-^C^i SJ>*1 ^, :jiii IZIIII <rii]ONVsoi^'" "^AaaAiNn iwv' ^^Anvaaiii^ ^^Ayvaan-^^"^ ^:^IIIBRARYQ< ^^^lllBRARYQ^ aMEUNIVER% AvlOSANCIlf %a3AINn3WV^ ,^,OFCAIIFO% ,^,OFCALIF0% ,-\WEUNIVER% ^lOSANGElfXx o ^ 09 ^<?Aav{ian# ^^Aavaain^ ^tjijonvsoi^ '^/5a3AiNn-3WV AWEUNIVERS//, ^lOSANCElfX/ ^I-IIBRARYQ^ ^^llIBRARYGr V rrt ilJi;i % ^ <ril3DNVS01=^ "^iiaAINn-JWV ^.i/OdlWDJO^ .^,OFCALIF0% ^WE•UNIVER% ,v>;lOSANCElfx^ ^•OFCAllFOi?^ 55 > c-i _ o ^ 11^. -< <r7l30NVS01^ ^/^adAINfl^UV -<^lLIBRARY6k A^IUBRABYQ^^ .^WEUNIVERiy/v ^lOSANCElfx^ ^OJIWD-JO^ '^(l/OJIlVD-dO^ "<rji30NVS01^ '^Ad3AINn-3WV .^.OFCAilF0% .^0FCAIIF0% ^WEUNIVER% ^vWSANCElfj'^ OS >so ^TilSDNVSOl^ VAa3AINn-3Wv AWEUNIVERJ/a ^lOSANCElto. < — CO B»Jg 3s;=r»^ Ml""" 30NVS01^ 'VAii3AlNfl-3Wv '%133NVSQ ,\WEUNIVER5'/A JBRARYO^ ^lilBRARYQ^ -j^^lLIBRAR' >i. ^vWSANCElfj^ 3^so 33 ^j:?i3dnvsoi^ "^Aa^AINO JWv' .t^WEUNIVERS-//. vvlOSANCElfXy« ^OFCAilFO/?^ ^OFCALIF( ^OAavaaiii^ ^J:?133NVS01^ "^/saaAiNn-^wv - -^l-llBRARYQ/r ^ILIBRARYGc ^\^EUNIVE ER%, ^lOSANCElfj^. ^ ;01>^ "^/^a^AINOJWV^ %0JnV3J0^ '%0JI1V3J0'^ <rii39NVS( ER% ^vWSANCElfj> ^^OPCAlIFOff^ ^OFCALIF0% ^^WEUNIVE IT' 41 i^ . soi^ %a3AiNn-3WV^ ^<?AiiV}iani"^ ^<?Aavaani^ <r?i]ONvsi RYO^. ^UIBRARYO/C^ ^WEUNIVERJ/A ^lOSANCElfx> ^^^UIBRAR § 1 <^ ^ ^ —^^^ ^ ^^OJITVOJO^ <rjl30NVS01^ "^/5a9AINn-3WV ^.!/0dnV3' ^wedniverva. ^dirOft^ ^OFCALIFO/?^ ^^.OFCAllFi C3 o <-o CO c-> > .=? /aaii-^^ ^<?AavaaiiA^ <rii33NVS01=^ %a3AIN(l-3WV^ ^<?Aav}iai JN1VER% ^lOSANCElfj> >5^UIBRARYQ^ -^lllBRARYO^ .^WEUNIVE ij >- (^ < ^'-T^CO I -n O ffi i<yii TOUIR THROUGH SOME OF THE ISLANDS OF ORKNEY AND SHETLAND, WITH A VIEW CHIEFLY TO OBJECTS OF NATURAL HISTORY, EOT INCLUDING ALSO OCCASIONAL REMARKS ON THE STATE OF THE INHABITANTS, THEIR HUSBANDRY, AND FISHERIES, BY PATRICK NEILL, A.M. SECRETARY TO THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF EDIKBURGH. WITH AN APPEXDIX, CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS, POilTICALAND ECONOM tCAL, ON THE SHETLAND ISLANDS ; A SKETCH OF THEIR MINERALOGY, &C. &C. PRINTED FOR A. CONSTABLE AND COMPANY, AND JOHN MURRAY, LONDON. 1806. Neill & Co. Printers, 1 Edinburgh. \ VA PREFACE. ^J^%^ I THEfoUoxving journal of a Tour through some of the Orkney and Shetland Islands^ originally appear- ed in the Scots Magazine. It was drawn up, as it suited my convenience, from time to time, arid insert- ed in successive Numbers of that periodical work, from November 1804 to July 1805. This will partly or accountfor some defects of arrangement, andj some repetitions, which might easily have been avoided, had the whole been zvritten at once. In reprinting, I have embraced the opportunity of introducing a few verbal corrections ; but I have not materially altered any statementformerly made, with- out eapf^essly announcing the alteration. The objects which I principally attended to, were those connected with the study^of Natural History, (and an apology is perhaps due to the reader for the number of technical terms appropriate to that science, which occur in thefolloidng pages) ; hut it was almost impossible not to take some notice of the state of the In- habitants of the Islands. The freedom of my remarks, however, on the urfortunatt coridition of the common b people VI PREFACE. people in Shetland, has brought upon me the censure of certain the landholders of ; which tliey hctce, "oerij un- in necessarily, vented unmeaning