ART. X. A View of the Ancient and Prefent State of the Zetland Islands; including their Civil, Political, and Natural Hiftory: Antiquities; and an Account of their Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, and the State of Society and Manners. By Arthur Edmonton, M. D. 2 Vols. 8vo. 18s. boards. London, Longman and Co.; Edinburgh, Ballantyne and Co. 1810.

THESE interefting volumes are introduced with the pertinent and juft obfervation, that the importance of a publication of this kind is too apt to be estimated in proportion to the geographical diftance of the people or places defcribed; and that" while the most trivial obfervation refpecting New Holland, and thofe ifles which lie fcattered in the Pacific Ocean, is read with intereft and remembered with fatisfaction, many valuable and ufeful communications which relate to our native country are foon overlooked and forgotten."

There can be no doubt that this truth conveys a juft reproach. There are many readers of Voyages and Travels who have a ftrong and lively curiofity about the character and manners of remote nations, who are perhaps unacquainted even with the geographical fituation of the Zetland or Shetland Isles, and that they conftitute an integral part of Great Britain. Such therefore may thank Dr. Edmonton for a pleafing and inftructive account of a country and a people once of no inconfiderable political importance, and now partakers with themfelves of the fame privileges, and fubject to the fame laws. Our information with respect to the remote history of Zetland is very imperfect and unfatisfactory. The principal authority on this head is the Danish hiftorian Torfæus; fince, however, it came under the dominion of Great Britain in the fourteenth century, our information is more authentic and extenfive.

⚫ Thefe volumes commence with an account of the situation, climate, &c. of the Shetland Islands; their ftate previous to their occupation by the Norwegians; their invafion by the Norwegians; their transfer to the crown of Scotland; remains of antiquity, language, and literature. A part of this narrative is worth infertion.

"Almost all the bays are denominated voes, and each has an epithet prefixed to it, derived either from a place on shore in its neighbourhood, or from fome accidental circumftance respecting itfelf. Thus Deal's voe implies a bay near to a daal or valley; Aith's woe, a bay close to a fertile fpot; Burra vor, a bay in the neighbourhood of a burgh or Pictish castle; Sella voe, a bay fre quented by herrings; Laxfrith voe, the bay of falmon,

"Some

* Some of the more high and perpendicular rocks are called beads or noups; thus Nafs-head, Fitful-head; the Noup of Burra furth, the Noup of Graveland.

"Kaim is a name generally given to a ridge of high hills. "Holm is a name generally given to a very small uninhabited inland.

"A taing is a narrow piece of land projecting into the fea, and is always bordered by a flat fhore. It appears to have been derived either from a fimilarity to the law-tings, or from having been actually the fcite of a circuit-court.

"Aftack is a high infulated rock.

"Afkerrie means a flattish rock which the fea does not over

Яow.

"A baa is a rock overflown by the fea, but which may be feen at low water.

"A helyar is a fubterranean cavern, into which the fea flows. "Any confiderable indentation made by the fea on the more rocky parts of the coaft is denominated a goe. To pronounce this word as is done in Zetland, we must confider it to be written gio, and sound the g hard as in give, gift.

"Moft of the extenfive beaches on the coaft are called airs; as Stour-air, Whale-air, Bou-air.

❝ Ham or havn means a harbour; and of thefe there are feveral in Zetland. Many other fimilar names might be mentioned, but I have enumerated the most remarkable.

"Several Chriftian names are evidently Norwegian: fuch are Hans, Eric, Olla, Swein; and of the other fex, Brinda, Bretta, &c. The firname of the children is frequently formed by adding the word fon or daughter to the Chriftian name of the father. Thus the firname of the fon of Thomas, is Thomason, and that of the daughter of Thomas, Thomafdaughter. This mode of giving names is alfo practifed in Norway.

