VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 13 



its being identical with Foula. At Thule, says 

 Pomponius, Per Solstitium vero nullae (nodes 

 sunt) quod turn jam manifestior nonfulgorem 

 modo sed sui quoque partem maxirnam ostentat^ 

 This phenomenon, as Vossius has observed, can 

 only belong to the 66th and 67th degree of la- 

 titude, and gives considerable countenance to the 

 opinion of Thule being the same with Iceland. 



The statement of Pliny, who is not celebrated 

 for geographical accuracy, is alike irreconcileable 

 with either hypothesis, and belongs only to the Pole 

 itself. 



These, (with the exception of Unst,) are all 

 the islands belonging to Shetland that are worth 

 notice, though they are nearly forty in number. 

 About seventeen of these are inhabited ; the rest 

 being inconsiderable, are called Holms, and used 

 only for pasture. 



On our arrival in Bressay Sound, there were an- 

 chored twenty-six ships from London, Hull, and 

 Whitby, each of which, in turn, gave us three 

 cheers, which we as often returned. All these 

 ships were waiting for men, it being the place 

 where most of the ships bound to the Greenland 

 fishery call at to make up their complement. 



The Captain finding men very scarce, and wa- 

 ges high, did not engage any hands at Lerwick. 



