:J6S 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



November 19, 1831- 



ORCADIAN SKETCHES. 



There are few regions which exhibit 

 such variety of scenery within a small space 

 as ihe Orkney Islands. Scattered over 

 the ocean, they occupy upon its surface an 

 extent of about seventy miles, and present 

 a continual alternation of land and water — 

 isle and islet -hill and valley — moor and 

 pasture ground — flat shores and high head- 

 lands. There the mountains and the main 



-the grandest objects and greatest con 



the raging waters, over which the ill-fated ! 

 ship was strewed in a thousand frag-, 

 ments." 



^, In speaking of Orcadian scenes and the 

 perils of insular life, I must not omit those 

 of bird-catching. The bird-catchers usu- 

 aly fasteneda rope to some roekatthe top of 

 the cliff, from which they intended to de- 

 scend, by which they let ihemselves down 

 along precipices of terrific height over the 

 ocean. I here, when the rocks reddened 



trasts in nature, are, from their immediate 'in the evening ray, they might be seen, 

 vicinity, rendered doubly striking — there !tiom distant ships, like " moles in the sun- 



the rocks of ages, fixed as the foundations 

 of the earth, and unmoved by the storms of 

 a thousand years — and the old and endless 

 sea, agitated by every breeze, and fluctuat- 

 ing as the breath of heaven, present the 



beam." As soon as they obtained a foot 

 ing among the jutting rocks of the preci- 

 pice, they let go their hold of the rope, and 

 commenced their search for eggs and young 

 birds, with which having filled their bask- 



most powerful images of steadfastness and ! ets, they again ascended, working them-i 

 mutability. The ocean, elsewhere so mo- 1| selves up strength of arm, and escorted! 

 notonuos, loses its character of same- 1 ; by swarms of sea fowl screaming for their j 

 ness among these Islands. In some pla- young, and by eagles hovering round their 

 ces stretching far into the land, winding up ; heads, rendering their situation doubly per- 

 among the hills, and forming lake-like bays ' ilous. It may well be supposed that fatal 

 — in others rushing through the narrow \ accidents were the frequent occurrence a- 

 channels which separate the islands, and mong bird catchers. Oi the many 1 have 

 boiling like an everlasting cauldron. heard narrated, I give the two following : — 



During the dark days of winter, with a I An old man and his son, who practised 

 howling wind and a roaring sea, and the j the perilous calling, proceeded to a high 

 unmitigated gloom of their heathy hills, the cliff on the mainland or principal island, 

 islands are wild and dreary enough. There:; where the father, having seated himself on 

 is a sublime delight in musing upon the stu- i the ground, and placed his feet firmly a- 

 pendous rocks of these remote islands, as gainst a rock at the top of the precipice, 

 on the last shores of the world. One of held the rope by which his son descended 

 these wild precipices in the island of VVcs-'i ove i- the sea. In a few minutes the old 

 tray was once the scene of a most appal- man, by feeling himself relieved from the 

 ling shipwreck, of which the following de- weight, was aware that his son had got foot 

 scription was given by an eye-witness : — among the rocks, upon which he quittedhis 



"During a heavy gale blowing on shore hold for the moment, to take a pinch of 

 and accompanied with fog, a Norwegian ! snuff. His son, meanwhile, not finding a- 

 ship, laden with timber, suddenly hove in ny eggs on the landing place, again caught 

 sight close off the cliff, towards which (hav- hold of the rope, which being loose, instant- 

 ing lost her rudder, and being quite unman- ly gave way to his weight, and he was thus 

 ageable,) she was rolling on before wind ;■ precipitated into the sea. 

 and sea with fatal rapidity. A great crowd i; The other accident, of a still more dis- 

 of people had assembled on the top of the tressing nature, occurred in the Shetland 



modes of destruction, perhaps the mosl 

 appalling is that of falling from an immense 

 height into the void — of the horrors of 

 which some idea may be formed from our 

 feelings in dreams — yet I have seen per- 

 sons of such nerve that they would stand 

 with one foot upon the extreme verge of a 

 precipice, six or eight hundred feet high, 

 and stretch the ether over the abyss, while 

 the looker on would shudder and feel his 

 flesh creep — and, such are the di erent 

 modifications of courage, that while the 

 simple islander, who would probably trem- 

 ble in a battle, swings over the most fright- 

 ful rocks without fear — the soldier, who 

 has faced charges of cavalry, and stormed 

 batteries of cannon, would shrink from the 

 edge of doom, and feel his brain reel and 

 his heart sicken in essaying the trade of 

 the bird catcher. — Aberdeen Chronicle. 