"The ancient language of the Zetland islands, as might be inferred from the names of inftitutions, places of refidence, and of individuals, was Scandinavian and Norwegian. What it was at the time when the Picts first fettled in it, cannot now be afcer tained. It was probably a dialect of the language then spoken in Scotland; but the admixture of foreign words would natu rally change and new-model it. To the Picts fucceeded the Norwegians; and the latter poffeffed an uncontrolled influence over the islands nearly fix hundred years. Zetland has been united to Scotland above three hundred years; and pure Norfe or Norwegian is now unknown in it. It has long been wearing out; and the change appears to have begun in the fouthern extremity, and to have been gradually extended to the northern parts of the country. The island of Unft was its laft abode, and not more than thirty years ago, feveral individuals there could Speak it fluently. It was preferved, too, for a confiderable length

of

of time, in Foula; but at prefent there is scarcely a fingle perfor who can repeat even a few words of it.

"The prefent language of the islands is certainly English; but good English, although well understood, is rarely spoken. I do not mean this obfervation to apply to the accent merely, but to the employment of words, and the construction and idiom of the English tongue. The common dialect is a mixture of Norwegian, Scotch, Dutch, and English. There are many words peculiar to Zetland, and perfons verfant in the phrafeology of the different parishes, would find no difficulty in maintaining a converfation, which would be altogether unintelligible to an Englishman, or even to a native of the low parts of Scotland. It would be eafy to produce a vocabulary of these words, but moft of them are vulgar corruptions from different languages, particularly from the Norwegian and Dutch, which the ignorance of the people prevented them from comprehending; and but a very few deferve to be confidered in the light of generic appellations. The people of Zetland fpeak in general with an acute, and rather a harsh accent; but they lengthen the found, and drawl out the words, when they attempt to give effect to parti. cular emotions or fenfations. This remark applies more immediately to the untutored tones of the vulgar; but more or lefs of it may be difcovered in every fpeech purely Zetlandic." Vol. I. p. 139.

The next portion of the work is employed in defcribing the fate of agriculture in thefe Iflands, in which fome improvements are judicioufly pointed out. We next come to the fisheries, which are principally confined to ling and herrings, and are defcribed by this author in a manner peculiarly interefting.

"When every neceffary arrangement has been made, the boats from the different parishes affemble at the fishing stations; and the fishermen avail themselves of every favourable moment that occurs, to profecute the fishing. The affemblage in one place of fo many individuals, forms a bufy and an interesting fcene. The crew of each boat has a fraall hut or lodge, in which they refide when on fhore, the walls of which alone remain during winter. The roof, which confifts of thin pieces of wood covered with turf, is removed every feafon. They bring no other provifions with them than meal; fish they procure for themfelves; and the different factors, on the spot, fupply them with fpirits. The firft object is to obtain bait. Haddocks, and the young feth then twelve months old, are the kinds generally preferred; but if thefe cannot be had in fufficient quantity, cod, tufk, and even Jing, are fubftituted. When the day is favourable, the boats fet off for the fishing ground, which is called the haaf, from 16 o'clock A. M. to 2 o'clock of the afternoon. If all have been supplied with

bait, they fet off at the fame inftant, and make great and often unneceffary exertions to try who fhall firft gain the fishing ground, with no other means of fupport than a fmall quantity of bread haftily baked, a few gallons of water, and a flender ftock of fpirits. Having reached the fishing ground, they proceed to bait, and fet their lines, which, although extending over fo great a space, they are feldom provided with more than three buoys. The boat keeps close to the buoy laft floated, and from it the line is hauled in, generally a few hours after it has been fet. Eighteen and twenty score of ling have been taken at a fingle haul, for it is but feldom that the lines are fet twice in the fame night. Six or seven score are confidered, on an average, to be a good haul. Befides ling, tufk and cod, hallibut, fkate, and other kinds of fish are caught at the fame time. The three firft being marketable fish, are fold wet to the landholder or tackfman, at a certain rate the hundred-weight; and they are valued in the order in which I have enumerated them. The other kinds of fish belong to the fhers, and their families. The 24th of June, old file (St. John's day), is celebrated by the fishermen as a festival; and on the 12th of Auguft (Lammas day) the fihing is confidered at an end.

