Two Letters from Mr. Thomas Preston to Mr. Joseph Ames, F. R. S. concerning the Island ofZetlandAuthor(s): Thomas PrestonSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 43 (1744 - 1745), pp. 57-64Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104427 .

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1: 57 ] ikills the very Fiics. Michelg defcribes a Specicsg which, upon cating thenz, almoR killd tlle Paineer he aEually enlployedX and an old Woman, the Painter's Mother. This Man, being fent by the Author tO delineate fome of thefe Fas's, and bcing talien witlo tlleir Appearance} order'd fome otS ttlean to be fried, and he and his lSlotller eat tllereof; but wsere in about Two Hours, feized witl;z stlolent Pains iru their Bosx7cls, from which they werc with great Difliculty leticved. I might produce many otlcr IllLtances of this Sort; but tlle aboste, I beK lieve, are fufficient.

I prerntlle I have fer thefe Mattet4s in a clearLight > bUt, fearing I have already talca up too much of atour Time} I conclude myfelf,

Gentlemen, roar moJ? deqooted

Lsndon, May x . 1744. kg7nble Sersant,

W. Watfonv

VIII. 7wo Lettersfrom Mr. Thomas Preflon to AIr. Jofeph Ames, F. R. S. cozzcernirg the IJ/Eand of Zetland.

IDe6tr Sir, Zetland, yan. 3I. x74T. Read MaW 3 I*-Tn H I S Inand has very rarely any Cor- 744 1 rcEpondence wiell the reA of the

0Torld for the Six \Vinter Motlths; I thould ray, for H Six

1: 57 ] ikills the very Fiics. Michelg defcribes a Specicsg which, upon cating thenz, almoR killd tlle Paineer he aEually enlployedX and an old Woman, the Painter's Mother. This Man, being fent by the Author tO delineate fome of thefe Fas's, and bcing talien witlo tlleir Appearance} order'd fome otS ttlean to be fried, and he and his lSlotller eat tllereof; but wsere in about Two Hours, feized witl;z stlolent Pains iru their Bosx7cls, from which they werc with great Difliculty leticved. I might produce many otlcr IllLtances of this Sort; but tlle aboste, I beK lieve, are fufficient.

I prerntlle I have fer thefe Mattet4s in a clearLight > bUt, fearing I have already talca up too much of atour Time} I conclude myfelf,

Gentlemen, roar moJ? deqooted

Lsndon, May x . 1744. kg7nble Sersant,

W. Watfonv

VIII. 7wo Lettersfrom Mr. Thomas Preflon to AIr. Jofeph Ames, F. R. S. cozzcernirg the IJ/Eand of Zetland.

IDe6tr Sir, Zetland, yan. 3I. x74T. Read MaW 3 I*-Tn H I S Inand has very rarely any Cor- 744 1 rcEpondence wiell the reA of the

0Torld for the Six \Vinter Motlths; I thould ray, for H Six

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[ 58 ] Six of twe NArilz;cr Months; for tl,: Year tr.ay be faid to contain ten Rlonths of MI inter and tnvo of olcS rasar 5V\Teatlzcr. I tllought i£ VrCty Xbt<Urds tO hcar tac InIzabitants cotupsain ot Fl¢t, at tllc .s.ne InRant tllat I complainsd of Cold) and sstil!w'd for a gl42at'

Coat. Tlucy arc lo accultom'd to {tcxrtlly bad \Nf(;l

ther> that they wilL vellture to Sea i;w Imall Boats7. when )?OU would not s?enture tO CtO-S tllC Ehgmes.* I fh-aIl giv?e you a {hort Dcl^cliption of this Illand.

Ie is thes N7orthermo(t bclon",ing to Srotland, fitaz atcd bctween the Latitudes of 6o and 61 Degrecs Q itS Length is, 1\1. and S. do Milcs; its Elrcadtll 30; and fo divided into Edead-lands and imaller lflands, Creeks, Ba-ys, Inletsa alzd CovesX eS>a that you can- not place a Conzpats on any the mof} ialand Parts of its Chart that {hali be Tsro AtiJes fronz the Sea > w^thicll makes it extreme diRicult to -mak-e a good Draught of tlle Inand; of wllich tIzere is llO thart extant xxtowtll naulln",.

