Isles. out à barrel, or some bulky substance, at the stern of the Inhabited vessel, whereby to enable her to turn her side to the current, and thereby to stand out of it. In a quick breeze of wind the pools may be passed with little danger. Indeed these currents, like the story of Scylla or Charybdis, appear to have been chiefly rendered formidable by ignorance. A post-office boat, four times in the week, crosses the Pentland Frith from Caithness, and in fifty years no accident has occurred. The case seems to have been very different formerly, as it is said that a Scottish fisherman was imprisoned in Kirkwall, in the beginning of May, for publishing an account of the revolution by which the Prince and Princess of Orange were raised to the throne of the British islands in the preceding month of November; and he would have suffered punishment had not the news been confirmed by the arrival of a vessel. The truth of the story has, however, of late been doubted. land Sket Pentland Skerry is one of two small islands in the . PentPentland Frith, inhabited by a man and his family whory. take care of the light-house; the importance of which establishment must be obvious, when it is considered that 3300 ships have passed this frith annually. Burray is separated from South Ronaldsay by a ferry of a mile broad. It is nearly four miles in length and one in breadth. Potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, cabbage, and turnip, are raised here in greater perfection than in the other islands; and white and red clover abound in the natural pastures. 12. Burray. Lamon is a small island between Burray and the Main- 13. Lamoi land. It contains only one family. say. Copinsay, to the eastward of the Mainland, forms an 14. Copin excellent land-mark for ships. It presents a bold perpendicular front to the German Ocean on the east. It is about a mile in length and half a mile in breadth, and contains two or three families, who rear some corn. Inhabited isles. 15. Shapin say. 16 Stron say. Shapinsay is adjacent to the Mainland. On its northern side its surface amounts to about nine square miles. It formerly belonged to the bishops of Orkney. Around the whole island the shores are low, and to a considerable distance inland pretty level, and covered with grass and corn fields. Towards the middle, the land is considerably higher, and exhibits the appearance of a barren waste, fit only for sheep pasture. A small bay is called Grucula, in consequence, according to tradition, of one of Agricola's ships having been stranded here. In fact, some Roman coins have been lately found near the place. Its only harbour is that of Elwick. About 120 tons of kelp are annually burned on its shores. Stronsay is a pretty large island, rather flat, situated to the east of the former, from which it is divided by a rapid frith of the same name, six miles wide. On that quarter it bounds the group of the Orkney Islands. From an inspection of the map, it appears to be not only curiously indented, but almost cut into three distinct islands, which were formerly so many separate parishes; and this intersection has probably given rise to the name conferred on it by the ancients, of the Iste of Strand, or Stronsay. Its dimensions are seven miles long and four broad; through the whole it discovers much variety in point of soil and elevation; and while it equals several of the rest in the production of the fruits of the earth, it enjoys one advantage over them in its very convenient situation for an extensive and lucrative fishery. This advantage, however much despised at present, seems to have attracted attention in former times, when the island was considered as of more consequence, on account of its extensive intercourse with the east in the flourishing state of the herring fishery, a pretty extensive one being then carried on in that island. The exact share which the Isles. inhabitants had in that business cannot be now ascertain. Inhabited ed, but it was probably not very great, as most of the operations were performed by people from the county of Fife, who being called home in the commotions that then shook the kingdom, all fell in the battle of Kilsyth; and this circumstance unfortunately put an end to that promising species of industry. The island has two harbours, or rather places of retreat, for ships; Linga Sound on the west, and Papay Sound on the north-east. Papay Stronsay is a pleasant little level island, of about 17. Papay, three miles in circuit, on the north-east of the former. Eday is nearly in the centre of the north isles. It is about 18. Eday. five miles and a half long, and nearly one and a half broad. It consists chiefly of hills of a moderate height, affording excellent pasture. It possesses two good harbours or roadsteads, each sheltered by a small islet, where