scurrility, through the medium both of newspapers and of Grub-street pamphlets. The mere republication of the xvhole Tour will, to the Public in general, be sufficientfor my indication. Nothing, I trust, will be perceived in it, but the can- did obsei'vatiojis of a stranger on what he really saw ; and I cannot surely be condemned for depicting the " wretchedness of the Shetlanders,— quee ipse miser- " — lima vidi," when my only object proves to be the melioj^atioji of their condition. The greater part of the Shetland tenants appeared to me to be sunk into a state of the most abject poverty and misery. Ifound them even without bread ; with- out any kind offood, in short, but Jish and cabbage ; — in under the same with their living, many cases, roof — cattle, and scarcely in cleaner apartments ; their Utile agricultural concerns entirely Jieglected, owing to the men being obliged to be absent during summer at the ling and tuskfishery. The reader zdll probably be not a little suiprised to learn, that these tenants, acting at one time as far- mers^ and at another as fshers, after enduring, in the PREFACE. Vll xveeks the the latter cctf)acity, for many greatest pri- vations, and encountering stormy seas in their open boats, are not allowed to carry their dear-bought car- goes to the best market, but are compelled to deliver the whole into the storehouses of their landlords, at stipu- lated rates, beloiv the market lvalue ! This statement is amply supported, by the E.vtracts subjoined in the Appendi.v, and indeed it has never been controverted : this alone would justify me for not having formed a veryfavourable opinion of the system of management adopted by the Shetland lairds. I shall only further state, that so slender are the advantages, if any, ac- to the tenants this that it in cruing from fishery, is, general, an object of aversion to them ; insomuch, that their agreements with their lairds are accompanied with an obligation to fsh, under the implied, but xcell- nnderstood penalties, of dismissal, and consequent star- vation, or of heavy and arbitrary fines. During my excursions through the Islands, T oc- took casionally 7iotes; and from these tJiefolloivingjour- nal teas compiled: but as I then entertained no thoughts of publication, my notes were very short and incom- plete. Indeed, I certainly zvould 7iot have appeared the before public at all, had I not hoped that the con- sequences of the discussion miglit eventually be benefi- cial to the remote and neglected inhabitants of Shetland. It is my earnest wish that their condition should be scrupulously Vlll PREFACE. scrupulously inquired into hy some of our public-spirited as that and patriotic characters ; satisfied I a7?i, from ingenuous investigation, and public discussion, a change will result, favourable not only to the emancipation a?td happiness of the poor people, but ultimately to the pros* perity of the landholders themselves. In the Appendi.v, there 'will be found some valuable remarks on the Shetland Islands, and on the means of improving them, hy Sir Alexander Seton of Pres- ton, whom the author had the pleasure of accompanying as a felloic-traveller through several of those dreary wastes in 1 804. The mineralogist willfind some in- teresting information respecting the mineral produc- tions of Shetland, hy Dr T raili. of Tirlet in Orkney. —^ —A