Dr. Mac CullocJi on the Chart of Shelland. 223 



from the action of the sea water, which are not uninteresting to 

 chemists. Vessels caught in St. Magnus's Bay with a westerly 

 wind, are directed to run for Swarbucks Min. Now, if the 

 wind is to the southward of west, a vessel, in attempting to 

 weather Muckle Roo, may fail in this object, and become so 

 deeply embayed as inevitably to go on shore on Eglisha, the 

 Longhead, or Isle-burgh-ness, as that above-mentioned did. 

 The direction in this case should have been, to make for Hills- 

 wick or Hamer's Voe, as more to leeward, and where the en- 

 trance is attended with no difficulty. If once to leeward of the 

 Longhead, it would be too late, with such a sea as the westerly 

 swell sets in here in a gale of wind, to attempt Hillswick, and 

 ecjually impossible to weather Muckle Roo. It ought also to 

 have been noticed in the chart, that there is no water, except 

 for boats, in Rose Sound, which is, on the contrary, laid down 

 as a wide channel, and without soundings, since a vessel, de- 

 spairing of weathering the land, might make for this opening, 

 where she would infalhbly be lost. 



In Papa Stour no anchor is laid down in House Voe, which 

 is not only a good anchorage for ships of moderate burden, 

 but is absolutely necessary for the purpose of waiting the tide 

 to the southward, supposing a vessel to have left the harbours 

 within Swarbucks Min with the ebb. Two or three anchors, on 

 the contrary, are placed in harbours at the north of Walls, 

 where no vessel enters. 



The separate survey of Valley Sound and Grueting Voe are 

 correct, although, in a geographical view, the latter inlet is very 

 improperly contracted in its dimensions. It ought also to have 

 been noticed, that no vessel can beat out of the east sound with 

 u swell from the south-west, and that the attempt is attended 

 with the greatest hazard, from the narrowness of the channel, 

 and from the height of the land, which produces baffling squalls, 

 and from there being no room to wear in the passage, nor 

 ground to let go an anchor if a vessel should miss stays. Of the 

 perilous nature of this attempt I can also speak from experience. 

 There is a stocked anchor laid down in Selie Voe which ought 

 not to be there, as it is almost an open liarbuur. In Kiixeter 



