The Orkney Islands, the Orcades of the ancients, are separated from the main land of Scotland, by the Pentland Frith, which is ten miles broad; they are about thirty in number, many of them being uninhabited, producing only sheep pasture; the principal inhabited ones, are Pomona, Hoy, North Ronaldsay, South Ronaldsay, Sandy, Stronsay, Eday, Westray, Shapinshay, Burray, &c.

The whole of these islands is divided into eighteen parochial districts, containing 4,475 houses, inhabited by 24,445 persons, viz. 10,848 males, and 13,597 females, of whom 2,370 were returned as being employed in trade and manufacture, and 14,586 in agriculture.

The straights between the Orkneys, called Voes by the inhabitants, have exceeding rapid currents, and near the island of Swinna are two very dangerous whirlpools.

The general appearance of the islands is hilly and rocky, and in some places sandy and barren, their chief produce being barley and oats: the climate in summer is moist and cold, but in winter there is never much snow, and it is of very short continuance. During the months of June and July, the inhabitants can see to read distinctly at midnight; and in December and January, the days are extremely short, the sun being only four hours above the horizon, and through the greater part of the winter all communication with the main land is impracticable.

Agriculture is in a very backward and rude state; here the crops of oats are sown late in March, or early in April, and barley in the beginning of May; the summer is employed in preparing fuel from turf and peat, and the crops are reaped from the latter end of August till the end of September: if it should remain later, it is generally from the gales preceding the autumnal equinox. Little is done during the winter months, except fishing on the coast; and during the summer, kelp is the staple commodity of the Orkneys. Except juniper, wild myrtles, heath, and a shrub called Cyorordon, there is scarcely a tree or plant to be seen.

There are no rivers; but the whole district is well supplied with lakes and rivulets, which even turn mills and produce delicious trout and some salmon.

The land animals are small horses, sheep, black cattle, swine, rabbits, red deer, and other game; the sheep are very numerous, but as they mostly run wild on the hills, suffering all the severities of hunger and cold, they are a very puny breed, but their wool is excellent, notwithstanding their scarcity of food; they are very prolific, and produce mostly two and often three lambs at a time. Goats are not common to the islands; the heaths abound with partridges, grouse, heathcocks, plovers, and other game. The wild birds are, various kinds of eagles, geese, ducks, herons, hawks, gulls, solan geese, swans, gannets, &c. The eagles are very large and mischievous, and according to the laws of the island, he that kills an eagle is entitled to an hen from every house in the parish where it was killed. The king’s falconer visits the island annually, to fetch away the young hawks and falcons, for which he has a salary, and can claim a hen or a dog from every house in the country, except in particular exemptions.

The seacoast swarms with otters and seals, besides plenty of cod, ling, haddock, herrings, and most kind of fish, and some whales; on the shore are found large quantities of shellfish; and coral, ambergrease, sponge, and spermaceti, are sometimes thrown ashore. But the greatest curiosity are those Phaseoli, commonly known by the name of Molucca, or Orkney beans, being a sort of fruit supposed to come from the West-Indies; and sometimes exotic fowls have been driven on the coast in tempestuous weather; a single Laplander has been seen more than once in his slender canal, driven hither by storms and adverse winds.

The language of the inhabitants is English with a strong Scottish accent, and the gentry like those of the main land, are civilized and very hospitable; the lower class though remarkably superstitious, produce many bold, active, and hardy sailors for the British service. They are here inured to great fatigue, and are very adventurous both in fishing and in climbing rocks after sea-fowls, which they catch in the following manner:—They row their boat under the rock where they descry the nests, and being provided with a large net, to the upper corners of which are fastened two ropes, which are lowered down by men on the top of the rucks, they hoist up the net opposite the cliffs where the birds are sitting, when the boatmen below make a noise with a rattle, which frightens the birds and drives them into the net. In other places the men lower each other by a single rope from the top of the precipice to the place where their prize is.

The prevalent distempers here are mostly those occasioned by the moisture of the climate, such as rheumatisms, consumptions, agues, &c. for the cure of the latter they use a diet-drink of bitters and antiscorbutics infused in ale.

The chief trade here is supplying with provisions the vessels which touch upon the coast in northern voyages, and the East-India fleet in time of war, when they pass this way to avoid privateers. They are also visited by the busses in the herring fishery, which barter tobacco, wine, brandy, and grocery for provisions. The produce of kelp has been calculated at about 8000 tons per annum, at the rate of about 6l. per ton.

