Chap. VIII.—An Account of the ancient Monuments, Curiosities, strange Providences, most observable in the Isles of Zetland.

THE works of creation and providence are all very wonderful, sought out of them who have pleasure therein, amongst which some more ordinarily occur and are the subject of our meditation, and others not so commonly presenting themselves are the more surprizing and amusing: both which are to be had a due regard unto, they being either mediately or immediately, by or without second causes, the work of the Lord, and the operation of his hands ; and seeing there are some things that deserve their own observation, which either I had occasion to see or to hear of in Zetland, I shall give a brief relation thereof, not denying but that there may be other things no less, if not more observable there, which we came not to the knowledge of.

The Picts houses, which are frequent through this country, the inhabitants take much notice of, as being the ancientest monuments they have, some of which are more, others less ruinous; they are round, in the form of some dove-cotes, or something like unto an egg, bulging out in the middle, but narrower at the bottom, and yet more narrower at the top : they have a little door for an entry, at which a man of an ordinary stature could not enter without bowing, within which door there is a stair going up between two stone walls, leading to the several apartments : instead of windows they have slits, or long narrow holes in the wall, such as are in many of our old castles, for the conveyance of light unto them : they are strongly built, but the conveniency for dwelling hath been but little; for their diameter is but about ten or twelve feet, and their height scarce twenty or twenty four. I think these Pict's houses are much like Arthur's oven upon the water of Carron, in Stirling-shire.

These have been the domiciles or dwellings of the Picts, the old if not the first inhabitants of this country, who were very numerous in the north of Scotland; and in Orkney having their own kings, as hath been said in our description of Orkney. They are conveniently situated through the isles, each one being within the sight of another; hence in a few hours advertisements could be given by fire, or other signs they might condescend upon, through the whole country, signifying unto them any danger, that being thereby alarmed they might meet together, or be upon their own defence. These houses are also called burghs, which in the old Teutonick or Saxon language signifieth a town, having a wall or some kind of an inclosure about it; as also a castle, for as one observeth in his Dictionary, or explanation of our most ancient English words;." All places that in old time had among our ancestors the name of borough, bury, or burug, were places one way or other fenced and fortified. Whence it appears that these houses have been castles, or places of defence, to the Picts, seeing it is generally acknowledged that both the Picts and the Saxons were originally descended of the same German nation, and so might call their castles by the same name. I have also heard it observed, that in Orkney several places, wherein of old they used to bury their dead, were called burghs ; so likewise these houses in Zetland might serve for the same purpose, from the Saxon word byring, or buriging, or borogeing, which we now call burying.

I enquired if there was any place or hill here which they call Thule or Ule, if so be we could receive any information or light from them concerning the Thule of the ancients; but they answered they knew none ofthat name, only there was an isle wherein a high hill, called Foula, on the west side of the Mainland ; but to suppose that ever the ancient Romans understood Thule thereby, beside other things that might be alledged, it would be a manifest stretching of and an offering violence to the word : but although what this place is hath been much controverted by ancient and modern authors, attempting the discovery thereof, yet it is generally agreed upon that it is towards the north, and many take it to be one of the British isles ; and a late author, in an Essay concerning the Thule of the Ancients, endeavoureth to prove it to be the north-east part of Britain, lying over-against the isles of Orkney, citing some authors to this purpose, as Conradus Celtes : Orcadibus qua cincta suis Tyle et glacialis insula et Claudian, madue-runt sanguine fuso Orcadesincaluit Pictorum sanguine Thüle; Scotorum cu mulos flevit glacialis lerne. And others, who call Thüle Britannica™m insularum septentrionalissimam, the most northern of the British isle. Iceland also lays claim to it ; and the above cited author supposeth Iceland to be the Thule, but I judge without any shadow of truth ; for beside what is now said, I greatly doubt if ever the Romans had the knowledge of Iceland, their eagles never having come and been displayed to the north of Scotland or Orkney : Imperii fuerat Romani Scotia limes, saith the great Scaliger. Ptolomy will have it to be among the isles of Zetland : and Boeth, our historian, distinguished between a first and a second Thule, calling Ila the first, and Louisa the second, which are reckoned among the isles called Hebrides. So saith Boeth. V Ptolomaeus inter Schethlandicas Ínsulas quae ultra Orchades sunt, aut proxime Norvegiam sitam vult, haudquaquam propter immensam intercapedinemintelligi potest. Nosautemllamprimam Leuitsam Hebridum praestantissimam secundam Thülen vocamus. But I incline to think, that although some might design a particular place by the Thule, yet geneally by a synecdoche, usual with the Roman authors, they might denote all these places remote from them to the north, and especially Britain, and the northern parts thereof, whither their arms did come.

In the parish of North-Mevan is Mons Ronaldi, or Rons Hill, the highest in all this country, from which some do say they will see the body of the sun all the night over in the month of June ; which cannot be, for the reason alledged in our description of Orkney, why it could not be seen from the top of the hill of Hoy ; though reason and experience shew they have a clearer light in Zetland in the night-rime, during the summer season, than they can have in Orkney, Zetland being more than a degree to the north of Orkney, and consequently ay the farther north the shorter night, till at length there be no night at all ; so that if it were possible to sail holding a northern course till we were under the pole, having it for our zenith or vertical point, we would have a continual day without any night for several months, the sun all that time describing a circle almost parallel to our horizon ; I say almost parrallel, because, beside the diurnal, there is also the annual motion of the sun in the ecliptic. O how exact and beautiful an order and symmetry is to be seen in the works of God ; they all speaking forth the goodness, wisdom, and power of their Maker.

