WHERE TO LIVE WITH A SMALL INCOME. THE ISLE OF MAN. BY A RESIDENT. DOUGLAS. THOUGH the Isle of Man is increasingly visited by the inhabitants of those English counties that lie nearest its shores, we have reason to believe that those who reside in middle and southern England are but very imperfectly acquainted with it, and that its advantages as a residence, especially to persons of limited income, have never been sufficiently made known. It is our intention to supply some facts and information which may be useful to this class of persons -by no means a small one in these incometax days. The Isle of Man is situated almost equidistant from England and Ireland, and somewhat nearer Scotland. Its length is about thirty-one miles-average breadth, ten miles. Steamers sail between Douglas and Liverpool, daily in the summer months; three or four times a week in spring and autumn; and twice weekly in the depth of winter; performing the voyage in an average period of from five to seven hours. Between Ramsey and Liverpool a boat sails also every day in the summer, and twice a week in the winter. There is likewise a daily boat in summer from Fleetwood to Douglas, and a weekly boat between Whitehaven, Douglas, and Dublin. Scotch steamers frequently call at Ramsey, whence the Scottish coast may be reached in two and a-half hours, and Whitehaven in four hours. It is said that during the twenty years that the three Douglas boats have been running with her Majesty's mail between that town and Liverpool, not a single accident has occurred. The commanders are experienced and civil, and refreshments of every kind are to be had on board at moderate prices. The fares of the different boats average the following: Fleetwood to Douglas. Dublin ...... ...... Saloon. Fore Cab. 6s. 3s. There is little variation in these rates. Return Tickets are issued by the Liverpool offices to all places on the island at about 25 per cent. less than these rates. Children under 14, half-price. During the season there are various cheap pleasure excursions to different parts. So much for the means of communication with this healthy and delightful island, of which we would earnestly recommend all parties bent on health or pleasure occasionally to avail themselves. Of the four towns of the island, Douglas, situated to the south-east, has always held the pre-eminence as a commercial mart and a landing-place for strangers. According to the last census, it contains 9,653 inhabitants. The streets are narrow and roughly-paved in the old port, near the quay; but in the higher parts wide and commodious streets have been laid out, and handsome terraces erected. The hotels and inns are numerous-still more so the private lodging-houses, varying in their terms to suit all circumstances. A private individual may provide himself with the latter at from a guinea a-week down to three shillings, or even less. Comparing the several accommodations, the medium terms for lodgings are one-third lower than in the large towns of England. House-rents are extremely low. Houses with two sitting-rooms, three bed-rooms, kitchen, &c., are from £10 to £18; those with three sitting-rooms, five to eight bedrooms, kitchen, &c., vary from £25 to £35; and others in proportion. Furnished houses, £40 to £80 per annum. Furniture is to be hired at 20 per cent. per annum. The wages of domestic servants are remarkably low in Douglas, and all over the island. Housemaids receive £4 to £7 per annum, cooks from £8 to £10, while a young maid-of-all-work may be hired even as low as £2 or £2 10s. Charwomen charge 8d. to 1s. per day, and no ale or spirits. Douglas contains places of worship of several denominations; good public libraries; good schools, where the terms for tuition are one-third less than in England; and pleasant society of various grades. Concerts, lectures, and other public recreations are not unfrequent. Of the average price of provisions, &c., throughout the island, we shall take occasion to speak in a separate place. Ramsey, next in size and situated to the north-east of the Isle of Man, is a very different town from Douglas, being far behind it in social and literary advantages. By individuals fond of display or gaiety, Ramsey would inevitably be considered dull; even a fourth-rate concert being a novelty. Literary taste is at a very low ebb, for there is not a good library in the place. To compensate for these disadvantages, however,which in candour we feel compelled to mention,-Ramsey is a still cheaper place of residence than Douglas, and possesses the especial recommendations, to many persons, of being primitive, secluded, quiet, and in close walking proximity to grand and delightful scenery. The sea-bathing is not so pleasant as at Douglas, owing to the inferiority of the sands, but is much more private. While at Douglas fashion exerts a somewhat despotic sway in the expensive article of dress, at Ramsey the scanty, wellsaved, even antiquated wardrobe, will attract no attention whatever. Houserents are very low, and become still more so as you retire farther from the town. A house three storeys high will sometimes be to let for £5 or £7; a furnished house of two sitting-rooms and kitchen on the ground-floor, three bed-rooms, attics, &c., with small flower and kitchen gardens, for £26 per annum. In the country, five or seven miles from Ramsey, cottages suitable for small genteel families, with gardens, orchards, and out-houses attached, may be rented for from £5 to £13 per annum: 4 completely furnished house from £18 and upwards. Individuals who may desire to do things even more cheaply, and have no objection to absolute seclusion and pure mountain breezes, can suit themselves amid the glens and hills with small dwellings at from £1 to £3 10s. These usually consist of kitchen, small parlour, and two bedrooms-somewhat roughly finished, of course, but still sufficiently comfortableand have each their small piece of ground attached, in the shape of garden or orchard, with frequently a cow or poultry shed. Ramsey possesses two good hotels, several respectable inns, and various lodginghouses, where individuals can be accommodated at still lower rates than in those belonging to Douglas. At one of these latter, which was also a boarding-house, the lady inmates paid each