On Traces of Glacial Drift. 



389 



destruction there than on the eastern side, towards Balta 

 Sound. The scene from the top of this hill, when looking 

 towards Haroldswick, and then in the direction of Balta 

 Sound, is one that tells of mighty agencies long continued, 

 powerful to crush and grind — so powerful, that the really 

 hard and massive hills of serpentine have been ploughed 

 down to below the sea-level in places, especially at Harolds- 

 wick. The sea has since piled up beaches there, through 

 which the water percolates, at each recession of the tide, 

 from the low peaty beds formed in the depression at the 

 back of them. All over Unst the rocks show traces of abra- 

 sion, and in many places deposits of drift, in which stones 

 of all sizes, smoothed and striated, occur plentifully. I 

 mention a few of these localities, so that any one desirous 

 of visiting Unst may see them. First, Hagdale in Harolds- 

 wick Bay. Balta Sound, especially in the low cliff near the 

 house of Hammer. The haunted burn of Watlea, between 

 Balta Sound and Uyea Sound, and at the latter place on the 

 sea-shore. On the south side of the small island of Uyea, 

 a similar deposit underlies a sandy raised beach, in which 

 stones and large oyster shells, with whelks, &c, and fish 

 bones, are rather plentiful. A similar sandy raised beach is 

 also to be seen in the valley in which the small fishing 

 village of Norwick is built. This also contains sea-shells, 

 such as are found in the seas of the present day. These 

 two raised sandy beaches are at opposite ends of Unst. 

 Large and small blocks — four tons to a few pounds in weight 

 — are scattered about in all directions. With the exception 

 of the raised beaches, I did not find in any of the glacial 

 deposits a single organism. This does not prove that such 

 may not be there, my examination was so slight — want of 

 time preventing me putting them to serious test. 



Thus, then, at both ends and the middle of this interesting 

 group of islands, glacial traces have been found ; and from 

 the contour of the other islands, as we coasted along them, 

 appearances told that they had not escaped. I must, how- 

 ever, leave the filling up to others. All the bearings are by 

 compass, no allowance having been made for variation. 



