ORKNEY ISLANDS. 
but Stromnefs is merely a village, though it probably carries 
on more trade than Kirkwall. See Kirxwatt and Srr 
NESS. 
The county is reprefented in the Britifh parliament by 
Ire § a urgh, in conjunction with 
ice of a bie who is ikea 
tereft both in the eat and ce 
Population.—As there are no aiientie data, by which the 
ancient population o a nee iflands can be accurately afcer- 
tained, the conje€tures which have been eee suse on this 
fubje&t afford very different refults. When, how the 
power of the earls, and the anxiety with which ae ie 
was courted, are taken mto view, it feems reafonable to 
conclude that it muft have been very confiderable. In a 
general muiter of the people by P. Stewart, earl of Orkney, 
it is faid that 10,000 men could be raifed on any emergency, 
and as many left as were fufficient for the agriculture and 
fifheries. Guthrie, in his Hiltory of Scotland, afferts that 
the fame cae of perfons from this country carried arms, 
at the tim eat rebellion, in the 17th century. 
to be cor 
feem to {well the ile b 
bability. “Dr. Barry, therefore, confid m as extrava- 
gant. It is certainly evident, however, that the population 
a the Orkneys has fuffe: reat eafe within the laft 
; and 
jonas four times the amount of their prefent inhabitants, 
which, oe to the parliamentary returns of 1811, were 
computed at 23,238 in number. 
Manufactures and Commerce.—At the commencement of 
the laft century, a very confiderable mene ous of woollens 
is faid to have been carried on in thefeiflands. This branc 
of induftry is now much decreafed, and confined entirely to 
a home confumption, The artic les manufaCtured are chiefly 
oth. about fixty 
ears sae rs and “ at firft it met with an unfavourable 
reception, fon triumphed over ae oppofition, and be- 
came aes idely diffufed, to the great benefit both of the 
manfahorers and of the labouring poor; many of whom 
uft hav 
the m 
ou arn fold in the fame f{pace, to 
chants ‘of ‘Newca le, Edinburgh, and Glafgow, and 
itinerant purchafers, is eftimated at confiderably above 
100,000 fpindles. Almoft all the flax confumed is al 
from Ruffa and Holland. 
ut the principal and _moft lucrative manufacture of the 
Orkney iflands is that of 4e/p. This fubftance is chiefly va- 
luable on account of the large quantity of foda it contains, 
which renders it ufeful in the compofition of foap ; in the 
manufacture of alum, and in the formation of crown and 
bottle glafs ; indeed in thefe anuaires kelp anfwers com- 
pletely all the purpofes of the very bett potafh, [tis formed 
by burning certain fpecies of marine plants ; and affords em- 
ployment to about three oo perfons of both fexes 
ae the Guaties mont Each of them makes in that 
according . pens eileen from 30s. to 3/., fo 
oo 
wt Om 
o 
“ 
25,000/. per 
annum. For fo ome secoutt of the procefs a ie kelp, 
fee CARBONAT of So 
The Orkneys, oon es fituation, and from the excellence 
of thet harbours, are certainly well calculated for 
mercial connection, not only with the different trading 
towns of Great Britain, but with the north of Europe, and 
with America. a ie however, cannot pof- 
pected. Neverthelefs, it is plealing to obferve that the = 
ni — aaa poffefs is in a progrefflive ftate of impro 
pal exports are beef, pork, butter, ian, 
calf fins, “rabbi {kins, falt fith, fe 
and kelp ; and 
‘he imports ood, iro aX, 
coal, fugar, fpirite, w = fnuff, tobacco, flour, ond bilouit. 
foap, leather, hard ware, broad aot, and printed linens, and 
cottons. In 1790 the oe ts were valued at 26,598/. 12s od, 
and the imports at 20,803/. os. od. prime coft in the Englifh 
and Scotch markets ; but in 1800 the exports were aie at 
39,6771. gs. ad. and the imports at 35,780/. 175. 4. 
Obftacles to Te, Weights, &Sc.—The Se obftacle 
to the improvement and value of thefe iflands, is the neceflity 
the farmers are under of paying their rents in kind, and prin- 
cipally in grain. Hence it arifes that the latter produce mutt 
i which are far better adapted for 
travagant, and fuch as wholly precludes him from realizing a 
reafonable profit for his labour. This rate is the price 
brought by the beft foreign grain, loaded as it is with freight 
charges and mercantile emoluments. To remédy this ferious 
evil, which is alike prejudicial to agriculture, manufaGures, 
and commerce, the intervention of the legiflature is indifpen- 
fibly requifite, as otherwife it is oo to compel a fair 
converfion of the rents into mo 
The weighing in ares a “Orkney are likewife among 
the grievances which o the improvement of this terri- 
tory. 
one inch in aan er. 
fo pate fimilar in form to the Sta 
yard, as to fuperfede any further defeription, than merely to 
obferve that the beam of which it is slag e is about feven 
feet long, and ee ined an r inches in geek 
This inttrument is employed i eee malt, meal, 
oats, and other grofs ood: ; while the byfmer i is made 
ufe 
