Page:Exploits of Wise Willie and Witty Eppie, the ale-wife, of Buckhaven (1).pdf/3

 ( 3 )

thoſe Buckers ſettled in a fiſhing town near Banff, called Bucky, and near the river Spey, which is now a pretty large ſea-town. But among all the ſea-towns in Scotland, the fiſhers ſtill retain a language quite different from the people in the country, and always they ſhift the letter H, and uſe O inſtead thereof, which no country- people in Scotland do but themſelves. There is a corruption of ſpeech in every country over all Britain, and likewiſe they uſe different tones and ways of pronouncing words from others; even ſome in the ſouth of Scotland can hardly be underſtood by thoſe in the north, tho' both pretend to ſpeak good Engliſh, and have a liberal part of education: But ſince learning is now ſo eaſy to be obtained, ignorance and corruption of ſpeech are greatly decreaſed:

IN the county of Fife, on the ſea-coaſt, there ſtands a little town, inhabited by few but fiſhers, called Backy-harbour, becauſe of ſea-buckies and ſhells to be found ſo plenty on the rocks about that place. There is little mention made of this town by, Hiſtorians, to know its original extraction and antiquities, but in their own Burges. Ticket, which was partly perfect truth, but more of it by way of lampoon. This Ticket was dated the two-and-thirtieth day of the month of Julius Cæfar Their Coat of Arms was two hands gripping each other over a Scate's rumple. Their Oath was, “I wiſh that de De'il may tak me, an I binna' an honeſt man to you, an ye