AXXIL 
SiC ET GAN Die AIND 
iflands, they are moft frequently called Wart or Wardbills, which fhews that 
they were garrifoned. They had their wardmadher *, or watchman, a fort of 
centinel, who ftood on the top, and challenged all who came in fight. The 
gackman + was an officer of the fame kind, who not only was on the watch 
againft furprize ; but was to give notice if he faw any fhips in diftrefs. He 
was allowed a large horn of generous liquor, which he had always by him, to 
keep up his fpirits ¢. Along the Orkney and Schetland fhores, they almoft form a 
chain; and by that means not only kept the natives in fubjection, but were 
fituated commodioufly for covering the landing of their countrymen, who were 
perpetually roving on piratical expeditions. “Thefe towers were even made ufe of 
as ftate-prifons ; for we learn from Torfaus, that after Sueno had furprized Paul, 
count of Cathne/s, he carried him into Sutherland, and confined him there in a 
Norwegian tower §. So much has been faid on this fubje& by the Reverend 
Mr. Cordiner and myfelf, that I fhall only refer to the pages, after faying, that 
out of our kingdom, no buildings fimilar to thefe are to be found, except in 
Scandinavia. On the mountain Swalberg || in Norway is one; the Stir-bifkop q, 
at Upfal.in Sweden, is another ; and Um/eborg, in the fame kingdom, is a third **. 
Thefe towers vary in their inner ftruéture ; but externally are univerfally the 
fame ; yet fome have an addition of ftrength on the outfide. The burgh of Cul/- 
wick in Schetland, notwithftanding it is built on the top of a hill, is furrounded 
with adry ditch thirteen feet broad; that of Snaburgh in Unft, has both a wet 
and adry ditch the firft cut, with great labor, through the live rock. The burgh 
of Moura is furrounded by a wall, now reduced to a heap of ftones, and the 
infide is cylindrical, not taper, as ufual with others. The burgh of Hog/éer, 
upon an ifle in a loch of the fame name, has alfo its addition of a wall ; a pecu- 
liarity in a caufeway, to join it to the main land, and a fingular internal ftructure. 
Numbers of little burghs, with fingle cells, are fcattered about thefe iflands, in the 
neighborhood of the greater; and which probably were built by the poorer fort of 
people, in order to enjoy their protection. A multitude of places in thefe iflands 
have the addition of burgh to their names, notwithftanding there is not a veftige 
of a tower near them; the materials having long fince been carried away, 
and applied to various ufes. One was, by way of pre-eminence, called Coning/- 
burgh, or the burgh of the king. I lament its lofs the more, as it might have 
proved fimilar to its namefake in York/bire, and furnifhed additional materials to 
* Ihre Gloff. Sueo-Goth. 1085. + Crit. Dif. by Fohn Macpherfon, D. D. 325. } Torfeus 
Rer. Orcad. 8. § Baxter, Glof. Antiq. Brit. 109+ || Information by letter from Mr. Skha 
of Copenhagen. q Dalhberg, tab. 64. ** The fame, tab. 300,—For more ample 
accounts, fee Mr, Cordiner’s Letiers, 73, 105, 118, and my Tours ix Scotland. 
2 my 
