PASSAGE FROM GREENLAND TO BRITAIN. 373 



north. We stood off and on during the night, and 

 at day light descried the very island of Fula, hear- 

 ing N. N. E. distant 15 or 20 miles ! I mention 

 this circumstance thus particularly, hecause I feel 

 assured, that such is the confidence Greenland cap- 

 tains in general have in their easterly situation when 

 they find soundings, that, witliout the same advan- 

 tage of a lunar observation as I on this occasion pos- 

 sessed, it is highly probable they would have run to 

 the westward of Britain altogether. 



An accurate survey of the Shetland isbnds, with 

 particular soundings on every side, marking the ex- 

 act situations where soundings, with a certain length 

 of line, can no longer be obtained, would be a great 

 advantage both to the Greenland and Archangel 

 trade. 



Besides the great call for a survey of the Shet- 

 land Islands and the soundings around them, an- 

 other great safeguard to this navigation, v;ould be 

 the erection of Light-houses on two or three of the 

 most dangerous and prominent parts of the coast *. 

 To advance in the night towards this coast, where 

 rocky islands abound, and strong tides prevail, is a 



* My friend Mr Stevenson, the distinguisl^cd Engineer to the 

 Commissioners for Northern Light-houses, infonns me that, on 

 the motion of William Erskine, Esq. Sheriff of Orkney and 

 Shetland, the Board has recently resolved to erect light- 

 houses on the Shetland Islands, beginning with one on Sum- 

 brough-Head. The advantages will be great; and, at the 

 same time, I understand; will infer no additional ch.-u-ge on the; 

 shipping. 



