plements principally used, are the spade, harrow, and plough, the last generally drawn by four oxen, two abreast. The ground is divided into outfield and infield: the outfield is the land last cultivated, commonly sown with oats, and allowed to remain fallow for one, and sometimes two successive years; the infield, what has long been in culture, bearing barley and potatoes, and usually turned over every year. The grasses have never been much cultivated; white and red clovers are common; and ryegrass, growing naturally in many places, has fully succeeded under proper cultivation: the quantity of hay is very inconsiderable. When the seed is sown, the inhabitants proceed to repair their fences, and to cut their peats for fuel-the only fuel, with a trifling exception, which is used in the country.The casting (cutting) of the peats is an ancient festival, still lingering in partial preservation. When the frost prevents the operation of the public water mills in grinding the corn, small hand mills are substituted, of which there is one in almost every family.

From the unsettled, tempestuous nature of this climate, Dr. E. is apprehensive that agriculture can never become an object of undivided interest. It is considered a good year when, with the help of fishing and other means, there is no necessary importation of meal. In the most productive year, the crops do not support the inhabitants above five or six months; and they have often failed entirely, and the ravages of famine been averted by the assistance of Government. Barley, oats, potatoes, and cabbage are almost the only articles which the ground has hitherto been made to produce. The difficulties Dr. E. enumerates as chiefly retarding the success of husbandry in Zetland, are, the farmer's universal prosecution of the ling-fishing, the yearly letting of the farms, and the undivided state of the scatthold or commons. He suggests some improvements, by recommending enclosures, and clearing diligently the ground of weeds; increased attention to composts, peatmoss, seaweeds, &c.; a proper rotation of crops; cultivating new ground; and the rearing of trees-whose former existence there is every reason to believe, trunks being often found imbedded in the moss. He opposes warmly the projected' substitution of sheep-farming for agriculture, and very sensibly, we think, assigns his reasons.

We next come to the Fisheries, the natural source of wealth to this country,-but long engrossed by he Flemings and Dutch. The coast and bays abound with various kinds of fish, some of which may be taken every fair day throughout the year. It is the white-fishing, however, the

ling, tusk and cod,-that has hitherto chiefly engaged the Zetlanders; and every summer they cure for exportation about 1010 tons. The regular fishing season commences about the 20th of May, and terminates with the 12th of August. The boats are imported from Norway in boards, and vary from from 15 to 18 feet of keel,-with a lug-sail,and from three to six or seven men. They carry from 50 to 120 lines or boughts, as they are termed, each, in length, about 50 fathoms; and the hooks are affixed by small cords, five fathoms apart. The preferred bait is haddock; and the haul is usually made a few hours after the line is set. Every boat's crew have a little turf-roofed hut in which they lodge ashore. Under favourable circumstances, they are out from 18 to 30 hours; yet a hard gale may detain them two or three days, with no provisions but a small quantity of bread hastily baked, a little spirits, and a few gallons of water. Eighteen and twenty score of ling have been taken at a haul, but six or seven, on an average, is reckoned good. The fish are cured by old men and boys; the salt is obtained duty free in the proportion of fifty pounds to a cwt.; and on every cit. exported, a premium of three shillings is granted by Government. The trips to the haaf, or fishing-station, rarely exceed eighteen in a season, Nearly 3000 inhabitants are employed; about 31. is the highest wages given for the season.

Besides ling, tusk, and cod, which are immediately sold by the fisher-farmer to his landlord, halibut, skate, &c. are caught, and remain his own property. After the 12th of August, too, the fishers, in many places, take a considerable number of ling which they may also retain. These are split and laid in salt till the spring, when they are washed and dried for exportation, They are distinguished as the winter-fish, and, rightly managed, are found quite as juicy and well-flavoured as those caught in summer; 65 tons are yearly exported. Dr. E. proposes some improvements in an illustration of this position- a vessel of about 25 tons burden, with a boat not exceeding 15 feet of keel, and a crew of nine men, comprehends every thing practically useful in the prosecution of the ling fishery: but we forbear to trace the detail. The section is finished with suggesting, that Government should remove the duty from the spirituous liquors which are used aboard during the season, and by an amendment in the naval provision favour the consumption of fish. An ample indemnification is promised in a multiplied supply to our navy of hardy Zetlandic seamen.

The natural history of the herring is but imperfectly understood. Herrings are found in a great body to the north of Zetland towards the end of May, and soon after separate

to visit the west and east coasts of Britain. They have been taken in some of the bays in November, and their fry found in the stomachs of birds and fish during the summer months. Hence the Doctor thinks they probably spawn in the deep bays, and on the Scotch coast; where they await the return of the old, next season, and accompany them in their voyage back to the north. The Zetlanders never tried the deep sea herring fishery before 1898. During the late and present wars Dutch vessels occasionally appeared to prosecute their ancient occupations, but Bonaparte's decrees and the British retaliating measures have entirely destroyed even this partial intercourse. The present administration has very liberally encouraged the herring fishery. It continues a month later than the ling.

The coal-fishing is also very beneficial to the Zetlander. The fry appear along the shores in May, and are caught with the fly in August. They are then known by the name of sillocks, A year older, called piltocks, they frequent the deep water and tideway, and many leave the coast with the herring. After this age they are said not to appear for some years, when, under the appellation of sethe, they are taken in the tideway as mackerel. It is as the sillock and sethe, however, that this fish is most profitable, and it proves a principal, and very nutritious means of subsistence to the poor. Fifty tons of dry sethe are annually exported-the chief market is Leith.

A sensible and pretty liberal chapter follows, on the connexion that subsists between the landholders and tenants, and some improvements of which it seems susceptible. Our limits, however, peclude an intelligible abstract; and indeed our preceding remarks anticipate much which we should else have had to introduce.