What a wonderful creature is the sun, " coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run his race," absolving every day his circuit round our terrestrial globe from east to west, and travelling every year between his tropics (the limits and boundaries prescribed him of God, beyond which he is not to pass) from south to north, and from north to south, giving shorter days to those who inhabit the middle of the earth under the torrid zone, they not being able to bear his longer continuance above their horizon, because of his scorching heat, but longer to these who can better endure it under the temperate, and yet longest to these who live nearest to the frigid zones, or to the poles, whom his heat cannot prejudice, as it doth these who live under or near to the line or middle of the earth, on whom he darteth down his perpendicular rays; wherefore the wisdom of his Maker will have him stay a shorter time above their horizon. How wonderful then in counsel and excellent in working is this God, whereupon not only his saints do bless him for the benefits where-with they are loaden, but all his works do praise him after their manner !

There are several caves here, or hollow places, in and through the rocks ; particularly there is one in the isle of Unst, entering from the sea at one side of the isle ; and opposite thereunto, on the other side, there is another going in, as it were meeting the former, unto the end of any of which none will undertake to go, though it hath been attempted ; the rage of the sea in these caverns of the earth, the failing of the light of day, and the raggedness of the rocks by which they must pass, making it terrible unto them, as also the thickness of the air something annoying them ; but the entries thereunto being opposite one to another, giveth ground to judge that it is a continued cave from the one side of the isle to the other, though four miles broad ; which cannot be thought to be artificial, but natural, washed through by the violence of the waves ; and the less wonder it is for it so to be, if we consider, that if gutta cavat lapidem, much more rapidi et tumidi fluctus cavabunt, that if in a short time the drop will wear the stone, much more in the tract of some thousands of years, the raging and tempestuous waves daily breaking on the rocks will produce this effect, and that more in some places than in others, where the rock will be more friable and brittle, and the force of the waves less broken by the bounding and swaddling sand.

There is something like unto this yet more surprising in the isle of Foula, on the west side of the Mainland, if it be true what is storied of it. In this isle, on the top of a hill, there is a hole, the mouth whereof may be (and some say now is) covered with a slate-stone going downwards to the bottom of the rock, which is said to be of a great depth ; particularly a Dutch ship-master is reported to have made a trial thereof, for the gratifying his curiosity, by taking up a barrel of lines with him, which he let all down, and yet could not sound the bottom : some say he let down two barreis, which is very wonderful, considering a barrel of lines is reckoned to be several, some say nine, miles in length. What can be the reason of such a conveyance from the top of the rock to the bottom ? and further, if we may give credit to what is said, I cannot possibly imagine ; for that such a thing should be done by art, we cannot well conceive the reason why, nor the manner how it could be done, and that nature should have such an operation will be as difficult to unfold.

That this country is generally mossy, soft, and spungy, hath been formerly told, as likewise that it is dangerous for people to travel through it, of which many instances may be given ; I shall only name two, which I had from the ministers of the respective bounds : one travelling in the isle of Yell fell into such a mossy and loose piece of ground, his horse beneath him, furniture and all sank down, and was no more seen, and he himself with great difficulty struggled out, and was saved. And another in the parish of Tingwall on the main, not long since, walking on foot not far from his own house, fell into such another place, wherein there did not appear lo be any hazard, and over which several times formerly he thought he had passed with safety, and sank down to the arm-pits, but he, by stretching out his arms, keeping his head over the surface of, the ground, by the help of his servant, then providentially with him, and a staff fixed in the ground, got wrestled out; so dangerous is it travelling here even to the inhabitants.

On the west side of the isle of Fetlor there is a place, whereon a gentleman's house called Uasta, into which place or house if a mariner's needle and compass be brought, the needle resteth not in its poles, as it doth in other places, but hath a tremulous undulating motion, and sometimes turneth round, as some say, to all the points of the horizon; and a gentleman, who was inquisitive to know the truth of this, told me, that upon trial he found it to be so, and further to try the experiment, he took the compass to the top of the house, where it had the same effect. And one of the ministers of the northern isles informed me, that if any ship or boat sailed by, or came nigh unto that place, the same did befall their compass. Also there is a little hill nigh to the sea on the west side of the isle of Whalsey, to which, if the compass be brought, the flower de luce, or that point which is ordinarily obverted to the north, turneth about to the south, but if the compass be removed the distance of two or three feet from the top of the hill, there is no such effect produced : this the late minister of the place assured me of, having tried the experiment.

The many wonderful properties and effects of the magnet or load-stone, and of other things endued with, or which do partake of this magnetic virtue, discovered in these latter ages, hath deservedly raised the admiration of philosophers, and awakened them to make a diligent inquiry and search into the reasons of these strange phenomena. That the magnet hath two poles, answering to the poles of the world, to which it turneth itself; that the loadstone draweth iron unto it; that iron brought unto and rubbed upon the loadstone receiveth from it that attractive, or, as some will have it, that impulsive virtue and power, and other qualities inherent in it (hence the invention of the needle, so useful and necessary to mariners for directing of their courses) that if there be two spherical loadstones, they will turn to one another, as each of them doth to the poles of the earth, and if they be detained in a contrary position, they will flee from one another : and so it is with the needle in the compass, when a loadstone or piece of iron is brought unto it, the needle either cometh to, or fleeth from it, according to its situation ; wherefore mariners are careful that no iron be in nor lying near unto their light-room where the compass standeth. That though you should take the needle from its beloved pole, yet, when let alone and left to itself, it will incontinently move and take no rest until it return thereunto; these strange and uncouth properties hath the loadstone, as likewise many others no less astonishing, reckoned up by its admirers, many of which are known to the rudest and most illiterate mariner; but to explain the nature of the loadstone, and to resolve and answer the proposals of nature upon the head, by giving the reasons of these admirable effects, hoc opus, hic labor est, this is the difficulty which hath vexed many, and taken up the studies of the sagest and most ingenious modern philosophers.

