Unst.

General De-titude of irregular promontories; and is on all sides so scription. deeply indented with numerous bays and harbours, that no part of it lies above three miles from the sea. Thus the territory may be considered as wholly maritime. The next island in point of magnitude is the Island of Yell, which lies to the northward of the Mainland. It is twenty miles long and nearly twelve broad. The coast is bold and rocky, intersected by several bays, or, as they are here called, Voes, which form safe harbours. The chief of these are called Hamna Voe, Burra Voe, and Mid Yell Voe. The surface is pretty level, with several small lakes, which are the sources of a few rivulets. Unst is the most northern of the Shetland Isles, and the most northern territory belonging to the British empire; and for that reason may be accounted deserving of special notice. Its form is of an irregular oblong figure. In comparison with the o ther Shetland Isles, Unst is reckoned level, yet its surface is diversified by several extensive and moderately high hills. Vallafiel, rising within a mile and a half of its southern extremity, runs in a direction parallel to the western coast, and, under different names, to the very northern point. Saxaforth, a hill of considerable height, and the highest in the island, lies towards its northern end. Crossfield stands nearly in the middle, and at right angles to Vallafield. Vordhill stretches out parallel to the east coast. Tracts of level ground are interspersed among these hi. The highest of the hills are still covered with moss or black peat-earth to the depth of some feet. On such as are lower (and there are several besides these which have been enumerated), the mosses have been exhausted, and the bare rocks appear here and there through a thin layer of mould covered with a green dry sward, which yields excellent pasture. The hill of Saxaforth is not less than 700 feet high, and may be seen fourteen leagues off

the coast. Vallafield rises to the height of 600 feet. The General De scription. island is intersected by no rivers, but contains (in proportion to its extent at least) many small fresh water lakes. Loch Cliff is two miles long, and nearly half a mile broad. The scenery is pleasant along its banks. A chain of smaller lochs runs from Cliff to the southern end of the island. The sea-coast of Unst being broken and indented by so many bays and creeks, its extent cannot be easily ascer tained; nor has any accurate measurement of it been yet attempted. Several islets are scattered here and there around it. All the shores exposed to the main ocean, but especially the headlands, rise to the height of sixty or seventy fathoms. The shores of the bays and harbours again are low, shelving, and sandy. The longest day in the island of Unst is nineteen hours fifteen minutes, and of consequence the shortest day is four hours and forty-five minutes.

The Island of Bressay is about four miles long and two Bressay,&c. broad. It lies to the eastward of the Mainland by a strait called Bressay Sound. This sound forms one of the best harbours in the world. Here the Dutch herring fleet was accustomed to rendezvous about the middle of June till their country was conquered by the French, and they were involved in war with Britain. Adjoining to Bressay, and on the south-east side of it, is the small Island of Noss, one of the finest and most fertile of the Shetland Isles. To the south of the Island of Noss there is a rock or holm, perpendicular on all sides, and about 150 feet high. The opposite rock on the island is of the same height, and distant from the other 240 feet. The holm, which is quite level at the top, produces excellent grass, and maintains a number of sheep during the summer season. Notwithstanding the perpendicular precipices which made it inaccessible on all sides, the apparent richness of the pasture,

General De-and the number of sea-fowls which breed upon it, many scription. years ago induced the proprietor to endeavour to fall on some means of passing between the island and it. Accordingly a daring islander attempted to climb up, and succeeded. He fixed posts in the ground about two feet and a half from each other; and having ropes stretched across to corresponding posts on the island, a wooden cradle, which slides along the ropes, affords a safe conveyance between the island and the holm. The adventurer who first ascended the rock would not take the benefit of returning by the cradle, but attempting to return the way he came up, fell down and was killed. The islands of Barra and House are situated on the west side of the Mainland, and separated from it by a narrow sound. They lie so near to one another that there is a communication between them by a bridge. They are about four miles long and nearly one broad. Havora, another small island, is situa ated about half a mile to the southward of Burra and Papa on the north-west. Besides these are a variety of other inconsiderable isles, as Trendary, Fetlar, Papastow, Meikle and Little Rho, Skerries, &c. The whole islands that have any inhabitants amount to seventeen, but they contain little that deserves particular description. The island. of Foula, however, or Fule, ought not to pass unnoticed. It is supposed to be the Ultima Thule of the ancients, not only from the mere analogy of the name, but also from more undoubted testimony; for Tacitus, speaking of the Roman general Agricola, regarding his victories and the distance to which he penetrated northward, thus expresses himself: "Invenit domuitque insulas quas vocant Orcades despectaque Thule." Now, Foula, which is high ground, is easily seen in a clear day from the northern part of the Orkneys. It is about three miles in length, and one and a half in breadth. It is situated nearly twenty

Foula.

miles distant from any land to the westward of the clus. General Description. ters of Orkney and of Shetland; to which last it is politically annexed. It is very bold and steep towards the west; and the only landing place, which is called Ham, lies on the east side, and is much resorted to as a fishing station.

mountains

These islands, though much neglected on account of Extent their remote situation and other disadvantages, contain nearly as much land as the Orkneys, and are computed to be nearly equal in extent to the Dutch Provinces, which at one period made such a distinguished figure in Europe. The islands are not, upon the whole, mountainous; though, at the same time, their surface is high, irregular, hilly, and covered to a great extent with moors and mosses; and their coast is bold. In general, the mountains are less in the islands towards the north. In the parish of North Mevan, which is a peninsula belonging to the Mainland, is the highest hill in the islands. It is called Highest Rona's Hill. It is eight miles in length and four in breadth. Rona. It was found by geometrical mensuration to be 3944 feet above the level of the sea. From the summit of the hill is exhibited an extensive, noble, and pleasing prospect, fifty miles at least in every direction, having the ocean for a horizon. The numerous islands scattered beneath, and curiously intersected by the sea, and often a distant view of vessels, which frequent these coasts in the summer season, afford a prospect infinitely diversified and agreeable. On the highest eminence there is a house constructed of four large stones, and two covering the top for a roof, under which six or seven persons may sit. It is called the watch-house; and was probably used in ancient times to give notice of the enemy or any approaching danger. A pyramidal tower of small stones is erected on the top of it. This hill is a land-mark to the fishers all round the

Coast.

Sea-coast.

country, and generally the first land seen by ships if they fall to the west of the country coming from their northern voyages.

On the sea-coast a great part of the shore is in many places formed by bold and inaccessible rocks, particularly towards the west or north-western side of the Mainland. For example, in the parish of North Mevan, which forms the northern district of the Mainland, one rock is remarkable as rising perpendicular on all sides to a great height above the surface of the sea, and at a few miles distance has the appearance of a ship with all her sails set. It makes a good direction for vessels coming into Hillswick harbour, keeping to the east of that rock and half way from the shore. Near to this are two very high pillars, on which the large kind of cormorants nestle; and, what is remarkable, only successively, for the rock that is possessed by them one year is deserted the next, and returned to again after being a year unpossessed. In this manner have these rocks been occupied from time immemorial. Both rocks are inaccessible. These immense pillars are of the same materials with the crags on the shore, which are of a stupendous height, and seem to have been separated by the force of the waves rather than by volcanoes or any other eruptions. There is a holm called Dorholm, from a remarkable arch passing through its centre, which is very lofty and spacious, and under which boats fish; and there is an opening from the top, which gives light to those below. Next to this is the Holm and Isle of Stenness, which abound with kitty wakes, filling every projection and every hole which can afford them any shelter. The new-fledged young are much esteemed as delicate food, and taken in great plenty. To the northward of this is a rock, the summit of which has never been trodden by man, and is called the Maiden Skerry. In