Distant View of Fair Isle, 4.-Traditionary Narrative of the Shipwreck of the Spanish Armada in 1588, 4.-Approach to Dunrossness, 8.-Grutness Voe to Quendal, 12.-Remarks on the Dark Period of the History of Shetland and Orkney, 13.-Quendal Bay, 19. History of the Udallers of Shetland, 34.-Appendix to the History, 65.-Holms of Quendal Bay, 69.-Fitfiel Head, 70.-Garthsness, 72.- Sumburgh, 73.-Sumburgh to Sandwick, 81.-Ancient Weapons of War discovered in Shetland, 82.-- Burgh of Mousa, 86.--Burroland, 89.-Sand- lodge, 90.-Coningsburgh, 91.-Fladibister to Scalloway, 92.-Scalloway, 93.-Tingwall, 98.- Ancient State of the Jurisdiction of Shetland, 99.-Tingwall to Lerwick, 106.-Lerwick, 107. -Islands of Bressay and Noss, 109.-Lerwick to Catfirth, 111.-Eswick to Lunna, 114.-Island of Whalsey and the Out-Skerries, 116. Illustrations of the Law of Udal Succession, 119.-Illustrations of the Feudal Tenures of Shetland, Island of Hascosca, 167.--Island of Yell, 169. - Yell Sound, 172.-Lunna to Aithsvoe, 175.- Ancient an 1 Present State of Sheep Pastures, 182.-Trolhouland, 189.-Cullswick to the Voe of Sand, 195.-Bay of Scalloway, 196.-Scalloway to Bigsetter Voe, 200. Island of Meikle Roe, 213.-Dutch Herring Fishery of Shetlan 1, 214. -Mavis Grind to Feideland, 216.-The Haaf, 221. -Sand Voe to Roeness Voe, 224.-Fishing Tenures of Shetland, 226.— Hillswick, 228.--Regents' Fishing Bank, 230.- Helga Water, 232.-Tangwick to Roeness Voe, 234.--Hillswick to Mavis Grind, 238.-Aithsvoe to Clousetter, 241.-Onzie Firth to Norbay, 243.-Papa Stour, 249.--Festivities of Shetland, 252.-Sword Dance, &c., ib.-Ve Skerries, 260.-Sandness to Vailey, 264.-Witchcraft, 265.--Island of Foula, 274.-Foula to Bressay PREFACE TH HE general plan of this work is by no means what was at first intended; without, therefore, this explanation, it may be liable to animadversion. My original object was to publish nothing more than the result of certain geological researches conducted in Shetland, with an Essay on Stratification, illustrative of the views on which an explanation of the complicated distribution of the rocks of these islands would be attempted. Under this arrangement, many pages had been printed off, when, on the supposition that a work of this kind, purely mineralogical, could only bear reference to a very limited class of readers, it was recommended to me to extend my plan, by including a popular account of the Scenery and Manners of the country, and a particular notice of its Antiquities. I was eventually induced to comply with this request, notwithstanding the peculiar awkwardness of allowing matter of a lighter kind to mingle with investigations purely scientific; but in order to obviate, in some degree, the inconvenience of the arrangement that resulted from an altered system, the miscellaneous account of the country is printed in a larger type, and being completely separated from the Geology, each department of the book may be easily read as a detached work. Respecting the various subjects treated of, a few words may be said. Of the Antiquities which were to be investigated, none are so singular as those that relate to the Udal System, and to the process of Feudalization which took place in Shetland and Orkney. Into this curious research I inadvertently plunged, and the task of reconciling opposite statements, and of arranging the materials that came into my possession, has been infinitely beyond what could be calculated upon, having been such as to induce a consumption of time, that, being totally out of the sphere of my proper pursuits, nothing can repay. I may, indeed, truly state my case to be that of an illustrious townsman of my own, who, in a work executed with a learning to which I can have no pretensions, however great may have been my trouble, has remarked, that, "had he foreseen the full extent of his scheme at first, he should never have had the hardiness to form it; had he foreseen in any part of the execution the time and the labour which the rest would have cost him, he had certainly shrunk back from the attempt, and had closed the whole work immediately; but he proeceded on the model before him, ever flattering himself, that a few months more would dismiss him from the employ, and remit him again to those professional studies which he had very unwittingly deserted."* With the exception of my account of the Geology of Shetland, and the ancient Udal System of the country, all the other matter may be considered as of a popular character. A view is given of the manners and state of a country, which, in their simplicity, do not a little resemble what the most improved districts of England and Scotland must have been many centuries ago. Thus, in respect to the Agriculture of these islands, I have rather dwelt upon the curious features attending it, than imitated prior visitors by pointing out all the improvements of which it is susceptible. The natives, indeed, as husbandmen, differ little from that humble state of advancement, which has been so well described in a Teutonic poem of the eighth century, the original of which, along with a Latin translation, appears in a recent work, illustrative of ancient Scandinavian manners. Baurn ólu thau unnu at svinum "Suis rebus contenti Domos edificarunt et liberos genuerunt,— Agros oblimabant, Sues nutriebant, Capras custodiebant, Et cespites effodiebant." Song of King Eric.