I shall not presume to give the reason of this strange phenomenon, the needle's leaving its rest at the pole, and betaking itself to such a motion, whether tremulous and undulating, or circular round the points of the compass, or the flower de luce, turning to the south. Only I would suggest two things, which if they tend not to clear what is proposed, they will further hold out how wonderful the loadstone and its properties are. First, upon the ordinary supposition, whereby these properties are explained, that the earth is as a great loadstone, on the surface and exterior parts whereof a great number of volatile screw-like particles, called the magnetic matter, do incessantly move, travelling from pole to pole alongst the surface of the earth, whereby the poles of the loadstone, and the point of the needle affected with its virtue, are obverted to the poles of the world ; which supposition being made, we would know that this magnetic matter may not always have the same motion, but in some places it may be upward and perpendicular to the surface of the earth ; so that in these places, where they thus move perpendicularly, the needle will not be determined to one point more than to another of the horizon, this matter alike affecting all the parts of the needle by its perpendicular motion ; which the ingenious Rohault alledgeth as the reason why the compass serveth not the use of the Hollanders, when they have sailed far to the north in order to find out a new and shorter passage to the East Indies, their needle then not turning to the poles as it doth in other places, but alike to all the points of the horizon, the motion of the magnetic matter in these more northern places being in lines perpendicular to the surface of the earth : and so likewise it may fall out in other places, where a greater quantity of this magnetic matter riseth from the earth.

A second thing that I would take notice of is, that this magnetic matter in its passage from pole to pole meets with several iron mines, into which it goeth aside, so diverting its straight course between the poles, because it finds an easier passage through the pores of the iron than by passing through other places ; hence the variation of the compass is judged to be, so much talked of by mariners, in some places greater, and in others less, accordingly as the magnetic matter is more or less determined by the several iron mines into which it turneth aside ; now in some places it may so fall out, that there may be a greater quantity of iron, through which the magnetic matter passing, and from which it arising, may cause such a motion, whereby the needle not only inclines not to one point more than to another in the horizon, but also, by the magnetic matters ascending from and returning to the iron mines, it may produce such an irregular motion in the needle ; and that there is a great quantity of iron in Zetland may be known by the remarkable variation of the compass there, for, as mariners inform us, when they sail by the south end of Zetland they find the variation to be but one point, but when passing the north end they find it varies two points, and upon this variation in directing their course to this or the other place they make their reckoning : which is very observable, that in less than a degree of latitude (for no more will the length of the isles of Zetland be) it varies a point of the compass, which must be according to the reason commonly assigned, because there is much iron in these isles, and more especially on the west side of the isle of Fetlor ; for other places of the same isle have no such influence on the compass.

That yet much if not the greatest part of the difficulty remains I readily grant, and leaves it to the study of the learned and curious, and indeed in many things to acknowledge our ignorance hath been reputed no small part of wisdom, so hard it is to solve and unriddle nature's secrets, wherein the greatest lights have been benighted, the following often raising the foundations of the doctrines of the former : how wonderful are the works of God, that in wisdom he hath made them all ; and how narrow and shallow are our capacities, that we cannot find out the works of God, even the most sensible and obvious ; how thankful also should we be to God, who has vouchsafed to us the light of clearly revealed truths, which if taken heed unto shall make us perfect and lead unto glory.

There are in these isles many little chapels, now generally ruinous : as in the isle of Unst there are twenty-four and upwards ; in the isle of Yell there are twenty-one, and many in other isles ; I saw one of them in the parish of Tingwall, wherein also there are several more ; it would have contained scarce thirty people, as I judge, and though so little, yet very great stones were in the walls, which was strange to me, how that in this country, where their beasts are weak, and they have not the help of machines, they got them lifted and laid. These are said to have been built by superstitious zealots in the times of popery, or, as some rather think, by ship-wrecked seamen, who, coming safe to shore, have built them according to their vows made by them when in danger, which they dedicated to so many several saints, whom they looked upon as the patrons of their respective chapels. About which also men and women of old had their night walkings, which occasioned much uncleanness, but now such walkings are but little used.

About the walls of these old chapels are found snails called shell-snails, which they dry and pulverise, mingling the dust with their drink for the jaundice, by which means these who labour under this sickness in three and four days' time will recover of the same ; but if they let this dust lie for a year without making use of it, in turneth into small living creatures or vermine, which they dry and bray over again, if they make any further use of it.

In Uzia, an isle lying nigh to Unst, there is a metal gotten having the colour of gold, which several of the Dutch merchants have taken with them to Hamburgh, and tried it there, but by the force of fire it did not become liquid, but crumbled into small pieces ; it is to be had there in great plenty. This sheweth there may be minerals in these isles, though not known nor searched for.

In the church-yard of Papa-Stour, in the parish of Waes, lieth a stone five feet long, at the one end two, and at the other one foot broad, concave from the one end to the other, of which the common tradition goes, that this stone came ashore on that isle with a dead man tied to it, who lies buried there beside it. It appears to have been the grave-stone of some person of note in the country, which sheweth they have also had that custom of laying at least some of their dead in such large stones made concave, and cut out for the purpose, which hath been frequent in many places with us in Scotland.

At a little distance from Papa-Stour, lies a rock encompassed with the sea, called Frau-a-Stack, which is a Danish word, and signifieth our Lady's Rock, upon which are to be seen the ruins of a house, wherein they say a gentleman did put his daughter, that so she might be shut up and secluded from the company of men, but though a maiden when put in, yet she was found with child when brought out, notwithstanding of her being so closely kept, but whether this came to pass by a golden shower (the most powerful courtship) or not, the country hath lost the tradition : however it seemeth strange, how a house should be built on such a bare and small rock, when so many large and pleasant isles were near unto it.

