ONSARE eRe IN ee Oe Coty 
The time of the difcovery and population of the Oréuzes is unknown. Pro- 
bably it was very early ; for we aretold that they owe their name to_the Greeks. 
Orcades has memorant diftas a nomine Greco *. 
Mela and Pliny take notice of them; and the laft defcribes their number and 
cluftered form with much accuracy +. The fleet of Agricola failed round them, 
and made a conqueft of them; but the Romans probably never retained any part of 
Caledonia. I found no marks of them beyond Orrea or Inchtuthel}, excepting at 
Fortingal\| in Breadalbine, where there is a {mall camp, poffibly no more than a 
temporary advanced poft. Notwithftanding this, they muft have had, by means of 
fhipping, a communicated knowlege of the coafts of North Britain even to the 
Orcades. Ptolemy hath, from information collected by thofe means, given the 
names of every nation, confiderable river, and head-land, on the eaftern, northern, 
and weftern coaft. | But the Romans had forgotten the navigation of thefe feas, 
otherwife the poet would never have celebrated the courage of his countrymen, in 
failing in purfuit of the plundering Saxons through unknowm/ fireights, and a naval 
victory obtained off thefe iflands by the forces fent to the relief of the diftrefled 
Britons by Honorius. 
Quid Sidera profunt ? 
Ignotumque fretum? Maduerunt Saxone fufo 
Orcades §. 
The Orkney ifles in after times became poflefled by the Pié?s; and again by the 
Scots.. The latter gave way to the Norwegian pirates, who were fubdued by 
Harold Harfargre about the year 875 q, and the iflands united to the crown of 
Norway. They remained under the Norwegians till the year 1263, accepted their 
laws, and ufed their language. The Nor/e, or Norwegian language was generally 
ufed in the Orkney and Schetland iflands even to the laft century: but, except in 
Foula, where a few words are ftill known by the aged people, it is quite loft. The 
Englifh tongue, with a Norwegian accent, is that of the iflands; but the appearance 
of the people, their manners and genius, evidently fhew their northern origin. 
The iflands vary in their form and height. Great part of Hoy is mountanous 
and lofty. The noted land-mark, the hill of Hyy, is faid to be five hundred and 
forty yards high. The fides of all thefe hills are covered with long heath, in 
which breed multitudes of Curlews, Green Plovers, Redfhanks, and other Waders. 
The Short-eared Owl is alfo very frequent here, and neftles in the ground. It is 
* Claudian. » + Mela, lib. iii. c. 6. Plin. lib. iv. c. 16. t Tour Scotl. 1772. p. 79. 
Same p. 25. § Claudian, de iv. Conf. Honorii. Q Torfeus Rer. Orcad. \ib. i, C. 3. Ps 10 
d probable 
AXV 
LANGUAGE, 
Rocks OF THE 
OrRKNIES. 
