15,390. Was that for your own family?-No. It was for a party who had sent to me for some hosiery, and I went to that merchant's shop for it.
15,391. Do you sometimes deal in hosiery yourself?-I sometimes send work south, but I oftener sell it here. It is a long time since that affair happened; and I think the price came to nearly £3, but I don't remember the amount.
15,392. How long ago was it?-Perhaps 12 years ago, or perhaps not so much.
15,393. Was it the practice at that time, as it is now, to pay for hosiery in goods?-Yes.
15,394. But when you bought hosiery, was it understood you were to pay for it in cash?-There was no understanding about it. I just went to the shop for the stockings, and the merchant agreed to take one half of the payment in hosiery and the other half in cash, which I paid to him. I asked his reason for doing that, and he said that by taking the hosiery it was turning his goods twice over for only one profit.
15,395. Was that the only transaction you ever had with that merchant?-I had plenty of transactions with him before, but not many after.
15,396. Do you sometimes buy a great quantity of wool?-Yes; but it is very difficult to get the best wool.
15,397. Where do you buy it?-Sometimes from country merchants, generally from Fetlar. I get some worsted from William Tulloch, Fetlar. I generally pay 4d. a cut for it. The finest is 6d. a cut; that is the kind which is used in making fine shawls and fine cloaks in Shetland.
15,398. You don't buy it in wool yourself, but in worsted?-Yes. There are some of the people in Lerwick who buy it in fine wool, and send it to the country to be spun, before they can get it really fine.
15,399. Are they not able to buy the finest worsted in the shops in Lerwick?-I never could do so.