The three iron cannons formerly mentioned, now lying in the citadel of Lerwick, being rusted by the sea, wherein they had lain for eighty years, the inhabitants of Lerwick, to take off the rust, and so fit them for their use, about nine years ago did set a heap of peats about them, which they putting fire unto, the guns, so soon as they were warmed and hot, did all discharge themselves, to the great surprize of the spectators, and the balls, as some observed, went half over Brassa-sound. Which deserveth some remark, that the powder all that time should retain its elastic force, the water, if at all, yet not so insinuating itself with the powder as to wash it away, or much diminish its virtue. These who were eye-witnesses gave me this relation.

It is observable that the former year, 1699, the fishes had little or no liver, but something black in lieu thereof, which was a great loss to the fishers, they making their oil of those livers ; as also the oxen, sheep, swine, &c. had little or no fat on their livers, which useth not to be, there being a kind of consumption upon the livers of creatures, both by sea and land ; which mindeth me of Rom. viii. 22. " Man's sins making the creation to groan, and earnestly long, as with an uplifted head, for a deliverance:" so that if the creatures could speak with Baalam's ass, they would reprove the madness and sin of man.

There is a little island on the west side of Waes, called Vaila, wherein there is no cat, neither will any stay though brought in, as hath been done for trial, but will quickly be gone, they either dying, or betaking themselves to sea, they endeavour to swim to the next isle: yet about fifty years ago there was one seen upon this isle, about that time when a gentleman the proprietor thereof was tormented and put to death by the witches, but never any were seen since, save what were brought in for trial, as now said. The reason of this I could not learn from the ministers, who gave the information ; it is like because of the air, or the smell of something upon the isle, though not perceivable by the inhabitants, which agreeth not with the temper and constitution of these animals.

About a mile from Tingwall, to the north, there is a hill called the Knop of Kebister, or Luggie's Know, nigh to which hill there is a house called Kebister, where a varlet or wizard lived, commonly designed Luggie, concerning whom it was reported, that when the sea was so tempestuous that the boats durst not go off to the fishing, he used to go to that hill or know, where in a hole into which he let down his lines, and took up any fish he pleased, as a cod or ling, &c. which no other could do but himself: also, when fishing at sea, he would at his pleasure take up any roasted fish with his line, with the entrails or guts out of it, and so ready for his use : this was certainly done by the agency of evil spirits, with whom he was in compact and covenant, but the oeconomv of the kingdom of darkness is very wonderful and little known to us. He being convicted of witchcraft, was burnt nigh to Scalloway.

As for witches, I did hear much of them, as if they abounded more in this than other countries, though I make no question, but that there are many such here thus deluded by the devil: there is not then such ground for what is so commonly talked by many with us anent their devilry, which might have affrighted us, if given heed unto, as if it were dangerous going or living, there; though it is said here there are many of this hellish stamp in Island, Lapland, and other places to the north of Zetland, which may occasion the mistake.

We said before that there were but few rats, and that only in some of the isles, and thought to come out of ships, but that they had mice in abundance; yet in the isles of Burra and Haskashy no mice are to be found; yea, if they take some dust or earth out of these isles to other places where they are, they will forsake such places where the dust is laid. It may be for the like reason why no cats can or will live in Vaila.

Sometimes, when the ships are lying nigh land, the rats will come ashore, which when any of the Hollanders or others see, they look upon it as fatal to the ship out of which they come, portending that her end some way or other will shortly approach ; and likewise it is observed, that these rats will not live above three or four years in that land to which they come. Some of our seamen tell us the like as to their ships; it is talked also that these creatures will leave houses before any dismal accident befall them. What ground there is either for the one or the other I know not, but, if true, it will be hard I suppose to give the reason thereof.

Not above forty or fifty yeas ago almost every family had a Browny, or evil spirit, so called, which served them, to whom they gave a sacrifice for his service ; as, when they churned their milk, they took a part thereof and sprinkled every corner of the house with it for Browny's use ; likewise when they brewed, they had a stone which they called Browny's Stone, wherein there was a little hole, into which they poured some wort for a sacrifice to Browny. My informer, a minister in the country, told me, that he had conversed with an old man, who, when young, used to brew, and sometimes read upon his Bible, to whom an old woman in the house said, that Browny was displeased with that book he read upon, which if he continued to do, they would get no more service of Browny ; but he being better instructed from that book, which was Browny's eye-sore and the object of his wrath, when he brewed he would not suffer any sacrifice to be given to Browny, whereupon the first and second brewings were spilt and for no use, though the wort wrought well, yet in a little time it left off working and grew cold ; but of the third browst or brewing he had ale very good, though he would not give any sacrifice to Browny, with whom afterwards they were no more troubled. I had also from the same informer, that a lady in Unst now deceased told him, that when she first took up house, she refused to give a sacrifice to Browny, upon which the first and second brewings misgave likewise, but the third was good ; and Browny, not being regarded nor rewarded as formerly he had been, abandoned his wonted service. Which cleareth that Scripture, " Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." They also had stacks of com, which they called Browny's Stacks ; which, though they were not bound with Straw ropes, or any way fenced as other stacks used to be, yet the greatest storm of wind was not able to blow any Straw off them.