VutXillg my lonD Stay, I llave dcsorcd fome of my totherwifs) idle Time to tllc nlaklng of Obiernrations; and furveaing the Place ; by xvhich, alad fuitable 1lz- ormations) t>c gainwd froln tlle Illhabitallts, I hasc

attenapted a Sea CllartX nvllich) I flarter mySeif, mav be of Ufe to our NaviDators; xYho are all Stran2:crs tO tlle nzawny fafe and bood Harbours in this Inaald a and ieveral of thcm cdpable of rccsiving nzany larU,e Ships.

The Land is xnild, barlen, and naountainous nor is tt¢(:re fo mtlch us a Tree or 13u{h to be {een. Thc Slucores are difficult) andX in many Places, inaccefElblc, rude> fieep, and IronZlike; the Siglat of nvhich (irikes vlle-l%Sind tith-Drcad and Horror) and iizch molz-

flrott;

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[ 59 :1 flrolls Preciplces, and hideous Rocks, as brinO all Brobdxagnag before your Tllollghts.

I doubt not but ?OU are now liRening ollt for fome Accourlt of Curioftties of Art and lstature, nvlliclu moS 11cre are Strangers to > at3d yet this Inand is not aluLte lJarren. In Winter the Sun fcts foon after it rifes; and in Sutnmer it riSes again roon after

its Setting; fo that the Nigllts at tilat SeaSon are near as light as the Day; as, on tlle contrary, the Day in 7December is near as dark as tlue Nirht About the Solllice, xve fee, almoR every NYighta the Sarora BoreaAis, as I think you cal; it ; but we Seamen the STorthern LiOhts; wllich Epreads a broad glaring Ap pearance over tlue whole N7orthern Hemifipluere, and looks fomerrhat terrifying to them tllat are not uSed to it.

I Ihall only juLE mention, tllat a Comet has appear'd to us fbr fome time frs:sm the WeR, large and plain to the nakcd Eye.

S I R, Leztb, May I 2. 1 74r

tNF rny laR from Zetland, I gave you a Ihort Account °f thae Country. I fhall now give you fome more

Particulars, as thcy occur to my Memory. The Iand is callcd by the iDgtah, Hitland; by

U<, commonly, Shetland; but the proper Name of it is Zetland; wherein there are tllirty Parith- Churches, and about eighty Gcntlemens HouCes lDefides the Towns of Lerwirk and ScallowaW : It was firPr inhabited by ehe sP-ights or 'iSs, who were driven out by the Oanes. ChriJZian} ICing of lDe

H 2 ?nark

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#- w c

} 6o tsvrk and Atortw<) xvhofc Dau^,hter Maret s^ns ( iven itl lMarria^, to KWing tawes thc Third of Srot lwne in tlle Ycar X 46 87 aterced7 Tnat the Inands Qf

Orkaey and XtDnd Ihould rcmain sn tlle PoIEcIElors of tlc fald lCing */-vtnesa unril he 11ad paid to lli3:n 50>00o Rhenifih Florins fbr his Daurlltcrss Dower;. and Chrdian afferwards, upon the Birth cf a young Prince his Grandfon, call'd Zaawes, renounced his Title to the faid InandX in Favour of Kin<, yames,

wluich has evcr fincc belonacd tO Sratland. The Lonritude of Zbtland diffErs but littlc fron

thc Eaftcrn Part of Srotland{; and irs Latitude is frc)m 60 tO 6 I Degrees North: The lorugcA Day is near twenty Hours. I llave read a rery Iinall Print in my Chamber at Midnight with the NVindows {hut. The Air is temperatea confidcring el:we Country lies Ib fi£

