'37i WHALE-FISHERY. 



hazardous uiiclcrtakiiig, ncitlier is it altogether safe 

 to lie-to near it ; for ships which have lain-to in 

 the evening, at the distance of five or six leagues 

 from Sumbrough-Head, (the southern extremity of 

 Zetland), have sometimes been sv/ept by the tide to 

 within a few furlongs of the shore, in the space of 

 two or three hours ! This remarkable effect of a 

 tide, the nature of which is but very imperfectly 

 known, I myself experienced in the Esk, in the year 

 1814. The circumstances were as follow : In the 

 evening of the 26th of March, v/e passed Fair Is- 

 land, with a south wind. The weather being stormy 

 and hazy, we reefed our sails, and hauled to the 

 eastward at 8 p. m., being then 10 miles S. W. by S. 

 from the southern point of Shetland. We proceed- 

 ed on an E. S. E. course, under easy sail, supposing 

 ourselves quite out'of the influence of any rapid tide, 

 and consequently in safety ; meaning to stand off 

 and on during the night, and proceed to Lerwick 

 after day-break. I liad just retired to rest, when 

 the officer of the watch called out, " Land'' I jump- 

 ed upon deck, and, incredible as it was, saw a lofty 

 peak of land, scarcely two miles distant, under our 

 lee, and presently afterwards observed land a-hcad, 

 and to windward ! The niglit being tempestuous and 

 dark, our situation was very alarming. The ship was 

 instantly " weared," a smart sail set, and we soon 

 cleared tlie land to the westward. I recognized the 

 land to be Fitfil-Head ; consequently the ship must 



