Dr. Mac Culloch on the Chart of Shetland. 18 



during a whole night on this coast, with a view of making Foula 

 in the morning. 



The profusion of excellent harbours in Shetland is such, that 

 every seaman who has experienced the want of similar refuge 

 in the channels of England, is inclined to express a childish 

 regret at the waste of a commodity, as he is inclined to view it, 

 which, if properly distributed, might almost supply the whole 

 of Europe with anchorages. Even in this profusion, however, 

 is the bounty of nature shewn, as, without the refuge which 

 they afford at almost every point, it would be impossible, at 

 least in the short days of winter, to navigate these coasts at all. 

 It is not possible for those who have not experienced this kind 

 of navigation, to conceive the anxiety which the coming on of 

 darkness or thick weather produces in such intricate channels, 

 amid rocks and on lee-shores, and among currents and tides, 

 which prevent the pilot from forming any estimate of the vessel's 

 place. In such cases even all the harbours of Shetland are not 

 too many ; and yet of these there is a large proportion in which 

 the compiler of the chart has placed no anchor, while in others 

 he has marked stocked anchorages, where no vessel would even 

 venture to stop a tide, unless in fine and summer weather. I 

 shall enumerate these errors and omissions in somewhat greater 

 detail, as it is a species of information which can more advan- 

 tageously be communicated by mere words, than that which 

 was attempted in most of the preceding remarks. 



The anchorage at West Voe, near Sumburgh Head, may of- 

 ten be very convenient with an east wind, or with a wind from 

 the west, when Quendal Bay would be too open. The ground 

 is clean and good, and there is no difficulty in beating out, un- 

 less the wind were to shift to the southward. It is far more 

 spacious than is represented in the chart, owing to the western 

 promontory having been laid down of more than double its actual 

 breadth, and from the omission of the island off Scant Ness. 



The harbours immediately north of Sumburgh Head, namely 

 East Voe and the Pool, are both exposed and shoal, nor are they 

 safe, even for the smallest class of fishing vessels, although in 



