515. You were to say something about the herring fishing: I thought there was not much herring fishing here?-There will be nothing at all this season in Shetland. We generally fished to Messrs. Hay & Co. when we were in it.
516. Have you any complaint to make about it?-Much the same as about the ling fishing The don't like to give a stated price.
517. Where do you deliver the fish when you go to the herring fishing?-There is a small ghioe* close by our own place at Cunningsburgh. Hay & Co. send down a cooper there, and they have a booth for their stores close by.
518. What is the bargain you make with them about that?-They generally wish us to go to the fishing, and they will pay us accordingly.
519. What do you do about a boat?-We use the same boat as we have in the ling fishing.
520. Then your only complaint about the herring fishery is, that you don't know the price until settling time?-Yes. But there has been no herring fishery on the island at all this season, to speak of.
521. Do you require advances of money at all during the season?- We are often in want of a few shillings.
522. How do you get that?-The man we are dealing with just now (Mr. Tulloch) has never said no, so far as what we asked was reasonable. I got an advance of £2 from him last season to buy a cow. We were out of milk that season, and he did not refuse me the money when I asked it.
523. Do you get advances from Messrs. Hay also when you need it?-1 don't think they are so very frank about that, and I don't like to ask it; but they will give us any small thing we need from their shops.
* <Gio>-A deep ravine which admits the sea.-<Edmonstone's Glossary>.