North; and agrees tolerably sszcll with thofe tllat can endurc Cold and a thick Fog. I muR ownX I havc not foun(: tllt Xvinters fio co,d as in bme other Parts nf Grex Britva; nor arc thz Summers ncar M warnl;

oor svluich} indccd} allc lca3tll of tlue Days makes tvtne 2mcads I liave l card} tilat fome Fifhermcn ilave airlned, tilat at Sea they liaste fecn tlle Sun's Body at SiidLlibht: I3ut thae is impoflible; fnce tile Sun in the fhorteLl Day in SZ)ereer is fbur Hours above tlit HoriMn; and it S1Wa certainly be deprefficd as ion;, Xtlder it in 7axe. Tlsle \\lintels arc more fub }(& tO Rain tharl 5110NY j nor do the Fro and Snowv (ontinuc 00 lOl1't Ol1 tlle Gsoulld) as upon tlle maix I+arld ots BTitRiS ; yct I faw it wllolly cover>d xvith Sllow the 20th of 1 tllC la(t Ycar. Ille \Vinds>. durinD the lon^, Wlnter {caSon, continue to b'ow nuoft boiReroufly ;;,encrally betw¢cll the Solitil alid

the

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[ 61 ] tise NVcR; xx hich occafions malay Shipwrecks. Therv tuatZe been three or fbur on the Inatld in tlle Time 1 was t cre.

The Land is mountalnous and moorifh, abound ing witll Mofs and Heatller; under wvhich tlley dia reat (or Turf) fbr Firing; under that is hard Rock.

lTheir HorCes are very litele, but (trong, and nvell nlettle> utlwich thty call shelTies. Tlleir Oxen, Swine) and Shecp, of svhich laR they have Plentvst, and their Cattle of all ICinds, are Enzall. The Price of a Horfc is a Guinea; an Ox fomenhac lcfs; a Sheep halfa Crowa; aCalf Six-pence. Rabbets thest has c in f;: me Parts of the Country. Frogs and Toads tilere arenone ; nor, perhaps, any poifionous Animals. 1: here are manyOttersa wllzcll thes call Eikes g and Seals, xvhicll ty call SIkies: Sonlctimes ti ere are many young Whales, svhich tlley call tWellarksX or Spout-

_

\Vhales: They run into thc Crecks, and fo intanOle

themSelves among the Rocks, tlaat vluev are caft c).n tlle Sllore) or ealily taken.

Tllere are Plent) of Sca-Nvccds) calied TvEgle, t!roNt-

inD oll tlle Rock<, of xYhich mirllt be made K ior tlle makinv3 or Soap. Tllere is Plcatv of Slicil- fiM of ofi Kinds: Their Osltcrs are the beR I cscr eAt. In the Sca tlley catcll Cod) Lin) Haddockt Whitings, Scate, Turbur,, Herrinr<, Cole-fith) FlukKs, TroutsX br.

Tlaere are many Sosts of \07ilCiiWI; namcTs> thc vDgnter Goofe, ClZrk Goofe} sSolkn Goolcs Swans, Ducks, Teal, RVhaps} Toifts, Iyrcs, Kitti- wvaiks, Maws, Plosers ScartFss r. there is i i!>e xvife ttle Enaber-Goofe, wslwiclu is fasd tO tldtCll ilcr E;:, under her WinO : This is ccrtain, thae t osac ever Ea\v her on the [.a.nd, or Ollt of the \\7atct a

wili.i

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[ 62 ] dnd tllat tlley hanre a CasZity or 11ollowv Place under one or tileir- Wings only, capable of containin,:, a iargc Eg.

There are very lar7e Eagles, which they call Evrnt, >.vi;ctz pley upon tlle young Lambs, &c. There is a LaW in ForceX Tllat wlloelrcr kills one oftllsete Eat,lesX is to have a Hell out of cvery Honfe in the PariR w hc reitl it iS killed (tho' it is neser nosr dc-mandcd).

I donst doubt but that there are Mines of Silz er, Ti'} and Lead, in the Coutltry ; -for feveral Sorts of Mineruls ale to be found: -And I liante been crediby infortned, that Pieces of yure maSy Silve-r, of conLidcrablc BigV neEs, Ilave been turned up by the Plough: But ruch TreaEures are negled;ted, or not improved, througll the Poverty or Carclefsnefs of the Proprietors. 11w many PlacesX Marl, Quarrics of excellent Frecfionc Lime-Plone7 ancl Slate, arc found, and fome Veins of Marble.

Sometilnes there are caR up by the Sea, Titnber, I'ieces of \Mreck, Hogffieads of Wine, Brandy, eg r. xvhich are frequerutly gronvll os7er ̂rith the Shells of a Fi(h called Cleck Geefe, wl:wich I take to be the Conah anatifer; and {ometimes Sperma Cet} A mbergrife, Watcr- Spongcs) and Camlhells (CSs 3'epi) are found on the Shore.