The Isles of Orkney and Shetland compose one stewartry, and send one member to the British Senate. The right of superiority was dismembered from the crown by the Union Parliament, and granted for a certain consideration to the earl of Morton, who was by queen Anne appointed hereditary steward and justiciary, but at the abolition of hereditary jurisdictions it became vested in the crown, but as the earl of Morton possessed the patronage of the stewartry, that nobleman long possessed the office of steward and sheriff. Lord Dundas acquired the superiority some years since by purchase from the earl of Morton. He is authorized to appoint certain judges called bailiffs, one in every island and parish, who has power to hold courts, try civil causes to the value of 10l. Scots, or 16s. 3d. sterling, as well as superintend the manners of the inhabitants; but all other matters are referred to the decision of the steward or his deputy at Pirwall, the court town.

The early accounts of these Islands are involved in fable. They were first described by Melos; and Pliny the elder states their number to be about forty; again by Solinus they are slated not to have had a single inhabitant, but to have been overgrown with rushy grass. According to Ossian, the Orkneys were a distinct kingdom, having powerful monarchs of their own. It is probable that the Picts possessed these islands till the subversion of the British kingdom by Kenneth II.; and that they continued annexed to the Scottish crown to the middle of the 13th century; after which they were frequently disturbed by the pretensions of the Norwegians till the year 1470, when James III. of Scotland married Margaret, daughter of the king of Norway, when they were finally given up in lieu of her dowry; and upon the birth of her son (James IV.) they were finally ceded; which was afterwards confirmed, when James IV. of Scotland married Anne daughter of the king of Denmark. These islands having been so long and repeatedly in the possession of the Danes and Norwegians, many of the names of persons, as well as places, are derived from the Danish or Scandinavian language. Having thus given a general account of these islands, we shall now proceed with a separate description of the principal ones, beginning with, Pomona the largest, and therefore, also called Mainland, is 35 miles long and nine broad, and contains nine, parishes and four excellent harbours, at Kirkwall, Deersund or Deerland, Grahamshall, and Cairston.

There is limestone in various parts of this island, but it is not much used as a manure; probably owing to the scarcity of fuel to burn it. There is also abundance of freestone, and about the year 1735, a lead-mine was wrought by an English company in the village of Stromness, but it has never been attempted since. There are several lakes and rivulets abounding with salmon and other fish, also divers bays and headlands. The highest hill is on the north point of the island, it is called Rona’s hill, and is 3944 feet above the level of the sea: on it there are the remains of several towers and watch houses.

Though we have already given a description of these islands in our account of the British Isles, yet as they are so intimately connected with the northern division of Scotland, of which they form a principal part, the above account of them in this place cannot, we presume, be deemed superfluous: indeed to those persons who may wish to possess an account of Scotland, separate from that of England, the work will thus be rendered more complete) The Orkneys are situated only about ten or twelve miles north from the coast of Caithness, in the Northern Ocean, being separated from the main land by the Pentland Frith. The Deucaledonian ocean ex tends on the west, the sea of Shetland on the north, and the German sea on the east. These islands lie in longitude 22 deg. 11 min. latitude 59 deg. 2 min. The longest day here is eighteen hours, so that at mid night one may see to read a letter. The air sometimes produces meteors, which is what Wallace means by "petrified bodies falling from the clouds." The winters here are generally more subject to rain than snow, which last is of less continuance than in any other parts of Scotland; but the winds are violent, and waterspouts not uncommon.

The ancient name of the Orkneys, which Mela writes Orchades, may be derived from the Orcas, prom, of Ptolemy. Authors are not agreed as to the reason of giving the name of Pentland Frith to that straight which lies between the Orkneys and the main land: some say, that it is a corruption of the word Pictland Frith, which was so called, because the Picts formerly inhabited those islands, and part of the neighbouring continent; and that many of them perished here, when repulsed by the ancient inhabitants of Orkney. Others think that Pentland Frith, the proper name, and that it was so nominated from the highlands or hills in the north of Scotland, by which it is bounded on one side, for the same reason that the high hills, which take their rise some miles southwest from Edinburgh, are called Pentland hills.

This frith is remarkable for its swift, violent, and contrary tides, occasioned by the multitude of the isles and the narrowness of the passage, which makes it very dangerous, especially to strangers; and which is remarkable, the whirlpools, with which the frith abounds, occasioned, as is supposed, by some hiatuses in the earth below,' are most dangerous in a calm, and whirl the boats or ships round, till they swallow them up; but if there be any wind, and the boat under sail, they are passed without danger. The mariners who carry passengers between the main land and the isles, if at any time they are driven near these whirlpools by the tide, throw a barrel, bundle of strawy or any other bulky thing, into the whirlpools, which counteracts the force of the eddy, till the vessel has time to pass. The different tides in this frith are reckoned twenty-four, and run with such impetuous force, that no ship under sail, with the fairest wind, is able to make way against them; yet the natives on both sides who know the proper seasons, pass it every day safely, except when the weather is tempestuous.

