verns also are frequent in the shores, the favourite haunts of seals; some of these extend so far, that a boat may enter a hundred fathoms; some pass through a hill, and are open at both ends; some stretch through a whole island.

There are a few fresh-water lakes among the hills; the largest is only two miles in circumference: torrents are of course numerous, and afford great facilities for water-mills. Some falls appear only after heavy rain: if a strong wind happens to blow toward the rock, the water is dispersed like a shower; if the wind be like a hurricane, none of the water is seen to fall, the whole is driven up into the atmosphere like a thick mist, which is sometimes glorified with a rainbow. The most remarkable fall is called Fosaa, in Nordstromoe; it consists of two, one below the other, each computed at from 70 to 100 feet. Landt was assured that trouts had been seen to work their way up it. A warm spring in Osteroe, called Varmakieldi, is the Spa of the Feroe islanders. They used to assemble there at Midsummer, to use the water as a remedy, and to amuse themselves. Their faith in its medical properties has abated; but the good Pastor, who employed his leisure among them in collecting information for this very interesting volume, says that they derive material benefit from the journey and the cheerfulness of the place; their inactive life and sedentary labours render them liable to various disorders, and the effect of change and excitement is such, that they return home greatly improved hoth in body and mind. It is then to be regretted that the Varmakieldi waters should go out of fashion. Some Danish physician should write a paper upon their virtues for the Copenhagen Transactions.

Seventeen of these islands are inhabited. They were first peopled, according to Landt, in the ninth century, by some Norwegians, who, being discontented with their King the famous Harold Harfager, retired here, and supported themselves, after the manner of their fathers, by piracy. It is however apparent, from what this author himself states, that some of these islanders are of a different race: the natives of the southern isles, he says, have round faces, are of lower stature, speak more rapidly, and are much livelier in their actions than those of the northern. These, therefore, are evidently of Finnish extraction; and it is owing to the mixture of this race that the language is not purely Norse. Magnus the Good reduced these islands to obedience: since that time they have belonged to Norway, and upon the union of the two crowns were annexed to Denmark. During the present war, the conduct of some British privateers who landed here and upon Iceland, excited the attention of Government; and an Order of Council was issued, declaring that these inoffensive islanders were not to be molested in consequence of the war between Great Britain and Denmark, and that

they might continue in perfect security the little traffic which they carried on with the mother country. Such is the temper with which this country makes war; while the system of its enemies is to aggravate the evils of hostility by the wanton infliction of private and individual misery.

This is not the only advantage which the Feroe islands have derived from the remoteness of their situation. Too distant, too uninviting, and, above all, too unproductive to be coveted, they have never been granted by the crown to any petty tyrants, and thus have escaped those feudal oppressions which degrade the Danes, and still (though in a mitigated degree) disgrace the Scotch islands. They are therefore a contented and a happy people. From their government they derive just sufficient assistance to prevent them from losing the little degree of civilization which they have attained. The population in 1782 amounted to 4409: the revenue in 1790 to 3172 rix-dollars ;* it arises from the royal domains, quit-rents, and taxes; the latter are light, and the greater part of all is paid in produce; only the wool, which is thus paid, is sold at a fixed price to the poor at Thorshaven, (the capital of the largest isle) to prevent a scarcity of it. Their ecclesiastical establishment is proportionally inexpensive. The islands are divided, or rather clustered, into seven parishes, composed of thirty-nine congregations, each having its church: the yearly revenue of each church amounts (in general) from ten to twenty rix-dollars, so that the income of the greatest pluralist does not exceed five and twenty pounds. And here indeed the labourer may truly be said to be worthy of his hire. The long journies which the clergyman must undertake are equally difficult and laborious; there is no carriage road: in many places the country is so craggy, that it is impossible to ride; and in all places the snow early in autumn and late in spring renders it impracticable. In one parish the church-path (though always the best, and often the only road in these islands) is so steep and narrow, that at funerals the corpse is fastened to a board, and carried upon men's shoulders. At one Island it is necessary to hoist the clergyman by a rope from his boat, there being no other means of landing. On those Sundays when the clergyman does not attend, the parishioners meet at church, where one of them officiates and reads a printed sermon. There is not a single school or schoolmaster throughout all the islands: parents instruct their children themselves; and if at any time they have not leisure, a neighbour will undertake the task. All of them can read, except a few persons of very great age; an exception which proves that the people have advanced in civilization: they are fond of reading, and the pastor says that he found his pa

The rix-dollar is about four shillings.

rishioners very well instructed in the Christian religion, and often thoroughly acquainted with the Bible.

Thus the Feroese resemble the Scotch in the religious and moral part of their character as well as in the poverty of their church establishment, and the almost total privation of religious ceremonies. This is to be attributed to their habits of humble and laborious life; partly also it must be ascribed to their situation, their climate, and their perilous employments in fishing and fowling: being familiar with danger, they are associated as it were with the elements and with the forms of nature. Under like circumstances the savage and the sailor become superstitious, because they are uninstructed the Feroesc, like the Scotch, have their pastor and their Bible; and therefore faith, which is an appetite of the human mind, finds its proper food.