There is no ForeR or Wood, nor fo muclu as a frce, or hardly a Bufh of any Sort i-rl thz nvl?ole Country, except in rolue Gentlemens Gardens; and thofe never dare t(3 peep over the Garden*Wall, for tlle BlaA of the Notth Wind.

Tllc Country is fo dividcd by the Sea, tllat it cat nOt 1oe expecnted there {hould -bW in it any Rsivers; yet tllere are ulany fnzall Brooks, arud littlc Runs of

\Mater

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[63 3

\stater calltd Bourns, and Lache3 or Lakes; nzany of xvhich aFord Trouts; ancl I have catetl cxccllvnt Cod- filh, that have bcen talren in olle of theSe Lorhes or Lakes of perfeEt frefh Water, whicll has been vexy near tl}e Sca.

Wile Peop'e are generally cistil, fagacious, of a rcady \T7itx and of a quick ApprehenSlon, pioully ilzclin'd, mllcll givcn to Hofpitality, civil alzd liberaL in their Entcrtaillments, and exceedln: kind to Stlangers; which I may fay indeed from Experience ; for I never mer Witll nzore Civiliry in ally Pavt ot the \)i70rld.

They are generally of a dark Complezioll, perSon- able, and conzely enouDh. Tlle Women are 1Q\21Y; and tlle Gcntry of tllcm go szzell dlefic, are gentccl in Carriage, svell behant'd sn Company, and fmart axld pleafatlt in Constcrfation, evell to a Miracle, con fidering vlley live in fuch a retllote Inand, wlaicll has {o little Correfpondence \Mitll the reA of the World: Thcy delirht nzore in tlae Converfation of A{ct1, tllan in tlle corrltllon Titt'c-tattle of their osvn Sex; tllCy are St-rangcrs to Plas, Operas, MaCqucl^adcs, Ballsa ASemblies, Set Vifttin*Das, extravagant VrefsX Ga1 lalwtry, c. alld are frcc ftoln thofe falhional3le Vices nvllich fo mucn diE:,race rlacir 13CtttrS: In a NVerd tlley are modeR Virgins, atltt \TirtuOus \\/ives: Ndulrcry is not rO nlucll as knosstn amontt tllCl: Uritll thz common Sort Fornication fonzetlmes ll;.RppellS; but their Con(lancy is fuc!*, that theat are futc to marry each other after; ncvcrtlleleEsX if a Clliid happcus to come in leSs tllan nine lKlonths aftcr tlle Alarlia(rc, tlucy are boFh obligcd, by the Lau7 of SrorlndX to

l do

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[ 64 3 o Penane ln thc Wrirk. Tluis heinous Sin the piolls

Pric(} cal, £ffNtealqptial Eoraia6lt0n. 1 lle Counery is moPr commodious fbr Navigation;

v.lsictz makes tne wonder it has becn fo long ne- Csc2cd, anel rilat we have not even {o much as a Map vt- irO tI 1Acrc are more than tsrenty fafe Harbours, Qf caisywtNczcIS, capable of receivin^, large Ships; tlle

nloR remalkablc of which are Larwiak or Brear Sound ; cDrv hr and Balta Sound on tlle Ealt Side, and 5'sallowa) OlifvaeX and hlley Sound on the \Vell Side of tlle Country. Tlle CoaPt is all high and bold, and may be feen many Leagucs from Sea There sre no SansSs round the wholc Inand, and but few funken Rocks, and thoSe very near th& Shore; except one dangerous Shoal on tlle Wek Side, called Hvve de Grind, and fome Rocks on the S7 W. above Water; both which} as well as thc whole Ifland, I have cxadtly liursteysd; and I thinlz 1 may gay, witllout VanityX that I can prodllx a very good Map of Zettand} which) I believe1 may be otb rood Service tO aYigationZ efpecially this War- Time. --*- I fear I have now tried your Patlence with nly long incoherent Spilile: I [hall thercfore con clude with my kind tove to all Eriends; who am?

I)evr Sir, mogr mofl af92ionate>7

Smble SersantX

Tho. PreRon.

X. B. T Auior has luly pabliS a rey arase of th

IX}

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