OF THE FAROE ISLANDS. 245 



suddenly assumed a more settled appearance than it had hitherto 

 done ; and having still a few days at our disposal, we resolved 

 to make a last effort, to visit the objects we had hitherto been 

 prevented from seeing. We had now to retrace a great part 

 of our former track ; but the difference of weather rendered it 

 entirely new to us. Formerly, as one cloud followed another, 

 we caught an occasional glimpse of the coasts along which we 

 were steering ; now we had a delightful view of all the islands 

 and groups of mountains, perfectly unimpeded ; and their 

 rough surfaces afforded as magnificent effects of light as can 

 well be imagined. One of the most extraordinary of these, is 

 in the island of Wagoe. On the north side of the entrance to 

 the Bay of Midvaag, there is a fragment of a rock standing out 

 from the rest, to which, from its acute pyramidal form, they 

 have given the name of the Trolkende Fingeren^ or Witch's 

 Finger. As we approached it from the extremity of Stro- 

 moe, the light struck upon it, and the rocks in its vicinity, 

 exactly so as to produce the appearance of a Gothic cathedral ; 

 an appearance not requiring fancy to help it out, but actually 

 demanding attention to overcome the illusion. We had pas- 

 sed close under this rock twice before, but had not till now 

 seen it. 



We again passed our former residence at Quivig, and reach- 

 ed Westmanhavn soon after noon. Next morning we were 

 ready to start on our long meditated expedition at an early 

 hour. The weather was fine, and the water in the bay as 

 smooth as any lake ; still the people wished to dissuade us 

 from venturing upon the open sea, asserting that we should find 

 it very rough without. We now began to be less moved by their 

 representations than formerly, having observed their extreme 

 caution, or rather timidity, on all occasions. We determined 

 to proceed, and although the sea was certainly more agitated 



than. 