Now I do not hear of any such appearances the devil makes in these isle, so great and so many are the blessings which attend a Gospel dispensation : the Brownies, fairies, and other evil spirits, that haunted and were familiar in our houses, were dismissed, and fled, at the breaking up of our Reformation, (if we may except but a few places not yet well reformed from popish dregs,) as the heathen oracles were silenced at the Coming of our Lord, and the going forth of his apostles ; so that our first noble reformers might have returned and said to their Master, as the seventy once did ; "Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy name." And though this restraint put upon the devil was far later in these northern places than with us, to whom the light of a preached Gospel did more early shine, yet now also do these northern isles enjoy the fruits of this restraint.

About two years and a half or three years ago there was a boat passing, with several gentlemen of the country in it, and by the way in the Voe of Quarf, through which they went, there appeared something unto them, with its head above the water, which, as they could discern, had the face of an old man, with a long beard hanging down ; first it appeared at some distance from them, and then coming nearer to their boat, they had a clear sight of it; the sight was so very strange and affrighting, that all in the boat were very desirous to be on land, though the day was fair and the sea cairn ; a gentleman declaring, (as a minister in company with them, and saw this sight, informed me,) that he never saw the like, though he had travelled through many seas.

I heard another remarkable story like unto this, that about five years since a boat at the fishing drew her lines, and one of them, as the fishers thought, having some great fish upon it, was with greater difficulty than the rest raised from the ground, but when raised, it came more easily to the surface of the water, upon which a creature like a woman presented itself at the side of the boat ; it had the face, arms, breasts, shoulders, &c. of a woman, and long hair hanging down the back, but the nether part from below the breasts was beneath the water, so that they could not understand the shape thereof ; the two fishers who were in the boat being surprised at this strange sight, one of them unadvisedly drew a knife, and thrust it into her breast, whereupon she cried, as they judged, " Alas !" and the hook giving way, she fell backwards and was no more seen : the hook being big went in at her chin and out at the upper lip. The man who thrust the knife into her is now dead, and, as was observed, never prospered after this, but was still haunted by an evil spirit, in the appearance of an old man, who, as he thought, used to say unto him, " Will you do such a thing, who killed the woman ?" the other man then in the boat is vet alive in the isle of Burra. This a gentleman and his lady told me, who said they had it from the baillie of that place to which the boat did belong : it being so strange I enquired at severals thereanent, which, though many were ignorant of, yet some said that they had heard thereof, and judged it to be very true.

That there are sea-creatures having the likeness of men and women seems to be generally acknowledged by all who have inquired thereunto, they having found it confirmed by the testimony of many in several countries, as their histories do bear. Hence are accounts given of these sea-monsters, the mermen and mermaids, which have not only been seen, but apprehended and kept for some time. And hence probably the fiction of the poets concerning the syrens hath had its rise ; these enchanting songsters, translated mermaids by our lexicographers, whose snare Ulysses so happily escaped.

They tell us that several such creatures do appear to fishers at sea, particularly such as they call sea-trowes, great rolling creatures, tumbling in the waters, which, if they come among their nets, they break them, and sometimes take them away with them ; if the fishers see them before they come near, they endeavour to keep them off with their oars or long staves, and if they can get them beaten therewith, they will endeavour to do it : the fishers both in Orkney and Zetland are afraid when they see them, which panic fear of theirs makes them think, and sometimes say, that it is the devil in the shape of such creatures ; whether it be so or not as they apprehend, I cannot determine. However, it seems to be more than probable that evil spirits frequent both sea and land.

A gentleman in the parish of Dunrossness told one of the ministers in this country, that about five years since a plough in this parish did cast up fresh cockles, though the place where the plough was going was three quarters of a mile from the sea ; which cockles the gentleman saw made ready and eaten. How these shell fishes carne there, and should be fed at such a distance from their ordinary element, I cannot know, if they have not been cast upon land bv a violent storm, much of the ground of this parish, especially what they labour, lying very low, and the sea hath been observed in such storms both to cast out stones and fishes ; or if these cockles have been found in some deep furrow, from which to the sea there hath been a conveyance by some small stream, upon which the sea hath flowed in stream tides, especially when there is also some storm blowing. If only shells were found, such as of oysters and the like, the marvel would not be great, seeing such are found upon the tops of high mountains, at a greater distance from the sea, which in all probability have been there since the universal deluge ; but that any shell-fish should be found at some distance from the sea, and fit for use, is somewhat wonderful and astonishing.

Though no tortoises use to be found in all these northern seas, yet in Urie firth, in the parish of Northmevan, there was one found alive upon the sand in an ebb, the shell of it was given me as a present by a gentleman of the country, it is about a foot in length, and a large half foot in breadth. The inhabitants thought it so strange, never any such thing having been found in these seas formerly, which ever they came to the knowledge of, that they could not imagine what to make of it, some saying that it hath fallen out of some East India ship sailing along by the coasts, which looks not so probable.

There is a place in this country called the Neip, in the parish of Neston, looking to the east sea, where the parson of Orphir in Orkney was killed; the story is this : Patrick Stewart, earl of Orkney, as hath been said, was a great oppressor, enacting several severe and cruel acts, whereof complaint was made to King James VI. And as is reported some Zetlanders went to the king with their skin-coats, laying the oppressed condition of their country before him, wherewith the king was moved; yet although not only the earl's honour and reputation withal was much stained and under a cloud, by reason of his cruel and oppressive ways, but his person was hated and abhorred by the people whose superior he was; the parson of Orphir did zealously stand in the earl's defence, notwithstanding whereof the indignation and kindled wrath of the exasperated people against the earl increasing, the parson was forced to flee to Zetland for his safety, upon which the people of Orkney not quieted, some of them pursued him thither; they say the pursuers were four brethren of the name of Sinclar, who coming to the Neip where the parson had his ordinary residence, they apprehended and dewitted him, one of the brethren taking a sop of his heart's blood. As for the earl, being first imprisoned at Dumbarton, he was thence brought to Edinburgh, where he was beheaded, anno 1614, for treason and oppression.

