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408 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
uity—specimens of which, by the kindness of a few friends, I am
able to show you. The first is a specimen of rope made from the
long fibrous roots of the bog fir which grow in the bogs. The gentleman,
Mr Robertson of Portree, who piocured it for me, said his
attention was attracted to it one day by observing that, when a
boat from Rona, moored by it, at the Portree Pier, was blown away
by the wind, the rope never sank, like a manilla rope, but floated
by its own buoyancy. These ropes possess great strength, and are
thoroughly serviceable. The root is split up into long thread-like
fibres, and then spun like ordinary hemp, and might readily be
mistaken at first sight for a manilla rope.
Locks.—By the kindness of Mr L. Ross, Portree, I am able to
show you two specimens of old-fashioned locks, which are exceedingly
ingenious, and possess tumblers and all the leading featuroK of a
patent tumbler lock. I tried to get an old lock, but they ara not
to be had, but I have been fortunate enough to find a meclianic
who could make them. These locks are in common use in St
Kilda, and I found them on all the barns and byres, though of less
perfect construction than the s})ecimen shown.
Clocks.—The next is a wooden clock made entirely of beechwood;
all the wheels and cogs are of wood, except wdiere for axles
and escapement a small amount of steel and brass are introduced,
and these seem to be bits of ordinaiy stocking wire.
It has been kindly lent me by Mr William Sutherland, of
Lochcarron, and he says it belonged to his great-grandmother, and
was brought by her from Fairburn, in the parish of Urray.
says—
" I remember the clock very well in my father's house.
He
It
kept excellent time. It had a dial of wood, also hour and minute
hands of carved wood. The clock must be at least 150 years old.
If I had taken an interest
out the maker's name."
in it when a boy, I might have found
BuoGUES. —The making of brogues was a matter of some
importance, and it was not unusual before starting on a journey
to sit down and make the brogues. These were simply rougli
leather uppers sewed to the soles without welts, or strips of leather
which in our modern shoes are considered necessai-y for attaching
the soles to the upper leather, and which enables the shoemaker to
produce the elegant and highly-finished articles now made.
The old brogue maker began by sewing the sole on to the
upper leather (which he had previously shaped) by means of along
thong of leather, and when he had done so, he turned the shoe,
while still soft, outside in, thus concealing the sewing, and pi'oducing
the finished article. These brogues were not meant to be