I should now like to give my readers a specimen of the patois or dialect spoken by the Moray Firth fisher-folk, although it is somewhat difficult to do it effectively on paper; but I will try, taking a little dialogue between the fishermen and the curer about a herring-fishing engagement as the best mode of giving an idea of the language and pronunciation of the Buckie bodies:—
Scene—A Curer’s Office. Present—The Curer and the three “Shavies.”
Curer—Well, Shavie, ye’ve had a pretty good fishing this year.
Shavie senior—Ou ay, it’s been geyan gweed.
Shavie tertius—Fat did ye say, man? gweed—it’s nae been better than last.
Curer—Well, laddie, what was wrong with last year’s fishing?
Bowed Shavie—Weel awat, man, it was naething till brag o’, an’ fat’s mair, I lost my beets at it; ye’ll be gaun till gie’s a new pair neist fishin’.
Shavie senior—Ay, that was whan he k-nockit his k-nee again the boat-shore and brak his cweet.
Curer—Well, but lads, what about next fishing?