There are also in this country, as well as in Orkney, many eagles, which destroy their lambs, fowls, &c. for the preventing of which, some, when they see the eagles catching or fleeing away with their prey, use a charm, by taking a string, whereon they cast some knots, and repeat a form of words, which being done, the eagle lets her prey fall, though at a great distance from the charmer; an instance of which I had from a minister, who told me, that about a month before we came to Zetland, there was an eagle that flew up with a cock at Scalloway, which one of these charmers seeing, presently took a string, (his garter as was supposed,) and casting some knots thereupon, with using the ordinary, words, the eagle did let the cock fall into the sea, which was recovered by a boat that went out for that end.

They tell a pleasant story of an eagle and a turbot: about six years since an eagle fell down on a turbot, sleeping on the surface of the water, on the east side of Brassa; and having fastened his claws in her, he attempted to fly up, but the turbot awakening, and being too heavy for him to fly up with, endeavoured to draw him down beneath the water ; thus they struggled for some time, the eagle labouring to go up, and the turbot to go down, till a boat that was near to them, and beheld the sport, took them both, selling the eagle to the Hollanders then in the country. For they say, when the eagle hath fastened his claws in any creature, he cannot loose them at his pleasure, but useth to eat them out, so that the prey sometimes cometh to be a snare to this rapacious fowl.

On the west side of the Mainland there is a holm, belonging to a gentleman in the parish of Northmevan, so much frequented by fowl, that when sometimes they go into it in the summer season, fowls of several kinds will fly so -thick above their heads, that they will cloud the very air, yet therein there are few or none during the winter, but in February they use to begin to come by pairs, and for two or three days after they first come they will sit so close, that almost they may be taken hold of, which is imputed to their being wearied after a long flight from some far country : the proprietor of this holm may almost every day in summer take a basket full of eggs out of it, and they scarcely be missed, for it is so well furnished, that none almost can set down a foot for young fowls or eggs, which are very serviceable to this gentleman's house, and the country about.

To the east of Brassa is an isle called the Noss of Brassa, wherein a ragged rock looking to the south-east, the highest in all this country, serviceable to mariners for directing their course when sailing to the west from eastern countries ; some gentlemen told us that they verily think from the surface of the water to the top of rock it will be three hundred fathoms, upon which a great many fowls have their nests, whose eggs they take in the summer time, as also some of the fowls, by letting a man down from the top of the rock by a rope tied about his middle : before this isle lieth a rock, ragged on all sides, about one hundred fathoms high from the surface of the water, but by reason of its raggedness and declivity, and its being surrounded with sea on all hands, it is scarce possible to climb it. Yet the owners of the isle, being desirous to be at the fowls and eggs numerous upon it, about one hundred years since there was a man for the hire of a cow undertook to climb the lesser rock, and to fasten two poles or stakes thereupon, which he accordingly did, but in the coming down, he fell into the sea, and perished.

The way how they get into this lesser rock is observable, which is thus ; opposite to the two stakes on the lesser, there are also stakes fastened on the higher rock, it being but sixteen fathoms over between the rocks ; to which stakes ropes are fastened, reaching from rock to rock ; the ropes they put through the holes of an engine called a cradle ; all which being so prepared, a man getteth into the cradle, and warpeth himself over from the Noss, or the greater rock, to the lesser, and so having made a good purchase of eggs and fowls, bought at the expence of the danger of his life, he returns the same way he went ; these ropes hang not on all winter, but in the summer time ; in the month of June ordinarily, when the day is cairn, they cast the ropes from the greater to the lesser rock ; which so they do, they have first some small rope or cordage, to which there is a stone fastened, and they keeping both the ends of this small rope in their hands, an able man throweth the stone into the lesser rock, and when cast over the stakes, they heave or lift up this small rope with a long pole, that so the bought of the rope may be gotten about the stakes ; which being done, they draw to them the small rope till a greater tied to it be brought about also, and so both ends of the greater rope they secure by the stakes on the top of the Noss, on which strong and greater rope the cradle being put, it runneth from rock to rock ; easily a man in the cradle goeth from the Noss to the holm or rock, by reason of its descent, but with greater difficulty do they return ; therefore there is a small rope tied to the cradle, whereby men on the Noss help to draw them back. I do not hear that any where such another cradle is to be found ; how many are the inventions which man hath found out !

This holm is much frequented by fowls, more than any other place on the east side of Zetland, as the other holm of Northmevan is on the west side; the fowls have their nests on the holms in a very beautiful order, all set in rows, in the form of a dove cote, and each kind or sort do nestle by themselves ; as the scarfs by themselves, so the kittiwakes, tominories, mawes, &c. There is a fowl there called the scutiallan, of a black colour, and as big as a wild duck, which doth live upon the vomit and excrements of other fowls, whom they pursue, and having apprehended them, they cause them vomit up what meat they have lately taken, not yet digested. The Lord's works both of nature and of grace are wonderful, all speaking forth his glorious goodness, wisdom and power.

