The tenants on the estate of Gossaburgh, in South Yell and
Northmaven, about 120 in number, are also bound to deliver their
fish, both in summer and winter, to Messrs. Hay & Co., as
tacksmen of the property, if they engage in the ling fishing. In the
Northmaven portion of the estate (North Roe), thirty-three out of
fifty-six tenants actually fished for the tacksmen last year; three
fished by sufferance to other curers, two were at Faroe, and two or
three were sailing south; others were employed by the lessees as
curers and tradesmen, and probably a few were unfit for fishing.
The average rent paid by the tenants on this part of the estate is £3,
3s. It seems that the profit of Messrs. Hay & Co. on their tack
consists, as it does in the case of Burra, almost entirely in the
power it gives them over the fishermen tenants.
[J. Pottinger, 13,540; W. Robertson, 13, 628; W. Irvine, 3818; D.
Greig, 7116-7131; W. Irvine, 3623, 3624, 3811; Andrew Ratter,
7404 sqq.]