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Old Highland Industries. 407
the rope and sea weed float, and at liigli water they drag at both
ends of tlie rope and pull it ashore, witli the sea weed enclosed, as
salmon lishers do when dragging for salmon in the River Ness.
When the tide goes back from the weed that is thus taken
ashore, the weed is put into creels on horses' backs, and sometimes
on men and women's backs, and spread on the grass to dry, and
treated as hay is treated, until it is dry enough to burn.
When ready for l)ui-ning, say a quantity to make a ton of
kelp, a trench is formed, which is called a kiln, 12 to 24 feet, by 2
feet G inches by 2 feet deep, the sides and ends formed witli stones,
the bottom having a layer of turf. The weed is set aburning by a
little straw or heather; the weed has to be kept on constantly to
keep down the flame as much as possible, and exclude the air from
the burning mass inside.
The heat is intense during the four to eight hours' burning.
Men and women do the burning ; some woni(;n are better burners
than men. When the kiln is full of burning sea weed, two or
three strong men rake, mix and pound the whole mass together
with iron clubs, having long handles. When this is done, the
kiln is covered over with sea weed and stones to keep the kelp
dry. In twenty-four hours, although still hot, it can be broken
into large lumps and shipped, if a vessel is waiting. The kelp
is weighed by the kelp otficer on board the ship, 22^ cwt. to the
ton. This extra 2^ cwt. is put on for stones, sand, or gravel,
which sometimes find their way into the kelp, and not always
unknown to the helper, especially in Ireland; lately 20 cwt. per
ton is the rule.
Drift or red weed comes ashore on the west or Atlantic side
of the Islands, during the whole year. In winter the farmers and
crofters use it for manuring their land, from June till October.
It is made into kelp, when there is demand for it. During the
last five years there has been little demand for kelp.
The red weed is 50 per cent, more valuable than the cut weed
for producing Bromide of Potassium, Iodine, Iodide, Potash,
Salts, kc, (tc.
The best red weed kelp will produce 20 lbs. of Iodine per ton,
cut or black weed from 3 to 8 lbs.
The principal places where kelp is now got from is— Donegal,
Sligo, Gal way, and Clare, in Ireland ; Orkney, North and South
Uist, Barra, and Tyree. There is no cut weed kelp made in Ireland,
all being drift. The price in Ireland is from £4 to £2
per ton.
Ropes.— I shall now refer to a few specimens of native ingen-