell.
6163. Where are your eggs sold?-We generally sell them in Ollaberry to Mr. Irvine.
6164. Have you an account there?-Yes.
6165. Is it settled at the end of the year?-If I am able to settle it; but if I am not able to settle, then it just stands.
6166. Are your eggs put down to your account?-No.
6167. Are you paid for them in cash?-Yes, if I want it.
6168. How do you pay your account there, if you never get money from Mr. Adie at Voe?-Generally in this part of the world we are not confined to one thing. People in this country have sometimes different ways of getting money.
6169. Do you follow some other trade?-Yes; I sometimes sew as a tailor.
6170. And you make a little money in that way?-Yes.
6171. Are you paid in money for your tailoring work?-Generally.
6172. Is that done for your neighbours?-Yes; but I generally work for Mr. Adie and I am paid in money for that.
6173. Do you go to Voe to work, or do you go there for it and take it home?-I take it home.
6174. Does the payment for that work go into your account with Mr. Adie?-If I don"t want it paid to me, it goes into the account; but if I want money, I get it.
6175. When you want money to settle your account with Mr.
Irvine at Ollaberry, is that where you get it?-Not always.
6176. You get it from a party for whom you have made a coat or trousers?-Yes.
6177. You say that your eggs don"t go into the account with Mr.
Irvine: are you always paid for them in cash?-Not always. We sometimes take goods for them; but if we wanted them to go in to our credit, they would go.
6178. Do you always take goods for them?-Generally.
6179. What is the price of your eggs?-For the last year or two they have generally been 6d.
6180. Can you sell them anywhere you like?-Yes.
6181. Could you sell them at Mossbank or at Brae if you could get a better price there?-So far as I know, we could.
6182. n.o.body would make any objection to that?-Not so far as I know.
Hillswick, Northmavine, January 11, 1872, THOMAS THOMASON, examined.
6183. You are a fisherman at Eshaness?-Yes; and I fish at the fishing station at Stenness.
6184. Have you a boat of your own?-I have a share of a boat.
6185. Who do you fish for?-I have fished for Mr. Anderson for a while, but I might fish to any one I choose. I have fished for Mr.
Anderson for a number of years.
6186. Have you a bit of land?-Yes, on Tangwick estate-Mrs.
Cheyne"s.
6187. Who is the factor there?-Mr. Gifford of Busta.
6188. Are you quite at liberty to engage to fish with any merchant you please?-Yes, any one. I am at perfect freedom to fish to any man, and I have always been so.
6189. Do you keep an account with Mr. Anderson at Hillswick?- Yes; I always keep my own account myself.
6190. Have you a pa.s.s-book?-No.
6191. You have an account in his books?-I generally have.
6192. Do you generally get your supplies and provisions from him?-I do; but I buy my provisions where I think I can get them cheapest. I am not bound to get my provisions from him.
6193. Do you find they are as good at Hillswick as you can get them anywhere else in the country?-I find that I cannot get much profit or advantage by going even to Lerwick to buy my goods, more than by buying them at Hillswick. I could not get so much profit as would pay me for my trouble.
6194. Have you bought meal at both places?-I generally buy very little meal.