316 



THE BEITISII ISLES. 



its cliffs present sheer precipices of 1,000 feet. The hold men who visit this 

 rocky island in search of hirds and hirds' eg'gs cause themselves to he attached to 

 a rope, and lowered from the top of the cliffs. 



The Shetland Islandïs as well as the Orkneys have frequently heen identified 



Fis'. 170. — The Sih-.tland Islanps 

 Soale 1 : 401,000. 



5 Miles. 



with the Ultima Thule of ancient writers, although there can be no doubt that the 

 Thule discovered by Pytheas of Marseilles, and placed by him under the Arctic 

 Circle, must have been Iceland. The Hebrides, which lie to the west of Scotland, 



