TO ORKNEY AND SHETLAND. O 



1781, and called Fort Charlotte, and in time of war 

 has a garrison of soldiers. It mounts twelve guns, 

 which flank the town, and is calculated to repel 

 any attack from sea, as from their elevation the 

 guns command the entrance of the harbour. A neat 

 church, and an old building called the Town-house, 

 complete the public buildings of Lerwick; the 

 former is very well attended, and the latter serves 

 for a court-room, masons' lodge, and prison. 



The harbour is large, about two miles long, and 

 has a good anchorage ground with from five to 

 sixteen fathoms water. The south entry is the one 

 at which vessels of a large draught enter ; they can 

 also come in at the north entry, but it is narrower, 

 and having a strong tide, it is more dangerous; be- 

 sides which, even at spring tides, it never exceeds 

 eighteen feet water. 



There is no dry harbour at Lerwick. The tide 

 never rises or falls more than seven feet : sloops 

 and schooners unload during fine weather at the 

 wharfs : the harbour is much frequented by mer- 

 chant vessels and occasionally by men-of-war. 

 Many of the whalers call here and take an addi- 

 tional number of men, and it is also much fre- 

 quented by the Dutch fishermen ; I have seen as 

 many as forty of these Dutch bushers, as they are 

 called, in the harbour at one time. Considerable 



