An account of the Islands of Orkney by James Wallace ... ; to which is added an essay concerning the Thule of the ancients.

CHAP. I. The several Names by which Orkney is call'd. The Longitude and Latitude of this Country An account of a Stone generated in the Air. How this Coun∣try is bounded. Some odd Phaenomena about the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. The number of the Islands; and a short Account of each of them, with their different Harbours. The chief Products of this Country.

THIS Country in our English Language is call'd Orkney; by the Latins, both Ancient and Modern, it is call'd Orcades. Pomponius Mela writes it with an aspi∣ration, Orchades. What reason there is for the Name is not condescended up∣on, but it's probable the Latin Name may be from Orcas, which Ptolemy makes to be a Promontory of Cathnes over-against this Country, or from some

Colony of the Picts, who first Planted this Country, and from some Similitude with the Name whereby they call'd themselves, might be so call'd by the Romans. As for the English name Ork∣ney, it may be derived from some Pictish Prince, as Erick or Orkenwald, or some other who has been famous in the first Plantation; or might have got the name from some remarkable Title which the first Planters the Pights took to them∣selves; for Picts or Pights (as Verstegan says) in the Teutonick Tongue signifies Fighters; and Orkney may come from Ear, which signifies Honour, and Kyn, which signifies on Off-spring, as if the name were intended to shew, That they were an Off-spring or Generation of Honour.

This Country lies in the Northern temperate Zone and thirteenth Cli∣mate; the Longitude being 22 De∣grees and 11 Minutes, and Latitude 59 Degrees and 2 Minutes, the Compass varying eight Degrees; so that the length of the longest Day is eighteen Hours and some odd Minutes; yet not∣withstanding that this Country is so far remov'd to the North, the Air is tem∣perate and wholsome, agreeing well

with those Constitutions that can en∣dure a little Cold. At Midnight it is so clear for a great part of June, that one may read a Letter in his Chamber; yet it cannot be true what Bleau reports, That from the Hill of Hoy a Man may see the Sun at Midnight; for it cannot be the true Body of the Sun that is seen, but the Image of it refracted through some watry Cloud about the Horizon, seeing it must be as far depressed un∣der our Horizon in June, as it is elevated above it in December, which is by many Degrees; for from that Hill the Sun is to be seen in the shortest Day in December above five Hours.

The Air and Clouds here, by the o∣peration of the Sun, do sometimes gene∣rate several things; as some Years since, some Fishermen Fishing half a League from Land, over-against Copinsha, in a fair Day, there fell down from the Air a Stone about the bigness of a Foot-ball, which fell in the middle of the Boat and sprung a Leake, to the great dan∣ger of the Lives of the Men that were in it, which could be no other than some Substance generated in the Clouds. The Stone was like condensed or pe∣trefied

Clay, and was a long time in the custody of Captain Andrew Dick, at that time Steward of this Country; and Cap∣tain Dick, who is yet alive, told me he gave it to the late Earl of Glencairn.

Here the Winters are generally more subject to Rain than Snow; nor does the Frost and Snow continue so long here as in other parts of Scotland, but the Wind in the mean time will often blow very boisterously, and it Rains sometimes not by drops but by spouts of Water, as if whole Clouds fell down at once. In the Year 1680, in the Month of June, after great Thun∣der, there fell flakes of Ice near a foot thick.

This Country is wholly surrounded with the Sea, having Pightland-Firth on the South, the Deucaledonian Oce∣an on the West, the Sea that divides it from Zetland on the North, and the German Sea on the East. Zetland stands North-East and by East from Orkney, and from the Start of Sanda in Orkney to Swinburg Head the most Southerly Point in Zetland is about eighteen leagues, where there is nothing but Sea all the

way, save Fair Isle, which lies with∣in eight Leagues of Swinburg-Head.

Pightland-Firth, which divides this Country from Cathnes, is in breadth from Duncansbay in Cathnes to the near∣est point of South-Ronalsha in Orkney about twelve Miles, in it are a great many different Tides, reckon'd to the number of twenty four, which run with such an impetuous force, that a Ship under sail is no more able to make way against the Tide, than if it were hinder'd by a Remora, which I con∣ceive is the reason why some have said they have found the Remora in these Seas.

In this Firth, about two Miles from the Coast of Cathnes, lies Stroma, a lit∣tle pleasant Island, but because of its vicinity to Cathnes, and its being still under the Jurisdiction of the Lords of that Country, it is not counted as one of the Isles of Orkney. On the North-side of this Isle is a part of Pightland-Firth, call'd the Swelchie of Stroma, and at the West-end of the Isle, betwixt it and Mey in Cathnes, there is another part of the Firth, call'd the Merry Men of Mey, both which are very dangerous to Sea∣men.

