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406 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
annually; and assuming that the price got at market was only
£15 a ton, taking the expense of manufacturing and conveying to
market at £3, we had there a profit of £12 a ton ; so in the one
case we should have a profit to the proprietors of £13,200 a year,
and in the other case a profit of £14,400, and this independent of
the land rental. But the whole of that kelp rental has vanished,
the proprietors are reduced to their nominal land rental, and
while so reduced to their land rental they have thrown upon theii*
hands a large surplus population, whom they cannot assist, and
for whom they have not the means of employment."
The mode of manufacturing kelp I shall describe, as it is,
though often referred to, little known beyond the shores where it
is collected and manufactured.
It is a very interesting sight on a fine summer day to see the
little groups of busy men and women along the shores collecting
and keeping alight the dried sea weed, and the smoke rising high
in the air, or drifting in picturesque clouds across the hillocks, forms
a sight to be long remembered, whilst the odour of iodine strongly
taints the air, and the pungent fiavour is not unpleasing.
About the year 1862 the British Sea Weed Company, Limited,
built chemical works at Dalmuir, near Glasgow, and took a lease
of the North Uist shores from Sir John Orde, paying as a Royalty
£1000 a year, for the right of getting all the kelp made on tlie
North Uist shores.
In 18G5 over 1200 tons were made in North Uist and shipped
to Glasgow; the price paid to crofters and cottars was from 35s.
to G3s. per ton. For the following eight years the average amount
of kelp made in North Uist wjis about 900 tons.
On the east side of North Uist there is a number of bays
and islands, round which a great quantity of what they call cut or
black sea weed grows on the inshore rocks and stones.
The weed is cut once in three years, that is to say, the part of
shore cut this year will not be cut again for three years, so as
to allow the weed to grow to a full ripe crop.
The crofters and cottars remove from their homes to the stores
of these bays and islands and live in sheilings during kelp making,
generally from 15th June till loth August.
The first thing to be done is to roof the old sheiling and nuike
it as comfortable as j)ossible for from four to six people to live in
for two months. When the tide is out, the weed is cut from the
rocks and stones with a common corn hook; they take a heather
rope and warp it all round with sea weed, and stretch it outsiile
where they are cutting the sea weed. When the tide comes in.