I find all of this information about the life of our ancestors, including the work, religion, politics and moving between countries as the need arose very interesting. And while I enjoy reading, these snapshots get to the heart much faster. I'm just happy to have so many knowledge souls around to listen to. Ludie Trinity, Texas ----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Orr To: Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 11:22 AM Subject: [Sc-Ir] Tatties and dangerous waters. Couldnt resist a trip down memory lane when you mention planting tatties and itinerant workfers. I lived on a farm in Sussex during WWII and for many years - right through the 40s and 50s, a labour gang of about a dozen Irish men came every year for the potatoe harvest. I was always amazed by the size of their hands and their ability to shovel handfulls of potatoes (English = spuds ) and dirt into the bags. They were on piece work - by the 1.1/4cwt bag hence the farmer was always arguing about too much dirt being bagged up - a regular batle of wits !. Even today there are labour gangs organised as cheap labour, though they tend to be from Eastern Europe, or other `poor` countries, and are accustomed to hard manual labour on the land. Last year there was the tragedy of Chinese cockle gatherers trapped by the tide in Morecambe Bay, and drowned ( which harps back to what Edward was saying about rip tides and the dangerous waters around the UK shores). On the matter of ri[p tides off the coast of Scotland, The most dangerous spot in the sea around Scotland is said to be the whirlpool of Corryvreckan which lies north of Jura near the Argyll coast. Corryvreckan is a Gaelic word meaning "the whirlpool of Breacan" who was a chief of the Picts who drowned there. Even in good weather the sea boils and it is dangerous to sail near at any time. In bad weather the water swirls violently and appears as if being sucked into a pit. The whirlpool is apparently caused by the meeting of several tides, but Gaelic legend has it that beneath it lies the home of a sea beast. Brian