Among the particulars of the tides here may be reckoned, that on the west side of the isle of Sanda it flows two hours sooner than on the east; and in North Faira, between Eda and Wetra, it ebbs nine hours, and flows but three. At Hammoness in Sanda, both ebb and flood runs one way, except at the be ginning of a quick stream, when for two or three hours, the flood runs south; and the multitude of the isles, and narrowness of the passage, makes the tides more rapid and violent, so that they cause a contrary motion in the sea near the shore, called, according to its course, Easter or Wester birth.

Historians agree in making the first inhabitants of these islands Picts, and call Orkney the ancient kingdom of the Picts. Claudian's lines, "Maduerunt Saxone fuso Orcades. Orcades wet with Saxon gore." prove that the Picts, with some other German co lony, particularly the Saxons, were at that time in possession of these isles, and so Ninnius expressly says. Many of the inhabitants use the Norse language, which differs but little from the Teutonic or Pictish language, and was in general use till the century before last; but except in Foula, where a few words are known by the aged people, it is quite lost. The English tongue, with a Norwegian accent is that of these islands; but the appearance of the people in their manners and genius evidently shew their northern origin. The ancient surnames are of German original, as the Scalers from the idol Seatur or Saturn; the Taits from Tuitch or the Dutch, so called from their progenitor Tuisco; the Keldas, from the Culdees, or Keldeis, the ancient Christian priests among the Picts; the Baikie, from Baikie, the Teutonic word for a running water. Stane, at the end of names, as Hourstane, Corstane, Yorstane, Beistane, &c. signifies the superlative degree of comparison. Some date the first settlement of the Picts here A. M. 4867; when, emigrating from their native country, they planted a colony in Orkney, and thence crossing the Pentland frith; and traversing Caithness, Ross, Murray, Marr, and Angus, settled in Fife and Lothian, thence called by our writers Pictlandia. Others think that they did not settle here till the time of Reuther king of Scotland, when the Picts joining with a party of the Scots, were repulsed, with the loss of their king Gethus, and many of the Picts and Scottish nobility, with great slaughter; but the invasions of the Britons at the same time constrained the Picts to fly to Orkney, where they chose for their king Gothus their de ceased king's brother, till they were able to return to Lothian, and drive out the Britons. After this they flourished here, and were governed by kings of their own. There still remains a place called Cunningsgar, whose name and form bespeak it the residence of some of them; but no traces of their history remain, except the name of Belus, in ancient characters, on a stone in the church of Birsa. This government probably subsisted till the subversion of the Pictish kingdom in Scotland, A. D. 839, by Kenneth II. king of Scotland. They continued subject to that crown till the usurpation of Donald Bane, who is said to have ceded these islands and the Hebrides to Magnus king of Norway, for his assistance in the year 1099; but Dr. Macpherson has shewn this to be very improbable. The Norwegians thus got possession of these islands, and held them for 164 years, and lost them in the year 1263 by the battle of Largis, between Alexander III. king of Scotland, and Haquin, king of Norway, who died the year after, and was buried in the cathedral of Orkney. While Alexander meditated the reduction of Orkney, as he had before recovered Man and the Western isles, Magnus, who succeeded his father on the throne of Norway, entered into a treaty with him to surrender all his right to them for 4,000 marks, and 400 marks a year; and for the better confirmation thereof, a marriage was set on foot between his son and Alexander's daughter, to be completed when the parties came of age. This Magnus was for his piety reputed a saint, and the patron of this country, where he built the cathedral church of Kirkwall, which is dedicated to him. He is said to have carried the news of Bruce's victory over Edward II. at Baunockburn, to Aberdeen, and over the Pentland frith; on which the king ordered that five pounds sterling should be paid for ever out of the customs of Aberdeen to the church at Kirkwall. Alexander gave Orkney to Speire earl of Caithness, whose son was also earl of Orkney and Shetland, and his daughter brought it by marriage to the Sinclairs, successively earls there of. These islands are computed to be thirty in number, and to occupy an area of 600 square miles; but there are only about 26 inhabited; the rest are called Holms, and are used only for pasturage. The principal inhabited ones are Pomona, Hoy, North Ronaldsay, South Ronaldsay, Sandy, Stronsay, Eday, Westray, Shapinshay, Burcay, &c.

The whole of these islands is divided into 13 parochial districts, containing 4,475 houses, inhabited by 24,445 persons, viz. 10,848 males, and 13,597 females; of whom 2,370 were returned by the late population act as being employed chiefly in trade and manufacture, and 14,586 in agriculture.

In general these islands are hilly and rocky, and there is scarcely a tree or shrub to be seen, though large trunks of oak are frequently dug up in the marshes. There are no rivers in the Orkneys, but they are well watered by lakes and rivulets. Great abundance of small horses, black cattle, sheep, and swine, are reared.

