CHAP, in.] THE CRUISES OF THE 'PORCUPINE: 107 



with twelve blue-jacketed Shetlanders sitting like 

 i statues, their white oars glittering in the sun. The 

 Governor looked with the critical eye of a sailor at 

 the two boats, he still spoke lovingly of the e Maid 

 of F&roe,' but I suppose he saw that, as Tennyson 

 says, ' we were all of us Danes;' and the question 

 of a trial of strength lapsed by mutual consent ! 



We were obliged to remain a few days at Thorshavn 

 replenishing in various ways, and while there we were 

 very anxious to have had an opportunity of seeing 

 .Myling Head a magnificent cliff at the north-western 

 point of Stromre, which falls perpendicularly, even 

 slightly overhanging its base, from a height of upwards 

 }f 2,000 feet into the sea. The tide runs among 

 ind round these islands like a mill-race, and the 

 Grovernor told us that if we started with the morning 

 ,lood, and our vessel kept pace with the tide, we might 

 nake the circuit of the island, passing under Myling, 

 ind returning to Thorshavn in six hours. If we did 

 lot carry the tide with us, it became a matter of dif- 

 iculty only to be achieved at considerable expense 

 |)oth of fuel and time. 



We found that high water would occur on the fol- 

 owing Monday, Aug. 23, at 4 o'clock in the morning ; 

 jind as the weather was brilliant up to the evening 

 >f Sunday unusually brilliant for those regions we 

 nade all our arrangements in high hope of a pleasant 

 rip, as we had persuaded our kind host and hostess 

 o accompany us. With the first dawn of Monday 

 norning it was blowing and pouring, and we were 

 bliged to defer our visit to the celebrated headland 

 o some possible future opportunity. 



The next morning was fine again, and we left 