list of Plants indigenous to Orkney, supplemen- tary to the catalogue contained in Dr Barry's Hi- story, and some remarks on the Birds found in the Islands, zvill perhaps interest or amuse the naturalist. In the Notes, are contained some remarks on the im- portance of the Herringfshery ; and a particular ac- count of the droves of small Whales which were, last year, stranded on the shores of Unst in Shetland. P. N. Wth Nov. 1806. CON- CONTENTS. ORKNEY. Pages. Cathedral of St rui- Town of Kirkwall ; Magnus *, nous want of &c. - ^o palaces •, Markets, Pier, 3 9 - —la Environs of Kirkwall ; Quanternefs, Scalpa, 9 in black - — State of Agriculture Orkney j oats, 13 16 (Alfo p. 205. & p. 210.) Diftrift of Deernefs - - - - j willows, 17 & 213 of circle at - Port Stromnefs ; Druidical Stennis, 18, 19 - - Ifland of Shapinfa 5 ClifFdale ; mirkles, 21 Stronfa Head ; bed of - 22—28 ; Brough Ihells, Kelp-manufa6lure in Orkney, kinds of fea-weed ufed - - ; reverberatory furnaces, &.c. 28—32 (Alfo p. 206—208.) Ifland of Sanda ifolated mafs of ; gn&ifs ; Heclabir ; Stove want of - - ; fuel, &c. ^3—37 Eda a - - - - •, heathy ifland, 38 Wefl:ra Cafl;le of Noltland fand-flood ; ; ; 39—41 eider-ducks Papa Wefl;ra; j cod-bank, &c. 41 —44 of - - Roufay •, variety plants there, 45 Aikernefs want of - - ; winter- fodder, 47 Sc 210 Ifland of Wart-hill — Hoy ^ Dwarfy-ltoxit j jjly-goofe, 48 54 General S: CONTENTS. General Remarks on Orkney, Pages. - Trees wanting, but might be cultivated, 54 ^o 57 (Alfo p. 179, & p. 211 —213-) Sheep,—Goats, &c. 5^ Game and Wild-duck, - - - - - 59 Molucca Beans, 60 & 213 of kinds of fifli in the Fiflieries Orkney •, caught Seas - 61 — Orkney ; hoes^fillocks, cod, herring, 64 (Alfo p.-209.) Obftacles to improvements in Orkney, - - 65 Defencelefs Hate of Kirkwall and Stromnefs, - (iS SHETLAND. Town of Lerwick ; Fort Charlotte ; ftraw-plait- ing, &c. 68—79 - - - Ifland of Br aflay •, plants, minerals, 71 the - Yell ; plants forming paflure there, 74 Unfl, the mofl remote of the iflands, - 75 — 80 of Nofs &c. Nofs J Cradle ; HangclifF, 81—84 (Alfo p. 105, 106.) — Scalloway, formerly the chief town of Shetland, 85 87 - 88 Vale of Scalloway, finell diftridl in the iflands, - - - - Fair Ifle i Skua-gulls, &c. 90 General Remarks on Shetland. - Tea, the favourite beverage of the poor, - 91 - - 208 Piltocks or coalfifli, their chief food, 9a &. and a Light-houfes wanted in Shetland, regular - Packet, i 94 & 229 - ^ Jufticcs of the Peace greatly needed, 95 ^°7 - State of the common people, - - 96— 104 - - 126 Their poverty and dependance, 97 &, Hints for the improvement of their condition, - 102 SUP- CONTENTS. XI Pages. SUPPLEMENT, 105^0113 Profits of landlord and tenant, - - ic8—110 Whale-fiihing exaction, _ _ _ ixi —112 (Alfo p. 127, 128.) APPENDIX. No. I. Letter to the Editor of the Scots Magazine, Jan. 1806, with additional Notes, 115 —119 IL Anfwers to anonymous ftridures on the Tour, &c. with Notes, - - 120—141 Partition of wrecks in Shetland, - 130—132 in. Extracts refpeding Shetland, from GifFard of Bufla, Campbell, Knox, Bath Papers, Statiilical Account, &c. - - 141—156 IV. On the Mineralogy of Shetland, by Dr - - Traill, - - - 157—172 V. On the ftate of Shetland, and the means of improving it, by Sir Alexander Seton, 173—181 VI. Lift of Plants in Orkney, fupplementary to Dr Barry's Catalogue, - - 182—193 VII.