751 
ORKNEY ISLANDS. 
The Orkneys, from their fituation, and from the ex¬ 
cellence of their harbours, are certainly well calculated 
for a commercial connexion, not only with the different 
trading towns of Great Britain, but with the north of 
Europe, and with America. Such a connexion, however, 
cannot poflibly fubfift to any confiderable extent, until 
an important amelioration of their agricultural and ma¬ 
nufacturing condition takes place; and this, we fear, is 
not foon tobe expected. Neverthelefs, it is pleafing to ob- 
ferve, that the limited trade thefe iflands poffefs is in a 
progreffive date of improvement. The principal exports 
are "beef, pork, butter, tallow, hides, calf-lkins, rabbit- 
(kins, fait fifti, feathers, linen, yarn, and coarfe linen 
cloth, and kelp; and, in favourable feafons, corn, meal, 
and malt. The imports are wood, iron, flax, coal, fugar, 
fpirits, wines, fnuff, tobacco, flour and bifcuit, foap, 
leather, hardware, broad cloth, and printed linens and 
cottons. In 1790, the exports were valued at 26,598k 12s. 
and the imports at 20,803k prime coft in the Englifli 
and Scotch markets; but in'1800 the exports were ftated 
at 39,677k 9s. 4d. and the imports at 35,789k 17s. 4A. 
The ancient language of Orkney was derived from the 
Gothic, which generally fpread itfelf over Germany and 
Scandinavia. It was called the Norfe; but feems to have 
been a diftinCl dialed from that fpoken either in Den¬ 
mark, Sweden, or Norway, though it had a much greater 
flmilitude to the lalt than to the others ; ‘but, whether this 
difference was the refult of chance and time, or was 
owing to a mixture of the old Pidtifli language, are quef- 
tions of no eafy folution. Such as it was, however, it 
continued to be fpoken in great purity for two centuries 
after the iflands became annexed to the crown of Scot¬ 
land. Some perfons were even to be found, who could 
fpeak it with perfect eafe within thefe fifty years. At 
prefent, it is only to be traced in the names of places and 
perfons; the Englifli language, with a Norwegian accent, 
and a great mixture of Scottifli terms and phrafes, having 
become the common language of all the iflands. 
Like the common people in moft other places, thofe of 
Orkney, whatever profeflion they follow, are extremely 
credulous, and more inclined to truft quacks in every 
line, than men regularly bred and diftinguifhed for their 
judgment and education. The fame difpofition leads 
them to give implicit belief to all the abfurd and ridicu¬ 
lous tales which are fo frequently circulated refpeding 
witches, fairies, and other fupernatural agents. Hence a 
multitude of charms are Hill in pradice to fecure good 
fortune, relieve difeafes, or to ward-off fome real or ima¬ 
ginary danger. Some days of the week are lucky, and 
• others ominous of misfortune. Thurfdays and Fridays 
are the only days on which they incline to enter upon 
the marriage date; and they are anxious, in the highefh 
degree, to avoid doing it except when the moon is'u'ax- 
ing. When intending to kill an ox or a flieep, they are 
careful that it flrall be done during the firft quarters of 
that luminary, conceiving that, if it is delayed till the 
waning, the meat will be of an inferior quality. In fet- 
ting out on a voyage, they always turn their boats in the 
diredion of the fun’s motion, and utter a fhort prayer. 
Though Prefbyterians in profeflion, they ftill retain many 
relics of Romilh fuperffition, and have a great veneration 
for ancient places of worfhip, efpetially fuch as have been 
dedicated to favourite faints. Thefe they invoke to aflift 
them in any emergency, and vow to perform fervices, or 
prefent oblations to them, if their prayer is granted. 
The feftivals of the popifli calendar are obferved with 
the utmoft punduality, not indeed as times of religious 
worfliip, but as days fet apart for feafting and convi¬ 
viality. On fome of thefe days they refrain from work, 
and, on others, only undertake work of a certain kind, and 
for a certain period. At one time they mult go fifhing, at 
another they carefully avoid that fort of employment; 
now they mult eat filh, now flefli, now eggs, milk, &c. 
according as the particular day, or feafon, may require. 