† There has, in fact, been scarcely any exertion made until very recently, to improve the condition of the country. It is true, that, in the year 1742, the Earl of MORTON had interest sufficient to bring in a bill, whereby he obtained a discharge of the reversion of Orkney and Shetland to the Crown, for the sum on account of which he held them in pledge, pleading that the emoluments were not sufficient to pay the interest of the mortgage, and promising to ameliorate the state of these islands, by draining lochs, and establishing fisheries and manufactories. These chimerical schemes, however, it is But about seven years ago, the Agricul needless to add, were never put into execution. tural Society of Shetland was formed, the institution of which ought deservedly to be considered as an epoch in the annals of this country. The effect of a number of welleducated individuals of rank and property meeting together to consult on the state and circumstances of the several districts in which they reside, cannot but be favourable to the interest of the whole of the community. At the same time, the introduction of a better state of husbandry, which is connected with many complicated relations under which the landholders stand, not only to the Superior of the country, but to the Government of Great Britain, must necessarily be a very slow process. Yet, under all these untoward circumstances, the industry evinced by the Society is scarcely less than that which has Mr Whittaker of Manchester, in the Preface to his History, &c., 4to, vol. i. been attributed to an early civilizer of the Northmen a thousand years ago: Öxn nam at temia hús at timbra karta at gïorfa oc keyra plóg. Boves didicit mansuefacere, Aratra fabricare, domos ædificare, currus parare, et aratro terram vertere. Song of King Eric. Respecting the Fisheries of Shetland, little more than a popular view is given of them : but to the Superstitions of the country, a greater degree of importance has been attached than may be conceived necessary; the motive for which has been to preserve opinions, that in this sequestered group of islands seem to approach much nearer to the original Pagan tenets of the Scandinavians, than are to be found in several districts of Norway itself. The subjects to which I have little adverted are connected with Zoology. This omission has been chiefly owing to the unexpected extent to which other matter treated of has swelled the volume. For the same reason, no account is given of the Botany and Meteorology of the country. The Geology of Shetland cost me great pains to draw up; my labour was also much impeded, by the wretched charts of these islands that have been published, so that I was obliged, with the aid of nothing more than a pocket compass, to climb almost every point of high land in the country, in order to obtain a new draught fit for my purpose. The map, therefore, that is now produced, appears so totally different to any that has ever been before engraved, as to have every claim to the title of a New Survey. That it contains many imperfections is to be expected, but I believe they do not affect it in the least, in a geological point of view.* It is to myself a source of regret, that my investigations have been confined to a class of rocks (the primitive), of which WERNER appears to have entertained very imperfect notions. But that no erroneous view may be entertained of what I have said with regard to this truly great naturalist, I shall state my conviction, that although his system is, in several respects, open to many strictures, yet, taken as a whole, there has been nothing proposed by any other theorist, that has comprehended so many inductions that appear perfectly unobjectionable; and the mode of prosecuting the study of rocks that he first taught, has given to the history of geological science a new era. An abstract of that part of the present work, which relates to the distribution of the rocks of Shetland was first read to the Wernerian Natural History Society, and it was to their active President, Professor JAMESON, that I produced, as the fruits of my * The rocks of Shetland, which I have undertaken to illustrate, were first examined partially by Professor Jameson, and the work he produced is a highly creditable memorial of the early attention that he paid to Geology. Since this Gentleman's visit, Dr Traill and Dr Fleming have visited the country, each of whom has given a very good description of the districts which he examined. I have made several allusions to their researches, whenever I had no opportunity of directing my own personal obser vations to the objects that attracted their attention; and have mentioned, in a particular manner, the more important remarks that they made. Professor Jameson's account of Shetland, was published above twenty years ago, being afterwards reprinted in his Mineralogical Travels through Scotland. Dr Traill's short notice of Shetland will be found in Mr Neill's Tour, and Dr Fleming's in Mr Shirreff's Agricultural Survey of Shetland, and in the paper on the Rocks of Papa Stour, given in vol. i. of the Wernerian Transactions. |