Appendix LXXIV.

Appendix LXXIV.
PETITION from 400 Fishermen of Easter Ross.

The Petition of the undersigned four hundred fishermen residing in Hilton, Balintore, and Park, in the parish of Team, and Shandwick in the parish of Nigg, and of other influential gentlemen residing in the neighbourhood of the said villages, hereby most humbly and respectfully sheweth—
1. That the aforesaid fishing villages are in close proximity to each other, and that the inhabitants thereof have no land, but depend almost entirely on the fishing industry.

2. That, both for the encouragement of the said industry, and safety and convenience of tha fishermen, there is neither a suitable harbour nor a pier at any of these villages.

3. That, in consequence of these two wants, your petitioners cannot use their deep sea-going boats except at the time of the herring fishing, and when stationed in other harbours, but must, during the rest of the year, use small boats of about 16 feet in length, which must be daily hauled beyond watermark.

4. That, as these small boats must be used in winter, our lives are very often imperilled, and our industry is very much hindered.

5. That, as there is no harbour on the Ross-shire side between Cromarty and Portmahomack, having a sea-coast of about fourteen miles, a suitable harbour at any of the said villages would, besides promoting local industry, be most convenient for any ship or boat in distress in the Moray Firth to run into.

6. May it therefore please you, lords and gentlemen, to take the foregoing statement into your honourable consideration ; to consider our grievances ; to place our humble request on your record ; and to recommend strongly to Parliament to have a suitable harbour and pier erected here to advance the industry of the place, to have a place of safety for all ships, and to enable us to ameliorate our condition and make a decent livelihood.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray
Signed by 400 fishermen,

October 1883.