222 Dr. Mac CuUoch on the Chart of Shetland. 



in the same degree, to Ronas Voe, although the entrance is 

 much wider. The difficulty of getting out of these harbours is 

 much increased, and indeed often rendered extremely formidable, 

 by the squalls which blow from the surroundinghigh land, and by 

 which a vessel is so often baffled in her attempts to stay, while 

 the want of room to wear renders the missing of stays a very 

 dangerous accident, as I have more than once experienced. 

 To avoid future repetition, I may here remark, that Ronas Voe 

 has a deep inlet nearly at right angles to the entrance, which, 

 in the chart, is entirely omitted. Of Hamna Voe, on this shore, 

 where an anchor is also laid down, it is only necessary to ob- 

 serve that, owing to its breadth, it might be safer for the pur- 

 pose of stopping a tide in, with a wind from the eastward, but 

 that in a westerly wind it affords no shelter whatever. 



Although an anchor is laid down at Hillswick, no vessel, 

 looking at the draught on the chart, would attempt to take it, 

 as the line of the coast is made nearly straight where there is a 

 considerable bay. Thus, as happened to myself on getting into 

 this bay, a seaman is tempted to run for Hamer's Voe ; a most 

 secure harbour it is true, but out of which it is scarcely possible 

 to beat against a strong west wind, from the narrowness of the 

 entrance, while that attempt is also attended with a hazard 

 which nearly cost the loss of the vessel in which I sailed. I 

 ought here also to remark, that there is an inlet from Hills- 

 wick northwards of two miles in depth, which is forgotten in 

 the chart. This, however, is a mere question of terrestrial 

 geography, as the water is too shoal for vessels. As ships may 

 anchor by the lead almost any where to the west of Muckle 

 Roo, the chart is here sufficiently correct, as are the directions 

 to enter by Swarbucks Min. But there are two serious defici- 

 encies in the sailing directions for St. Magnus's Bay, as well as 

 in the chart of that place, which require notice, more particu- 

 larly as, for want of proper information, a Russian vessel was 

 lost here not long ago, when she might probably have escaped 

 without much difficulty. The tallow, which formed part of the 

 cargo, is still picked up on the shores, being mistaken by the 

 natives for spermaceti, and having undergone some changes 