The Sea ebbs and flows here as in other places, yet there are some Phae∣nomena, the reason of which cannot so easily be found out; as in the Isle of Sanda, it flows two hours sooner on the West-side than it does on the East∣side; and in North Faira (which lies betwixt Eda and Westra) the Sea ebbs nine hours and flows but three: And at Hammoness in Sanda, both ebb and flood run one way, except at the be ginning of a quick Stream, when for two or three hours the flood runs South.

The Sea here is very turbulent in a Storm, and uneasie even to those on Land, especially in those places of the Country that lie expos'd to Pightland-Firth, and the Western Ocean, for when the Storm beats that way, the Sea da∣shes with such violence against the Rocks, that a great deal of the Sea is carry'd (in some places near a quarter of a mile) on the Land, and falls like a great shower of Rain on the Ground, which is very oft prejudicial to their Corn at certain Seasons.

The Tides also are very swift and violent, by reason of the multitude of the Isles and narrowness of the Passage; for, when all the rest of the Sea is smooth, these Tides carry their Waves and bil∣lows high, and run with such violence that they cause a contrary motion in the Sea adjoyning to the Land, which they call Easter-birth or Wester-birth, according to its course; yet notwithstanding of the great rapidity of these Tides and Births, the Inhabitants, daily almost, travel from Isle to Isle about their se∣veral affairs in their little Cockboats or Yoals, as they call them.

Whatever the Ancients have written of the number of the Islands of Orkney, it's certain there are but twenty six, at present inhabited, viz. South-Ronalsha, Swinna, Hoy and Waes, Burra, Lamb∣holm, Flotta, Faira, Cava, Gramsey, Po∣mona or Mainland, Copinsha, Shapinsha, Damsey, Inhallo, Stronsa, Papa-Stronsa, Sanda, North-Ronalsha, Eda, Rousa, Wyre, Gairsa, Eglesha, North-Faira, Westra, Papa-Westra. The rest of the Islands are call'd Holms, and are only used for Pasture; all of them being separated from one another by some narrow

Streights. Most of these Islands names end in a or ey, which in the Teutonick signifieth Water, to shew that these Isles are pieces of Land surrounded with Water.

These Islands are of different Natures, some Sandy, some Marsh, some aboun∣ding in Heath and Moss, and some that have none, some of them Mountainous and some Plain. Of these some are call'd the South-Isles, and others the North-Isles, and that as they stand to the South or North of the greatest Island, call'd the Mainland.

South-Ronalsha is the Southermost of these Islands, five Miles long, fertile in Corn, and abounding with People. To the South-East lie the Pightland Sker∣ries, dangerous to Seamen; but to the North is St. Margarets Hope, a very safe Harbour for Ships, which has no diffi∣culty in coming to it, save a Rock in the middle of the Sound, betwixt this Island and Burra, call'd Lippa. From Burwick, in this Isle, is the usual Ferry to Duncansbay in Cathnes.

A little separated from this, to the South-West, lies Swinna, a little Isle, and only considerable for a part of Pight

land-Firth lying a little to the West of it, call'd the Wells of Swinna, which are two Whirlpools in the Sea (occa∣sion'd, as is thought, by some Hin∣tus that is in the Earth below) that run about with such violence, that if any Boat or Ship come within their reach they will whirl it about and about till it be swallow'd up and drown'd. They are only dangerous in a great Calm; for if there be any Wind, and the Boat under Sail, there is no danger to go over them. If a Boat happen to come near them in a Calm, by the force of the Tide driving that way, the Boats-men, for their preservation throw a Barrel or an Oar, or any bulky thing that comes next to hand, into the Wells, and when it is swallow'd up the Sea remains smooth for a time for any Boat to pass over.

Beyond this, and to the West of South-Ronalsha, lies Waes and Hoy (thought to be the Dumna of Pliny) which are but one Isle, about twelve Miles in length, full of high Mountains, and but thinly inhabited, unless in Waes, where the Ground is very pleasant and fertile. From Snelsetter in Waes is the

other Ferry from this Country to Ham, in Cathnes. Here are several good Har∣bours, as Kirk-hope, North-hope, Ore∣hope, and others, but not now much frequented, tho' North-hope be one of the best Harbours in this Country, if not in the whole World, and most pro∣per for those that design a Fishing Trade.