vessels of any burden may ride in safety. The one is called Calf Sound, and the other Fiersness. Farey is a small island, distant from the former about 19. Farex. two miles to the west, not exceeding two miles in length and one in breadth, rather flat, and covered with verdure. Besides a very advantageous situation for fishing, 'it has a soil and surface more than sufficient to raise both corn and cattle, in ordinary years, to answer every demand of the inhabitants. Sanday, so called from the nature of its soil, is in ex-20. Sanday. tent of about twelve miles in length, varying in breadth from one mile or less, in some places, to two or three in others. Its form is very irregular, having many extended points, with bays running a considerable way inland. It lies to the north-east of the isles of Eday and Stronsay, from which it is separated by a channel from two to three miles broad. The surface is low and flat, particularly on the east coast, which not only renders Inhabited the coast dangerous to mariners, but subjects the island te inundation from a spring tide with a gale of easterly wind. The soil is every where mixed with sand, and when well manured with sea-ware produces as good crops as any island in the Orkneys. The making of kelp is the chief employment of the people during the summer; and no island of the Orkneys, of the same extent of sea-coast, produces an equal quantity with this island. It generally produces 500 or 600 tons; and 620 tons have been made in a season. The two principal harbours are, Kettletofet on the south, and Otterswick on the north side of the island, both pretty safe and commodious. 21. North Ronaliay 22. ray. North Ronaldsay is situated to the north of Sanday, at the distance of two miles, and divided from it by a very rapid and dangerous frith. It contains about four square miles. It is little raised above the level of the sea; and at least 100 tons of kelp are annually manufactured on the shore. Westray is of more importance. It lies on the northwest quarter of the whole islands. In form it resembles a cross, the body of which is eight, and its arms about five miles in length. Through this whole extent, which stretches from south-east to north-west, it forms a ridge, low on the shores, and gently elevated towards the midde; and from south to north, on the west side, a range of pretty high hills forms its boundary in that direction. The cultivated lands and the principal grass- pastures are on the east end, and on the north and south shores; a large gortion of them are on the south-west, where both are uncommonly fine; and as the waste land lies in the middle of these tracts, what is on the west and north-west is inferior neither in quantity nor quality. The island contains abundance of peat for fuel. Much corn is raised, but of an indifferent quality; but the grass is good; and in the boisterous seas around it, abundance of fish are found. On the east and south are two bays, to which ships retire 1 Isks in summer; but the only safe harbour is called Pier-o- Inhabited wall, on the north-west; and this is fit for small vessels only. Formerly it afforded accommodation for ships of much greater burden, and it is sheltered in all directions; but from the blowing of the sand, which of late has been very great, the water has become so shallow, that ships which have occasion to put in here are compelled to anchor in a more open road farther out in the harbour. The blowing of the sand has also spread desolation over some of the most beautiful and best land, not only in this island, but also in Sanday. Papay Westray is a beautiful little island to the north 23. Papy. Westray. of the former. It is four miles long and about one mile broad. It is pleasant and fertile, and abounds with fine natural clover. A lake of fresh water adorns its southeast corner. hay. Eagleshay is about six miles south of Westray, and 24. Eagles divided from it by a tempestuous frith. It is about two miles long and one broad; and in this part of the world is accounted so beautiful, as to have been chosen as a place of residence by some of the ancient counts and bishops of Orkney Ronsay lies to the north-west of the Mainland, and 25. Ronsar is about nine miles long and four broad. The greatest part of it is hill-ground, but it has some stripes of arable land on the coast. It has several small lakes, which give rise to a nnmber of rivulets. It has several safe harbours, and is accounted one of the most agreeablc of the Orkney Isles. Weir is divided from Ronsay by Weir Sound, which 26. Wer is one of the best retreats for shipping in the district. The island is two miles long and one broad, and lies comparatively low. It has abundance of turf for fuel, but its soil is poor. Ea-hallow is only about a mile in circumference. It is 27. En-hal low. |