68 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 
Here we procure wood, water, supplies of fresh food, 
and additional men for our crew. Here, too, as the 
weather was unpropitious, we determined to see the 
few objects of historic interest the place could boast 
of, and with this object in view set out after church 
to explore the ruins of Scalloway Castle, an old feudal 
stronghold of the Stewarts. A matter of seven miles 
seemed to us of no account, and after a reasonable time 
had been devoted to the expedition, we inquired at a 
neighbouring farm-house, where we discovered we 
were far out of our way. Crossing the hills to regain 
our course, we soon lost our way in a fog, and but 
for the kindly assistance of a shepherd we found by 
chance in his lonely hut, we should have fared even 
worse perhaps. It was not until after five hours were 
spent in wandering in the direction of the ruin, that 
we found ourselves beneath the walls of this ancient 
keep, and as it had been raining all the time of 