To the North of South-Ronalsha lies Burra, a pleasant little Isle, fruitful in Corns and abounding in Rabbits. Be∣twixt Burra and the Mainland is Lamb∣holm, and to the West, towards Hoy∣mouth, lies Flotta, Faira, Cava, Gram∣sey, all of them fruitful and pleasant I∣slands, tho' they be not large.

Next to these is the Mainland, call'd by the Ancients Pomona or Pomonia, about twenty four Miles in length, and well inhabited. About the middle of this Island, to the North, stands Kirk∣wall, the only Town in all this Coun∣try. There are in the Mainland four excellent Harbours for Ships, one at Kirk∣wall, both large and safe, without any danger by Shoals or blind Rocks as they come to it, unless they come from the West by Inhallo and Gairsa: A∣nother

Harbour is at Deirsound, which is a great Bay, and a very safe Road for Ships, having good anchoring ground, and capable of sheltering the greatest Navies. The third is at Grahamshall, toward the East-side of this Isle, where there is a convenient Road; but the Ship that sails to it from the East, would do well to keep betwixt Lamb∣holm and the Mainland, for the other way betwixt Lambholm and Burra (which appears to them to be only open) is very shallow and dangerous, even for small Ships. The fourth is at Kair∣ston, a small Village, at the West end of the Mainland, where there is a ve∣ry safe and commodious Harbour, well fenc'd against all Winds by two small Holms that stand at the entry.

To the East of the Mainland lies Copinsha, a little Isle, but very conspi∣cuous to Seamen, as is that Holm to the North-East of it, call'd the Horse of Copinsha.

To the North of the Mainland, lie the North-Isles, the first of which is Shapinsha, about five or six Miles in length, and hath a very safe Harbour for Ships at Elwick.

Of an equal bigness to that toward the South-East lies Stronsa, where there is two very good Harbours; one at Lingasound, fenc'd with Lingaholm, the other at Strynie, fenc'd with a little pleasant Isle to the North of it, call'd Pa∣pa-Stronsa.

Beyond these, toward the North, at some distance, lies Sanda, about twelve Miles long, but very narrow, well in∣habited; it hath two Roads for Ships, one at Kitletoft, guarded by a little Holm, call'd the Holm of Elsnes, the o∣ther at Otterswick, guarded by the most Northern-Island in all this Country, call'd North-Ronalsha, which is a little fruitful Isle, but both it and San∣da have no Moss Ground, but are ob∣liged to bring their Peits and Turfs (which is the only Fuel they have thorough this whole Country) a great way off, from the next adjacent Island, Eda.

This Eda lyeth to the South-East of Sanda, thought to be the Ocetis of Pto∣lemy, near five Miles in length, full of Moss and Hills, but thinly inhabited, unless it be about the skirts of it; it

has a safe Road to the North, call'd Calf-sound.

Three Miles to the West of Kirk∣wall, at the bottom of a large Bay, lies a little Island, call'd Damsey, with a Holm near it as large as it self.

To the North North-West lies Rou∣sa, about six Miles long, but very hil∣ly and ill inhabited. Betwixt it and the Mainland lies Inhallo, and towards Kirkwall lies Wyre and Gairsa, small but profitable Islands.

North from Kirkwall, at eight Miles distance, is Eglesha, near three Miles in length, very pleasant and fertile, having a safe Road for Ships betwixt it and Wyre. In this Isle there is a little hand∣some Church, where, it is said, that Saint Magnus, the Patron of this Country, lies Bury'd.

To the North of Eglesha is Westra, seven Miles long, pleasant, fertile and well inhabited. There is in it a conve∣nient Harbour for Ships, at Piriwa. At the East of it lies Faira, call'd for di∣stinction, Faira by North; and to the North and by East, is Papa-Westra, a pleasant Isle, three Miles in length, fa∣mous in this Country for Saint Fredwell's

Chapel and Lake, of which many ridi∣culous things are reported by the Vul∣gar.

All these Islands are indifferently fruit∣ful, well stor'd with Fields of Corn and Herds of Cattle, and abound with Rab∣bits, and the greatest plenty of Muir∣fowl and Plover that there is any where, but have no Hares or Partridges.

The chief products of this Country, and which are Exported yearly by the Merchant, are, Butter, Tallow, Hides, Barley, Malt, Oatmeal, Fish, Salted Beef, Pork, Rabbit-skins, Otter-skins, white Salt, Stuffs, Stockings, Wool, Hams, Writing-Pens, Downs, Feathers, &c.

A South-East and North-West Moon causeth high Water throughout all this Country.