Lll'l-:. li7 



tishbeds in Orkney, and I am promised a large series 

 from Caithness ; of which I can offer you a part if you 

 choose to have them. Shetland is a long voyage beyond 

 the Orkneys, and as the islands can hardly be explored 

 except by water the interior of many being covered 

 by almost impenetrable peat bogs you will under- 

 stand that one is very much at the mercy of the winds 

 and waves. Being no great sailor myself, you will 

 believe that I scarcely ever expected to visit these 

 remote but interesting islands of Tlmle ; but, on the 

 whole, opportunity favoured me, and I managed to see 

 in a short time, and by seizing every occasion, a good 

 deal both of good geology and of good scenery; and 



a Scotchman I feel glad to have visited a country 



remarkable in several points, besides being the 

 northern extremity of the kingdom. A steamer conveyed 

 me to Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, but from thence 

 I had to make my way in small boats, and to depend 

 on the hospitality of the native gentry, there being no 



ilar inn from one end of Shetland, to the other." 

 Considering my anti-marine propensities .aforesaid, I 

 frit rather proud when I stood on the northernmost 

 headland of the Island of Unst, the northernmost of the 



,p, almo>t in latitude (>1, and looked the North Pole 

 in the face; nor had small pleasure in breaking the 

 eliminate of iron and Diallage Rocks and serpentine of 

 Malta Sound, win reof I have specimens for you, if you 

 care to have them. Pure hydrate of magnesia was also 

 1 tliriv. This was the station of Biot and Kater 

 in their pendulum i, and I lived with .Mr. 



LOOStOUe thrir host. The west of Shetland, the 1. 



.vii part, struck UK- however most. AVe have there 

 nitie hill <f IJoeness, the highest land there; 

 and the phenomena of magnificent granite veins into the. 

 adjacent rocks, together with very curious associated 

 /stone porphyries. These various formations pro- 

 duce a o-rand variety of cliff scenery, which 1 BCaiCelv 

 inlirr to i n c<|uallrd except near Si alia. 



outmost Inland of Foula, far to the west, sho\\ 



