The dress of the men of Faroe consists entirely of wool len stuffs, manufactured in the country. Their jackets, which are worn in their ordinary occupations, are knitted, and ornamented with figures in coloured worsted. In full dress, they wear a long frock of a dark brown or black co lour, and breeches of the same. Their shoes are made of sheep skin, slightly tanned with the root of tormentilla. They are formed by cutting a piece of skin of a proper length and breadth, and puckering, very,neatly, the parts for the toes and heel: the fastening is a white woollen thong, knitted for the purpose, and tied round the legs. The dress cap is formed like a bishop's mitre ; on ordinary occasions they wear woollen caps, and sometimes caps of skin, with the hairy part outermost. The men never cut their hair ; and to appearance seldom comb or wash it.
The women wear their hair combed backwards from the forehead, and have white linen caps with a broad stiff bor der of coarse lace, rising perpendicularly. The cap is fas tened by a coloured silk or cotton kerchief tied under the chin, with a piece of ribbon floating behind. The rest of the dress much resembles that of the peasantry in most parts of Scotland, the materials being coarser. They wear aprons, and cotton kerchiefs over the shoulders and bosom. The greater the number, and the more gaudy the colours, the more superb is a dress esteemed. A bride on her wedding-day is very gaudily ornamented : a red or blue jacket, with long skirts puckered up into folds, having long sleeves, with velvet cuffs and lace ruffles, constitutes the principal part of the dress. The kerchief worn round the neck is, on this occasion, white, with a border of lace. On the bosom is fastened a large pin or broach, having a broad silver plate in the shape of a lozenge, to which are appended a great number of small flat pieces of silver, which, on the wearer moving, make a jingling noise. The head dress is much ornamented with ribbands,. and gold and silver orna ments, The language of the Faroese, from the circumstance of its never having been written since the settlement of the people in the islands, has become very different from what it was originally. it may still be traced, however, to its parent the Scandinavian, or, as it may now be called, the Icelandic. Almost all the natives can speak the Danish language, in which divine service is performed.
There are now no schools in Fame ; but parents do not neglect to teach their children to read, and sometimes to write. The people arc fond of reading ; and several of them, with whom the writer of this article conversed, sheaved great eagerness for information of every kind. One
of them to whom he explained the use of the barometer, which seemed to excite great curiosity, was exceedingly delighted, and appeared to comprehend perfectly its use in measuring the heights of mountains. Ile remarked that he was now an old man, but that lie could never be too old to learn. The name of this person is Hans Alaik. lie conducted Sir John Stanley through some of the islands upwards of 20 years ago, and was the interpreter and guide of the writer of this article.
The census mentioned by Landt was taken in 1782, and the number then was 4409, which gives an increase in of 800.
Where mechanical labour is so little required, separate trades are not to be looked for. Every one can provide himself with clothing, and can act as a carpenter. Boat building is carried on chiefly in Nalsoe. Both men and women employ themselves in spinning wool and in knit ting. The Faroese loom is a very rude machine; but the cloth which it forms is of a very good texture. The loom consists of two uptight posts set up against the wall, and having two projections to support the beam, to which the upper ends of the warp are fixed, the lower being attach ed to stones, which keep the threads stretched tight. The woof is passed through the warp by the hand, and forced up against the warp by means of a small piece of wood ; after which it is pushed firm by means of a smooth whale rib. This operation is exceedingly slow, as at each move ment the threads must be unwound from the stones. In Thorshavn there are a few looms of improved construc tion.
The trade is carried on by the Danish government through the imtervention of a respectable house in Copen hagen. The exports are stockings and jackets, train oil, feathers, and skins. Tallow, fish, and butter, are now so scanty, as scarcely to supply the wants of the natives. The imports are, grain, fishing materials, tobacco, a little su gar and coffee, timber, tar, nails, lead, gunpowder, and some other articles, all in very small quantities. Stock ings and jackets are at present the chief articles of export.
The revenue is collected out of the produce of the coun try. For every sheep of the permanent or estimated stock of each farm, a lamb's skin is paid ; and, for every sixty sheep killed, 36 lbs. of tallow, and thirty skins. The pro portion of wool paid as tax, is sold at a fixed price to the people of Thorshavn. Formerly, the whole revenue usu ally amounted to between 3000 and 4000 rixdollars.