to determine the Figure of the Earth. 127 
The desolate aspect of the island: corresponded with the soil 
and climate. It was no longer. those fortunate isles of Spain, 
those smiling countries, Valentia, that garden where the orange 
and the lemon trees in flower shed their perfumes around: the 
tomb of a Scipio, or over the majestic ruins of the ancient Sa~ 
guntum. Here, on landing upon the rocks fissured by the waves, 
the eye sees nothing but a soil wet, desert, and covered with 
stones and moss, and cragged mountains searred by the incle- 
mency of the heavens; not a tree nor shrub nor bush to soften the 
savage aspect: here and there some scattered huts, whose roofs 
covered with thatch allowed the thick smoke with which they 
are filled to escape into the fog. Reflecting on the sadness of 
this abode, where we were about to remain in exile during 
many months, we took a direction across pathless plains and hills 
towards the small assemblage of small stone houses forming the 
capital called Lerwick. There we felt that the social virtues of 
a country were not to be estimated by the appearance of poverty 
or riches. It is impossible to conceive hospitality more free, 
more cordial, than that with which we were received. People 
who but a little before were ignorant of our names, were eager 
to conduct us every where. Informed of the design of our visit, 
they collected and communicated every sort of useful informa- 
tion. In particular Dr. Edmonston, a well-informed physician, 
who has published a Description of the Shetland Islands, gave us 
a letter to his brother, whi resides in the isle of Unst, which af- 
forded us a station about half a degree north of Lerwick, where 
we resolved to make our experiments. But arrived at Unst, 
we were constrained, from the local situation of the island, to 
transfer ourselves to a small island called Balla, at the entrance 
of the principal bay of Unst, where we disembarked our instru- 
ments. But upon a more close examination of this station, its 
exposure to the winds, the moisture which prevailed in abun- 
dance, the remoteness from every habitation, and the many dif- 
ficulties which presented themselves to an establishment suited 
to the pendulum—made us resolve to return to Unst, and to ask 
a reception in the only house which was in sight, which hap- 
pened very luckily to be that of Dr. Edmonston’s brother. A 
large sheepfold (empty because it was now summer) whose walls 
were capable of resisting every storm, received the apparatus of 
the pendulum. ‘The portable observatory together with the repeat- 
ing circle were placed in the garden. With great labour we 
dragged the stones to the place of their destination. It required 
all the efforts of the brig’s crew, guided and animated by their 
officers. On the 2d of August we commenced our observations, 
and on the 10th made the first experiment with the pendulum. 
On the 17th we had made eight of these experiments, and 270 
observations 
, 