Solar Phenomena. — Genoa has recent- 

 ly been the scene of some extraordinary 

 appearances connected with the sun. — 

 From the 4th to the 1 2th of August the 

 heavens were illuminated with a zodiacal 

 light, which added a full hour of light to 

 each day ; and on the 9th of that month, a- 

 bout 5 o'clock in the afternoon, a light 

 stratum of vapour suddenly spread over 

 the horizon and veiled the sun, which pre- 

 sented at first the appearance of an im- 

 mense globe of crystal : soon afterwards it 

 assumed a soft rosy tint, and ultimately a 

 clear and delicate violet hue, which it re- 

 tained until it disappeared. Five or six 

 spots of a deep black color were discerna- 

 ble on its surface with the naked eye. 



cliff, provided with ropes, in the vain hope 

 of being able to assist the unfortunate mar- 

 iners. From the summit of the rocks, at 

 a fearful depth below, they beheld the ves- 

 sel plunging among the waves which forced 

 her onward to her doom Among the crew 

 was seen a gigantic Norseman, who, by 

 signs and gestures, expressed thanks to 

 the people above, but intimated that all hu- 

 man aid was vain. — The vessel meantime 

 was reeling towards the rocks. On she 

 came with accelerated rapidity — the fatal 

 crisis had now arrived — it was a nioini'ii! 

 of speechless agony — the crew stood fixed 



Islands, and was narrated to me by a friend 

 who resided there for several years. It 

 was as follows : a bird catcher and his 

 two sons descended altogether on a rope 

 j made fast at the top of a cliff; and after 

 having secured their booty, began to as- 

 cend in the same manner, the father being 

 the lowest onthe rope. The son who was 

 highest, when near the top of the preci- 

 pice, happening to look upwards, observed 

 that the rope was almost cut through in 

 consequence of its friction on the sharp 

 ' ■ i of the ciiff, and instantly called out to 

 his brother, who was next to him; to cut 



We understand that an important im- 

 provement has been made in the process 

 of tanning, by which considerable labor is 

 saved to the mannfacturer, and what is of 

 infinite more consequence to the consum- 

 er, the quality of the leather greatly enhan- 

 ced. It consists in preparing the hides 

 for the reception of the bark, without the 

 aid of lime, which has hitherto been deem- 

 ed an indisponsable concomitant. This 

 is effected by what is technically termed 

 "The Co 1 Sweating Process," which is 

 said to be less liable to injure the leather 

 than the old mode, weighs heavier and 

 wears much longer. The patentees are 

 Messrs. Shove and Hunt. — Caltskil Mes- 



in the ny spell of despair — and the crowd fT their father, otherwise they must all 

 on high in breathless horror — whenamigh- perish together, as. the rope was about to! 



ty and remoreless wave reared her, keel 

 uppermost, right out of the sea, and her 

 striking upon the rocks, shot up through 

 her hull,when her whole fabric giving way, 

 the tall Norwegian trees with which she 

 was laden, were seen spouting through her 

 sides. A wild and heart-rending shriek a- 

 'it one mo miit, from the drowning 

 (i : it< lies below, and the multitude above;f 

 and the next, all was hushed in the n 



break. His brother refused to do so, 

 whatever might be the consequence. — 

 Upon which he exclaimed, "then give 

 your souls to (rod," and having managed 

 toget ;it his knife, cut them both off, and 

 reached the fop of the cliff just as the rope 

 was giving way!" 



This is a distressing instance of the 



power of the instinct of self-preservation. 



'Although it must he owned that of all the 



In France a new Civil list has been pre- 

 pared, more moderate than the List, con- 

 taining items for the express support of 

 the Royal Household only. The list. 

 which filled five or six pages in the Royal 

 Almanac of the last year, is now reduced 

 to half a page ; and the salaries of Ani- 

 bas « lors and Consuls are reduced almost 

 to the American sea' . 



The .lews tell us that during the sojourn- 

 ment in paradise, heaven sent down twelve 

 baskets of Talk, and while Adam was 

 eating threeof them. Eve snatched up the 