Remarkable are the dangers, which many in these isles undergo in climbing the rocks for fowls and eggs, especially in Foula, where the inhabitants in the summer time do most live by this kind of provision, and are judged to be the best climbers of rocks in all this country, for some of them will fasten a stake or knife, as some say, in the ground, on the top of the rock, to which they tie a small rope or cord, and so they will come down the face of the rock, with this in their hand, sixty, seventy, or eighty fathoms, and do return, bringing up eggs and fowls with them ; but indeed very many of them lose their lives this way ; yea, it is observed that few old men are to be seen there, they being so cut off before they arrive at old age ; many of them are weary of the dangers and hazards they daily incur, yet neither will they leave the place, nor give over these perilous attempts, all the sad instances of their friends and neighbours perishing, and death, can-not have this influence to deter and affright them from undergoing the like hazards : at so small a rate do they value their lives, that for a few fowls and eggs they will endanger them, whereas they might have as good and a much safer living elsewhere : as this sheweth both their folly and their sin, so what fatigue and danger men will expose themselves to, for the avoiding poverty and straits, for the upholding this clayey tabernacle, which ere long will moulder into the dust, and often not so much for the satisfying the necessary cravings of nature, as the superfluous and insatiable desires of our lusts. Sometimes one man will stand on the. top of the rock, holding the end of the rope in his hand, and another will go down, which neither is without danger, as they tell us of one who thus holding his neighbour did let the rope slip, and down fell the climber into the sea, but providentially there being a boat near by, they got hold of him, and took him in, and so came home before his neighbour, who judged him to have perished : the other man at length came home, with great sorrow and grief regretting the death of his neighbour, but he hearing that he was already come home, was not a little confounded and astonished at the report, until that at meeting the man in danger narrated the manner of his deliverance, which afforded unto them both great matter of refreshment and joy.

In all this country there are only three towered churches, (i. e.) churches with towers on them, to wit. Tingwall, on the Mainland, the church of Burra, on the isle of Burra, and the church of Ireland, a promontory belonging to the main, from the top of one of which towers you can see another, built they say by three sisters, who from their several towers could give advertisement to one another.

The church of Tingwall standeth in a valley between two hills lying east and west, and is about the middle of the Mainland. It was in this parish, in a small holm, within a lake nigh to this church, where the principal feud or judge of the country used to sit and give judgment ; hence the holm to this day is called the Law-Ting (from which probably the parish of Tingwall had its name :) we go into this holm by stepping stones, where three or four great stones are to be seen, upon which the judge, clerk and other officers of the court did sit. all the country concerned to be there stood at some distance from the holm on the side of the loch, and when any of their causes was to be judged or determined, or the judge found it necessary that any person should compear before him, he was called upon by the officer, and went in by these stepping stones, who, when heard, returned the same way he came : and though now this place be not the seat of judgment, there is yet something among them to this day, which keepeth up the memory of their old practice, for at every end of the loch there is a house, upon whose grass the country men coming to the court did leave their horses, and by reason the masters of these houses did suffer a loss this way, they were declared to be scot-free ; hence, at this present time, two places in the parish of Sansting do pay scot for the one, and Conningsburg in Dunrossness for the other ; scot is a kind of rent or due, which is yearly paid to the King or his taxmen, by the gentlemen and several others in the country. This court is thought to have been kept by the Danes, when they were in possession of the country. They also report, that when any person received sentence of death upon the holm, if afterwards he could make his escape through the crowd of people standing on the side of the loch, without being apprehended, and touch the steeple of the church of Tingwall, the sentence of death was reprieved, and the condemned obtained an indemnity : for this steeple in these days was held as an asylum for malefactors, debtors charged by their creditors, &c. to flee into.

In the way between Tingwall and Scalloway, there is an high stone standing in form of an obelisk, as some ancient monument, concerning which the people have various traditions, some saying that in the Strath of Tingwall, where this stone is erected, there was a bloody fight between the Danes and the old inhabitants or natives of this country, and that the Norwegian or Danish general was killed in this place, where the stone is set up. Others report that one of the earls of Orkney had a profligate and prodigal son, who, for this cause being animadverted upon by his father, fled to Zetland, and there built a castle or a strong house for himself within a loch at Stroma, within two miles of Tingwall to the west, the ruins whereof are yet to be seen : his father not being satisfied with his escape, and the way he took for his defence, sent from Orkney four or five men to pursue him, to whom he gave orders that they should bring his son to him either dead or alive : the son thereupon, not finding himself safe enough in hb castle, made his escape from the castle, where the pursuers lay in ambush, but was overtaken by them in the Strath of Tingwall, and killed there, whereupon this monument was erected. The pursuers took off his head, and carried it with them to his father, but in so doing they were so far from gratifying of him, that he caused them all to be put to death, notwithstanding of the orders given by him.

There is in the parish of Tingwall, a little off the way as we go from Lerwick to Scalloway, a fountain or spring of very pure and pleasant water, which runneth through a great stone in the rock by the passage of a round hole, which if you stop, the water forceth its way through the pores of the stone in other places, the stone, it seems, being very porous and spungy.

One of the ministers told us of a monster born the last year in the parish of Neston, about nine or ten miles from Lerwick ; that one day, when he was coming to the presbytery, and standing at the ferry-side over which lie was to pass, two women came to him, acquainting him, with fear and grief, that their neighbour near by had been travailing in child-birth under hard labour for three days past, and had brought forth a monster, which had upon its forehead like a perriwig of flesh and hair, raised and towered up, and by the sides of the head there were like wires of flesh coming down : moreover, it had two rows of teeth, with a mouth like a rabbit, destitute of arms and legs ; after the birth there was some life in it, and it moved a little, but lived not long ; the women assisting at the birth for a time were afraid to touch it, it being such a strange and formidable sight. This minister desired to see it, but it was buried before he came. The same woman also formerly had brought forth two monsters, the first whereof was a confused and undigested lump of flesh ; and the second had a mouth in its breast.

