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 overUnst 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. 