The following remarkable circumstance is told of the sheep which pasture in the uninhabited islands. In the spring, about combing time, if any person goes into the island with a dog, or even without one, the ewes suddenly take fright, and drop down as dead as if their brains had been pierced with a bullet.

The sheep in all the islands are remarkably prolific, having in general two and often three at a birth. The hogs are small, with bristly round backs, and feed at large in the fields.

All sorts of provisions are cheap, but in general the inhabitants are much distressed for the want of fuel; the farms are small, 20 acres of arable land being considered a large one. Their husbandry is extremely bad; for they have no rotation of crops, but oats and bear in alternate succession. Some spots have yielded crops of bear yearly without a change for fifty years. A small spot, now, of each farm is planted with potatoes. The single-stilted plough is that in almost universal use. The usual game found in the Highlands is also fond here.

The common people here are said to be much addicted to superstitious rites; in particular, interpreting dreams and omens, and believing in the force of charms. For example, in many days of the year, they will neither go to sea, nor do any work at home. In the time of sickness or danger they often make vows to this or the other favourite saint, at whose church or chapel they lodge a piece of money, as a reward for their protection; and they imagine, that if any person steals or carries off that money, he will instantly fall into the same danger from which they, by their pious offering, had been so lately delivered. On going to sea, they would reckon themselves in the most imminent danger, were they by accident to turn their boat in op position to the sun's course; they do not marry but in the increase of the moon; they would think that the meat was spoiled, if they were to kill their cattle when that luminary is waning; and they would consider it as an unhappy omen, were they by any means disappointed in getting themselves married, or their children baptized, on the very day which they had previously fixed in their minds for that purpose.

The gentry, like those of the main land, are very hospitable; and the lower class, though so superstitious, produce many bold, active, and hardy sailors for the British service. They are here inured to great fatigue, and are very adventurous both in fishing and in climbing rocks after the sea-fowls, which they catch in the following manner:—They row their boat under the rock where they descry the nests, and being provided with a large net, to the upper corners of which are fastened two ropes, which are lowered down by men on the top of the rocks, they hoist up the net opposite the cliffs where the birds are sitting, when the boatmen be low make a noise with a rattle, which frightens the birds, and drives them into the net. In other places the men lower each other by a single rope from the top of the precipice to the place where their prizes are.

The prevalent distempers here are mostly those occasioned by the moisture of the climate, such a$ rheumatisms, consumptions, agues, &c.; for the cure of the latter, they use a diet drink of bitters and anti scorbutics, infused in ale.

The chief trade of the islands is supplying with pro visions the vessels which touch upon the coast in nor thern voyages, and the East India fleet in time of war, when they pass this way to avoid privateers. They are likewise visited by the busses in the herring-fishery, which barter tobacco, wine, brandy, and gro cery, for provisions. The produce of kelp has been calculated at about three thousand tons per annum, at the rate of about six pounds per ton.

The islands of Orkney and Shetland compose one stewarty, and send one member to parliament. The union parliament dismembered the right of superiority from the crown, and granted it for a certain consideration to the Earl of Morton, who was by Queen Anne appointed hereditary steward and justiciary, but at the abolition of hereditary jurisdictions, it became vested in the crown; but as the Earl of Morton possessed the patronage of the stewarty, that nobleman long possessed the office of steward and sheriff. Lord Dundas acquired the superiority some years since by purchase from the Earl of Morton. He is authorized to appoint certain judges, called bailiffs, one in every island and parish, who has power to hold courts, try civil causes to the value of 10l. Scots, or 16s. 8d. sterling, as well as superintend the manners of the inhabitants; but all other matters are referred to the decision of the steward or his deputy at Pirwall, the court town.

We shall now proceed, having thus given a general account of these islands, with a separate description of the principal ones.

Pomona, called also Mainland, from its being the largest of the Orkneys; is thirty-five miles long, and nine broad, and contains nine parishes, and four excellent harbours, at Kirkwall, Deersund, or Deerland, Grahamshall, and Cairston.

Though limestone abounds in various parts of this island, it is not much used as a manure, probably owing to the scarcity of fuel to burn it. There is likewise abundance of freestone, and about the year 1735, a lead-mine was wrought by an English company, in the village of Stromness, but it has never been at tempted since. There are several lakes and rivulets, which abound with salmon and other fish, and also divers bays and headlands The highest hill lies on the north point of the island, and is called Rona's hill; it is 3,944 feet above the level of the sea, and on it are the remains of several towers and watch-houses.

Pomona is divided into the twelve parishes of Birsa, Sandwich, Eva, Kendall, Hara, Firth, Steanis, Stromness, Offer, St. Olas, St. Andrew's, Holm, and Deerness.