We inquired concerning the woman, and they told us that they knew nothing of scandal they could lay to her charge, but that she had lived soberly all her life ; only one of the ministers informed us, that after she had brought forth the first monster, he heard that for a year's time thereafter she used to go bare footed to the church of Wisdale every Lord's day, and pray there, according to the vow she had made after the birth, thinking thereby, that this might atone for what was past, and prevent the like for the future. If this be true, God hath judicially punished her, by conceiving and bringing forth the two following monsters, each more wonderful and preternatural than the other.

Several adulteries came before the commission, attended with heinous and aggravating circumstances. One instance we had very remarkable of One James Mowart in the parish of Northmevan, who had been lying in adultery with one Clara Tulloch, his wife being dead not many years since. Between which Mowat and Tulloch there had several children been procreated, who were all idiots and fools, so that they could not keep themselves either from fire or water, or put their meat in their mouths, though there be one of them of twenty years, and others of them, though younger, yet come to some considerable age ; which sheweth the manifest judgment of God against adulterers, he often ordering his providential dispensations so towards them, that they may read their sin in their punishment, as this wretched man was forced by the power of his so far convinced conscience to confess before the presbytery, that he was sensible the judgments of God were pursuing him, whereof he gave the said sad instance, as yet to be seen from the presbytery's records. Another adulterer also did compear before us, who did continue in the commission of this his sin for many years, and doth bear in his face the shameful reproof thereof, and the just marks of the Lord's indignation against him for the same. It is a very sad thing for any to be pining away both in judgments and sins.

A minister here told me a passage, not to be passed without a remark of God's righteous judgment and holiness ; a certain woman in his parish about ten years since fell into adultery with an old married man ; he, to cover his villainy. advised her to give way to another young man's sinning with her, who then was in suit of her and frequented her company, that so if there were a child, she might father it upon this young and unmarried man ; accordingly, as was advised, it fell out, the young man sinned with her, and she being found with child, is summoned to compear before the session, who having interrogated her concerning her uncleanness, and who was the father of the child, she answered that she never knew or had carnal dealing with any, save such a young man ; but this covering could not serve the turn in palliating their filthiness, God in his wise providence so ordering it, that though there was the interval of five months between the old and the young man's sinning with her, yet when the time of her delivery came, she first brought forth a perfect child of nine months, and the day after another imperfect of four months, according to the several times of the old man, and the young man's sinning with her. She being convinced that this was of the Lord, and that she could not hide her sins from God, though she sought to do it from men, she ingenuously acknowledged her guilt with both, and for the scandal is now giving satisfaction in the parish of Unst.

We had also the lamentable account of the tragical end of one Mr. Gilbert Hendry, adulterer, in repute for his acuteness of wit, and the many excellent poems he composed : he being a married man had carnal converse with another woman, at which his friends and well wishers being greatly concerned, one of them laid hold of an opportunity to accost and set upon him, earnestly intreating he might break off his unclean and debauched converse with that woman, holding out unto him his sin and misery, and using what arguments he thought might prevail for that end, but he gave a deaf ear unto all that was said, and by no means would be dissuaded from haunting her company, yea, in contempt of the admonition and reproof, made as if he were going to that woman's house the same night, and so parting from his friend, went in the evening to a water or loch side, where he walked for some time alone, and then appeared a man in company with him all in black, and thus they continued walking together till night, as the people observing did judge, and the next morning this miserable wretch was found dead, with his brains dashed out, (though there were no stones near to the place where he lay), on a hill side at a little distance from the water, his head and shoulders lying downward to the descent of the hill, his brains were scattered, and the ground about him was all trodden, as if there had been (saith my informer), twenty men and horses for twenty-four hours upon the spot. It is not many years since this fell out. So bad a recompence doth the devil give his vassals and slaves for their service, for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, which judgments often he beginneth to inflict in this life, for the punishment of the guilty, and the terror of all, and to shew that he is of purer eyes than that he can behold such horrid iniquity ; though the pouring out of the full vials of his wrath he reserveth for the future, where their worm shall not die, nor the fire for ever be quenched.

The signal defeat and overthrow of the Spanish Armada, that supposed and commonly (though arrogantly) called Invincible Navy, anno 1588, is famous in history, which was especially caused by stormy winds and tempests, some thereby sinking at sea, others splitting upon the coasts both of England and France, and especially upon the north of Scot-land, Orkney and Zetland; and the Fair Isle had the honour of the duke of Medina's being driven on shore upon it, under whose conduct this navy was; who after his ship-wreck come over to Dunrossness in Zetland, as an old gentlewoman informed me ; of whom she heard the country people, who saw him, frequently speak, when she was a child; so the Lord dispersed and broke this huge and formidable navy, that of a hundred and thirty ships which set out from Spain with provision, ammunition, and other furniture, exceeding great, scarce thirty returned ; the God of land and sea heard and answered the prayers of his people in Britain, the curse of God pursuing that hellish enterprise, notwithstanding of the infallible Popish benediction on that invincible armada; for as our historian Calderwood observeth, " The rumour of the great Spanish armada being blazed abroad, fervent were the prayers of the godly in Scotland, powerful and piercing were the sermons of preachers, especially in the time of fast, whereupon the Lord uttered his voice against his and his church's enemies, by terrible things in righteousness; our coasts, upon which many of that fleet were cast away, and some of the people in it begging from door to door, proclaiming aloud the glory of his justice and power."

There are no weasels in all the northern isles of Zetland, as I am informed, though numerous in the Mainland, which they report thus came to pass : the falconer having a power given him, to get a hen out of every house once in the year; but one year they refusing, or not being so willing to give, the falconer, out of revenge, brought the next year two weasels with him, which did generate and spread, so that now they are become very destructive to several goods of the inhabitants, whereof a gentleman, our informer, told us he had killed several half an ell long.