a guinea a-week, for which they had every one her own sitting-room and bed-room; and, if they chose it, five meals per day, the bill of fare being of the most varied and excellent kind. The places of worship are those belonging to the Established Church, the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, and the Free Church of Scotland. The only Roman Catholic place of worship in the whole island is at Douglas. Ramsey boasts likewise of two good boarding-schools for the education and finishing of young ladies, and an excellent grammar school, under the superintendence of judicious and accomplished masters; the terms being about on a par with those of the Douglas seminaries. The late census gives the population of Ramsey as 2,660. Castletown, situated south, the next in order as to size, and the civil capital of the island, numbers 2,501 inhabitants. This cleanly quiet town, though assuming somewhat of an aristocratic position from its being the residence of the heads of the Executive, has hitherto appeared to possess few attractions as a settling-place for the stranger, who usually pays it merely a flying visit for the purpose of viewing the venerable castle Rushen, the walls of which are built of a wonderful stone, that has endured uninjured the action of the atmosphere for nearly a thousand years. But, as we are not writing about antiquities, we will simply notice the one paramount institution of which Castletown can boast, in the excellent seminary named, "King William's College," where nearly 200 boys are carefully trained under the tutorship of nine masters, upon exceedingly reasonable terms. Peel is a snug quiet town, situated to the west of the island, and containing 2,329 inhabitants. There are but few English residents, and it is chiefly noted for its cheerful bustling herring-fishery. The fresh herrings, the staple-luxury of the island, sell at an average price of from two to three shillings per hundred, and are salted down in large quantities by the natives, as an economical winter provision. In this state they are called " gray herrings," to distinguish them from the red smoked herrings, so greatly relished by the strangers, and which are only prepared at Douglas. Having now given some account of the four towns of the island, and of their distinctive features, we proceed to state a few important generalities. And first we present an average table of prices of provisions:d. Beef, per lb. Fowls, each Geese, do Turkeys, do.. Chickens, do. 6 d. 5 to 6 31 8. d. 7 s. d. 18310 21467 8. d. GROCERIES, &c. s. d. 0 to 2 6 3 6 0 10 1 6 06 07 04 21 24 12 0 35 0 40 0 0000 Spirits, tobacco, and cigars, are much cheaper than in England. The commoner sorts of vegetables and fruit are much the same as in this country. The more delicate kinds, as strawberries, raspberries, and the like, are frequently both scarce and dear, and many species of stone fruit are never to be met with. Wheat, flour, and bread, are regulated by the English market. The price of fish the year round, is a third lower than in Liver pool, and one half lower than in the inland markets of England. Coaches run regularly in the summer from Douglas to Ramsey, Peel, and Castletown, a db.tween Ramsey and Peel The coach fares are a little more than a penny a mile. Cars are to be hired at a reasonable rate. Porters are contented with much smaller gratuities than in England. Women's clothing is generally dearer than in the large towns in England; and the practice of what is sometimes called "shaving" the English residents is rather too common. Excellent Manx cloth for trouserings, &c., may be had extremely cheap; and it is peculiarly fitted to resist the violent storms of wind and rain to which the island is occasionally subject; and which, while they serve to render the atmosphere perhaps the purest in Europe, form the only drawback to the generally delicious climate, milder and more equable the year round than in England. To compensate for the smaller choice and higher prices of feminine apparel, dressmaker's charges are remarkably low. Tailors' charges are one-third, at least, less than in England. Shoemakers charge the usual English price. Gardeners may be hired for eighteenpence per day. Land is comparatively cheap, and capital would be well employed upon it. Manufactories are extremely rare, chiefly owing to the want of enterprize on the part of Manxmen in general, who lay themselves open to the charge of being too contented with things as they are. us, According to a small practical pamphlet published in the island, and now lying before "Wool, hides, and ore of various kinds float off to England to be manufactured; the soil possesses great capabilities of raising flax, hemp, and many articles suitable for manufacture; while almost all the clothing, most of the household furniture, and even the implements of husbandry, are brought from other portions of the kingdom-the Manx people thereby paying out all their earnings to support artizans and labour abroad." The same pamphlet avers that "energetic companies formed here, of persons possessing wealth and skill in the mining business, would be amply rewarded for their labour and the use of their capital." The rate of interest on money in England is usually one-third lower than in the Isle of Man. We would not recommend governesses or sempstresses to seek employment in the Isle of Man; the rates of salary and wages being so very low. Nor do we think there are many openings for retail trade; the chief dependence of the tradesmen being on the varying influx of visitors in the summer months. Auctions are frequent; and immense bargains are often to be picked up. We heard one instance of an excellent four-post bed and bedding complete, being knocked down at the low figure of 17s. 6d. We proceed to give sundry tables, based on careful calculations, to show the yearly cost of living, in several grades of life. Suppose Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, without incumbrances, newly arrived on the island, and purposing to live upon an income of £100 per annum. They settle in one of the towns, rent a house, of two sitting-rooms, three bed-rooms, &c., hire a good servant, and purpose to live in a comfortable and even genteel style. TABLE OF YEARLY EXPENSES. Provisions £16 20 |