"Under the most favourable circumftances of the weather and tide, the boats remain at fea from eighteen to thirty hours; and, if a gale of wind comes on off the land, they are fometimes out two or three days. Formerly it was the practice to endeavour to pull to the fhore, but frequently, after having exhausted their ftrength in the attempt, they fell victims to the force of the wind, and were foon overwhelmed by the fea. More lately it has been the custom to try and gain the land by tacking, and fewer boats have been loft fince the adoption of this practice. It is truly painful to witnefs the anxiety and diftrefs which the wives of thefe poor men fuffer on the approach of a ftorm. Regardless of fatigue, they leave their homes, and fly to the spot where they expect their husbands to land, or afcend the fummit of a rock, and look for them on the bofom of the deep. Should -they get a glimpfe of a fail, they watch with trembling folici. tude its alternate rife and disappearance on the waves, and, although often tranquillized by the fafe arrival of the objects of their fearch, yet it is fometimes their lot " to hail the bark that never can return." Subjected to the influence of a variable cli. mate, and engaged on a fea naturally tempeftuous with rapid currents, fcarcely a feafon paffes over without the occurrence of fome fatal accident or hair-breadth efcape. Many of the latter, if accurately related, would unfold fcenes of danger, and difplay inftances of manly fortitude, no less true and aftonishing than have been exhibited in the interesting voyage of Byron." P. 236.

A number of notes are added to the first volume, illuftra tive of the contents.

- The

The fecond volume comprifes feven chapters, on the ma nufactures and trades of the Zetland Islands; a description of Lerwick, its fociety and manners; the manners and character of the Zetland peafantry; the prevalent diseases; the divifion of the country into parishes; its population; whales and wrecks; natural hiftory. The following extract describes the manners of the better fort of fociety in Zetland.

"The Zetland gentlemen are, in general, intelligent and well informed. Many of them have received a liberal education at fome of the Scotish Univerfities, and although fond of the gaieties of a more fouthern latitude, they are all much attached to their native country. They are extremely loyal, and feel a lively intereft in the glory of the British nation. From the frequency of their vifits to the larger towns in Scotland and England, and the opportunities which Zetland itfelf affords them, of occafionally becoming familiarly acquainted with people from diftant countries, they foon acquire a more extenfive and accurate knowJedge of mankind, than many others who boast of being daily in poffeffion of fuperior advantages.

"The ladies are very amiable in their difpofitions, and are extremely fond of improvement. They devote a confiderable portion of their time to reading, and as they are almost all ac. cuftomed, early, to be feparated from their brothers or other re lations, who leave the country on account of their education, or with a view to bufinefs, moft of them practife letter-writing, in which feveral of them excel. This circumftance, while it tends much to improve their minds and correct their tafte, contributes alfo to engraft on their temper, a degree of tenderness and affection, which is highly interefting. Some are educated at home, and acquire afterwards, at Edinburgh, thofe fashionable embellishments which fhed a luftre on their character; but their more subftantial, and truly feminine attractions, of delicacy of manner, and purity of mind, are derived from early culture, and fimplicity of life, in their native land.

"In their intercourfe with ftrangers, the Zetland gentry are polite and modeft; and if the former poffefs any information be yond what they do themselves, they readily admit, and generally over-rate it. But while they are thus difpofed to pay respect to real abilities, few people fooner difcover the ground on which a claim to fuperiority over them is founded; or can more accurately appreciate the value of fuch pretenfions. Moft ftrangers who have vifited Zetland, have been highly pleafed with its fo. ciety, have felt regret at leaving it, and have borne public tefti mony to the kindnefs and civility of its inhabitants.

"The Lerwegians are naturally hofpitable. I never knew an inftance of a ftranger of agreeable manners, and refpectable character, who was not well received by them, and who was not amply indemnified, by their kindness, for the want of public