The second volume begins with the trade and manufactures of the islands. The manufactures are few, and, as yet, imperfectly conducted. The women's knitting worsted stockings, gloves, and caps, on wires, is among the oldest: but owing to the cessation of intercourse with the Dutch and German fishermen, and the superior attention now paid in Britain to the increase and refinement of the wool, the demand for Zetland hose has been greatly diminished; and the amount of the present annual exportation does not exceed 5000l. Blankets and the ordinary coarse cloth worn by the inhabitants are woven in every parish. An establishment, on a small scale, of a manufactory of coarse woollen cloth, would seem likely to succeed; and one for the manufacture of the lines and cordage used by the fishers, appears peculiarly eligible. Kelp has been manufactured with tolerable success since its intro

duction about 1760, and in 1808 the produce amounted to 600 tons it sold in Zetland as high as 127. per ton, but from five to eight pounds was its usual price at Leith. This trade claims particular attention, and is certainly susceptible of great and easy improvements both in quantity and quality. It is folly to confine the use of sea-wrack and tangle simply to manure.-There are three straw manufactories, employing about 200 girls, some of whom can earn about eight or nine shillings a week.-The statement of the trading sea force is, 10 ships-768 tons-53 men and boys.* The chief exports are-fish, (the main article,) oil, kelp, butter, hides, beef, tallow, stockings, calf and rabbit skins; the imports include the luxuries and even the necessaries of life. The exports are stated at 53,3197. 12s.; the imports at 43,920l.: the balance, therefore, drawn in favour of Zetland is 9,3997. 12s. Lerwick, situated in the middle of Mainland, and containing about 1600 inhabitants, is the capital. It has about three hundred houses, is about half a mile long, and stands at the foot of a hill close to the shore. The townhouse, custom-house, prison, mason-lodge, and a neat church, are its only public buildings. There are a few lodging houses, but no good inn. The north side is bounded by Fort Charlotte, which flanks the town, mounting twelve guns, and secures it from maritime attack. Though there is no regular market, yet provisions are, in general, plentiful and moderate : beef on an average is threepence halfpenny a pound; a good sheep may be got for six or eight shillings; goose may be bought at Christmas for one shilling and fourpence, a duck for eightpence or tenpence, a hen for sixpence; there is also variety of wild fowl, and abundance of excellent rabbits.Amidst our toils, we have been looking for a passage we could conscientiously trouble ourselves to transcribe, and hope we may have at length hit on one that will be popular.

Fish, at particular seasons, is very abundant, and some kind or other may always be had near Lerwick, when the state of the weather is such as to permit boats to go off in search of them. A good cod may be bought for 3d. or 4d. and haddocks at the rate of six for a penny. Mackerel begin to be caught about the middle of August, and continue on the coast for a month. They are large and well flavoured. The other kinds of fish in common use, are ling, tusk, whitings, flounders, and the young coal-fish called sillock. Toward the end of Autumn,

The

* More than three thousand Zetlanders are serving in our fleets. worthy author's pathos is usually too ludicrous to bear sympathy, but we really join him in our hearts in his lamentation over the severe sufferings and sorrow frequently occasioned by the impress of seamen. Is this remaining curse of our naval establishment inevitable? VOL. VII.

3 E

the latter are very delicious, and are much prized in the country. There are no real turbot in Zetland, but plenty of halibut, which the fishermen deem the greatest delicacy. Soles are very scarce, and are seldom ever seen, except when driven on shore during bad weather. A few salmon have been caught, but are seldom sought after. There is a vast number of trout, both in the sea and the lakes, some of which equal the salmon in size, and exceed him in flavour. Besides these, there is a variety of shell fish, such as the crab, lobster, muscle, cockle, oyster, razor-fish, &c. The oysters are of moderate size, very rich and fat, and are much esteemed by strangers. They are brought chiefly from the islands of Burza, and, after a carriage of six miles, seldom exceed 8d. or 10d. the hundred.' Vol. II. pp. 33, 34.

We find in Lerwick justices of the peace, a sheriff, acommissary-court, and an admiralty. The Zetland gentry, polite and hospitable, with their card-clubs, and subscriptionballs, Dr. E. very courteously represents as good sort of people. He deservedly eulogizes the ladies, and also compliments the presbyterian divines. The tradesmen, it seems, are industrious and sober; and we are regularly led on to review

*

The manners and character of the Zetlandic peasantry;of course the most interesting part of the work, though it is, notwithstanding, but poorly executed. The male peasants are represented as well made, strong, enterprizing, and patient of fatigue; the women handsome, and gentle. There is little peculiarity in the dress; both sexes commonly wear the coarse manufacture of the country, and always appear at church, or festival, pleasingly clean and neat. Their cottages consist of two apartments, with a fire place in the middle of the larger floor, and a hole through the roof for the emission of smoke. Their food is chiefly bread, milk, and fish; some have small quantities of mutton and pork, and a few beef: they seldom salt their meat, but smoke it or dry it in the air. Their principal liquor is bland,―the serum of milk after churning, which is said to be an agreeabie beverage, and can be preserved a twelvemonth. Since the imposition of the heavy malt duties, the brewing of ale has been discontinued. The men are fond of spirits and snuffs, and the women of tea; rather than want which luxury they would deprive themselves of even some of the necessaries of life. Intoxication is rare. Christmas, (Yuleday,) and New years day are very profoundly revered. Dr. E. describes the male peasants as, in general, indolent, servile, distrustful, acute, and hospitable: the females as industrious, constant, chaste, and affectionate. He adds,

Upon the whole, the leading features in the character of the Zetland

* We need scarcely remind our readers how inimitably well this fashionable phrase is commented on and illustrated by Mrs. Hannah More in her Thoughts on the Manners of the Great.