"In regard to the mental qualities of these people,' says Landt, 'they are much more ingenious than might be expected in so insulated an abode : but if in this respect they surpass the inhabitants of a great part of other Danish provinces, (which, however, he adds, I am far from asserting,) they are certainly indebted for this advantage to their state of freedom, and the little restraint they are under in conversing with each other.' The writer here shows imperfectly his opinion that the Feroese are in general superior to the Danes, though he does not think fit to assert it in Denmark; and he has assigned the true cause: they are a freer people. They reckon adily by head, summing up even fractions with facility. Many o. them are good chess-players. Their practical knowledge of astronomy is such, that in clear weather they can determine by the stars the hour of the night. One of their methods of dividing time is peculiar to themselves: they reckon the day and night by eight ökter; of three hours each; these again are reduced into half ökters, and they name them according to the point of the compass on which the sun is at the time: thus East-North-East is half past four in the morning; East is six; East-South-East, half past seven. Landt says that okt is certainly a corruption of vike, a week; but as the week consists of seven days, the derivation is surely untenable, and ökt may obviously be rendered an eighth.

The Feroese are a sober people, though, like all inhabitants of high northern latitudes, they are fond of strong liquors. Even at their weddings they seldom drink to intoxication; but in their places of trade, communication with the Danes has corrupted their own simple manners. The men dress plainly; the women are covetous of foreign ornaments. Since the time of Eve, the Tempter has changed his lure, and baits for the vanity, not the appetite of the sex. Landt praises the honesty of the people, and especially in cases of shipwreck. They claim a third of what they save as salvage; but they

exert themselves to the utmost to save as much as possible from the wreck, never secrete any part of it, take the sailors into their houses, maintain them at free cost, and give them money at their departure. The Pastor will not admit that his flock are addicted to any other faults than talkativeness, a little envy of their wealthier neighbours, and a little idleness. It is curious that the gout should be found among their diseases :-the Scotch regard it as a fit punishment for the luxurious living of the English; and yet it exists among these poor and temperate islanders. The author attributes it to their imprudence in throwing themselves on their beds to rest without pulling off their clothes, when they come home wet; he says, also, that the excessive heat of their apartments, and the bad custom of sitting close to the fire, dispose them to be goutish when exposed to the least cold or sharpness of the wind. Malignant catarrhal fevers commonly attack all the inhabitants without exception, on sudden changes of the weather, especially in autumn and spring; foreigners who settle in Feroe are generally free from this disease during the first two years. It is prevalent in Iceland also; but more so in the interior than along the shores. Leprosy was once very common; it has now almost totally disappeared: a fact which, in this instance, cannot be accounted for by any change of habits. The stone is more common than in other countries, and frequently proves fatal: Landt inquires whether it may not be occasioned by eating bread baked in the ashes, a portion of which necessarily adheres to the crust. The most singular disease among them shows itself in a great many small bladders surrounded with a red ring; it is remedied by bathing them with a decoction of ground liverworth, or by fumigating the part with conferva, first dried, and then placed on burning coals: but when these blisters spread over the whole body they prove mortal. Some superstition is mingled with most of their modes of cure: they have, however, one remedy which is singularly rude. When the uvula falls down, they cut off a portion of it, and no other bad effect has been experienced from the operation than a continual hoarseness.

It is fully believed by old people in these islands, that the sun and moon rise to a greater altitude than they did formerly. There are villages where the sun is never seen during some of the winter months; and where of course the day on which he begins to be visible is exactly known; but, in 1798, they say it was seen two days earlier than it ought to have been. Landt leaves the cause of this phenomenon, if it be indeed truly represented, to be investigated by astronomers: the change, however, is too great and too sudden to be possible; and as the question is, whether these Feroese were, in this instance, inaccurate observers, or the sun was irregular in his course, such an alternative admits of little hesitation. It has 4.4

VOL. IV. NO. VIII.

not been observed here as it has in the Zetlands, that the Northern lights are less frequent than they were formerly. The winds are tremendous; they descend from the hills to the shore; raise clouds of sand, and sweep them along the bays and creeks; sometimes they impel large stones which are lying on the hills, and roll them forward like balls. Landt even affirms, that they tear the turf from the sides of the hills; roll it together like a sheet of lead, and precipitate it into the vallies. Another instance of their vehemence which he positively asserts, is, that frequently on the west side of Skalling, the highest mountain in the whole group, the wind forces out huge masses of the projecting rocks which fall down, emitting flames and smoke. The translator perceives the improbability of this account, and endeavours to explain it by saying it is possible that sparks elicited by the collision of the falling mass against the rocks, may set fire to some sulphureous or other inflammable matter;' but we know of no inflammable matter among nature's preparations which can thus easily be ignited. It is hardly a more plausible supposition to suspect that they may be volcanic appearances; for these could scarcely exist without unequivocal proofs of their nature. There is, however, no solution which we should so unwillingly admit as that of imputing direct falsehood to an author whose work every where bears marks of well-meaning, and to whom no possible motive can be ascribed for deviating in this instance from his usual veracity.

During these wind-storms travellers are in great danger; as soon as they hear the hurricane bellowing among the hills, if on horseback, they immediately dismount, if on foot they fall flat on the earth to avoid being thrown down, and perhaps dashed to pieces. It is not said whether these storms are preceded by any appearances like those before the helm-wind of Crossfell, a phenomenon which they seem to resemble both in the violence of their effects, and in beginning upon the heights. Before one of these hurricanes, a cracking and crashing is heard in the houses as if they were about to tumble down; such is the pressure of the air. The inhabitants, when they take the alarm in time, place boards on the roofs of their houses, throw ropes over them, and fasten down the ends with heavy stones; otherwise the roof is not unfrequently carried away, and even the flooring forced up.

In proportion as these remote specks in the ocean are without historical and commercial interest, they are rich in the more interesting facts of natural history. It is well known that when sailors wish to drive a whale away from their ship, they pump out the bilge water. The Feroese fishermen, by whom these hugh animals are greatly dreaded, have not this remedy at hand; but they also have discovered that the whale is impatient of unpleasant odours. They