From the hiftorical importance of the Orkneys at a 
very early period, and during fo many centuries after the 
Norwegian conqueft, it might be readily conjectured 
that they mult contain numerous remains of antiquity of 
different kinds, and affignable to different ages. This is 
accordingly the faCt; and we believe few diftrifts are 
more worthy than thefe iflands of antiquarian inveftiga- 
tion. All the fliores and headlands abound with thofe 
buildings which have been denominated Pifls-lioufes; but 
the precife ufe of which is not yet determined by the re- 
fearch'es of the learned. Sometimes they appear Angle 
and detached, and at other times are collected together 
in confiderable numbers. One of them, at Quarternefs, 
near Kirkwall, on the Mainland, is minutely defcribed 
by Dr. Barry. 
The ftupendous arches and immenfe caverns formed by 
the ocean, cannot fail to attraft the notice, and excite the 
furprife, of all who are ftrangers to fuch fcenes. The 
Old-Man-of-PIoy is probably as remarkable a monument 
of its kind as any in the univerfe. It rifes boldly from 
the fea to the height of 1500 feet, and exhibits a perpen¬ 
dicular feCtion of the fand-ftone ftrata, built upon each 
Other with all the regularity of architecture. In fome 
afpefts it refembles a rude pyramid, whofe bafe has been 
narrowed by the waves; in others, it bears a ftriking fimi- 
litude to the ruins of a vaft cathedral, or of a turreted 
caftle. Near the fummit of this hill, in the fummer- 
months, fomething is obferved to (hine and fparkle with 
uncommon luftre. The natives regard it as an enchanted 
carbuncle; and it is curious, that, though many perfons 
have clambered up the rock to afcertain the occafion of 
this appearance, they have hitherto failed in their objeft. 
Perhaps it may arife from the reflection of the fun on a 
fmall ftream of water Aiding over the face of a fmooth 
rock. On the fame ifland (Hoy) we And an entire ftone, 
36 feet long, 18 in breadth, and 9 in thicknefs, lying be¬ 
tween two hills, and known by the name of cluarjie ftone. 
It is hollowed within by the tools of a mafon, the marks of 
which are ftill apparent. The entrance is a fquare hole 
about two feet high, with a ftone, by way of door, (hand¬ 
ing before it. Within we And a bed, with a pillow, cut 
out of the ftone ; at the other end is a couch of the fame 
kind ; and, in the middle, a hearth, above which there is a 
hole or vent for the exit of the fmoke. This curioflty is 
found in the midfl: of a defolate heath, and is fuppofed to 
have been the refidence of a hermit. 
At Stennis, in Mainland, there is a caufeivay of (tones 
over a loch or lake, at the fouth end of w'hich weobferve 
a circle of (tones rifing about tw'enty feet above ground, 
each being Ax feet in breadth, and from one or tw'o feet 
in thicknefs : between this circle and the caufeway two 
(tones of the fame dimenAons ftand by themfelves, and 
one of them is perforated in the middle. At the diftance 
of half a mile from the other end of the caufeway appears 
a larger circle of the fame kind of (tones, the diameter of 
W'hich may amount to 110 paces ; fome of thefe (tones are 
fallen ; and to the eaft and weft; of the larger circle are two 
artificial green mounts. Both rounds are furrounded 
with a ditch ; and one cannot view them without admira¬ 
tion, conffdering the art that muff have been ufed to bring 
fuch unwieldy mafles together in this order. They were 
probably temples and places of facrifice ufed in times of 
pagan fuperffition ; and feem to bear a great affinity with 
the celebrated monument called Stoneheno-e, on Salifbury- 
plain, in England. In one of the mounts, at_the north 
end of the caufeway, the natives found nine fibula, or 
clafps of Alver, formed into a circle, and refembling a 
horie-ftioe. In many different places of the Orkneys we 
find rude obeliiks, or Angle (tones of a great height, fet up 
as memorials either of battles, treaties, or the deceafe of 
remarkable perfonages. At the weft end of the Mainland, 
near Skeal, there is a furpfifing caufeway, above a quarter 
of a mile in length, on the fummit of high hills, com- 
pofed of reddilh (tones of different magnitudes impreffed 
with various figures both on the upper and under furface. 
Some gentlemen in the neighbourhood have carried oft' 
1 the 
