65 



the sea, of which the surf beat high over the neighbouring rocks, 

 apparently quite as elevated. 



We encountered very heavy weather which moderated on the 15th, 

 and being then upon the Zetland banks, (laud about 40 miles distant, 

 visible from the masthead,) we tried the dredge in 100 fathoms and 

 procured numerous specimens of a small rare Echinus. We were 

 afterwards much delayed by calms, and on the morning of the 17th, in 

 a thick fog, we found ourselves close to the land of Fair Isle, lying 

 between Orkney and Zetland, and distant about 80 miles from each. 

 From some of the natives, who came off to us in a boat, w^e learned 

 that the inhabitants numbered about 330, and that, in consequence of 

 not being included in any post-ofSce arrangements, they are entirely 

 dependent upon vessels which may happen to pass that way, or upon a 

 visit to the Orkney or Zetland Islands, for information of what is 

 passing in the outer world. They possess a church and a Wesleyan 

 methodist chapel, but no resident clergyman of any persuasion. We 

 had been ourselves so completely out of the range of anything like news 

 that we were unable to gratify the poor islanders wdth any of that 

 commodity ; but a glass of grog to each partially consoled them for the 

 disappointment. 



We e.Kperienced a continuance of baffling weather till the afternoon 

 of the 19tli, when being off Cape Wrath, we encountered a heavy gale 

 from the westward. After laying to for some hours, and sevei'al seams 

 of our mainsail having given way and been ripped open, we ran for Loch 

 Errebol, which we entered in company with nearly 30 other vessels, 

 like ourselves going there for refuge. Early in the morning of the 

 21st, our sail being repaired, we once more put to sea, but two days 

 later, on reaching the Sound of Mull, we again encountered strong head 

 winds, when, having spent a whole fortnight in our passage from 

 Drontheim, my patience became exhausted and we put into Oban, 

 whence on the following morning we took the steamer to Glasgow and 

 rail to Liverpool. 



In concluding, I will add a few words upon the general results of the 

 cruise in a Natural History point of view. During the two months 

 that we were in Norway, I dredged upon an average at least four hours 

 a-day except Sundays, and owing to the fineness of the weather, the 

 advantage of being nearly always sheltered from the ocean, an.d the con- 

 tinuous light of the sun, (wliich during five weeks never went below 

 the horizon,) I was enabled to work more in deep water of between 100 

 and 200 fathoms than on any previous occasion. The total number of 

 species obtained of shell bearing moUusca only reached about 1 95, which 

 shews the diminution in the number of species as we proceed north- 



