in rotation and board him, while the poor's fund supplies what is required for clothing. This fund is derived from collections made at the doors of the churches, and amounts to about L. 10 annually.

Revised May 1841.

UNITED PARISHES OF

FETLAR AND NORTH YELL.

PRESBYTERY OF BURAVOE, SYNOD OF SHETLAND.
THE REV. WILLIAM WATSON, MINISTER.

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

THE united parishes consist of the Island of Fetlar and the north part of the Island of Yell.

Extent and Boundaries.-Fetlar is in north latitude between about 60° 34′ and 60° 38′ by Thomas's chart; bounded on the east, by the German Ocean; south, by the wide frith separating it from Whalsay and the mainland; west, by Colgrave Sound between it and Yell; and north, by the Sound which separates it from Unst and Isle of Uyea. It is 7 miles long and 4 miles broad.

North Yell is in latitude between 60° 37′ and 60° 43′; bounded on the east, by Blue Mull Sound, separating it from Unst; south, by Mid Yell; west and north, by the Northern Ocean. Length, 6 miles; breadth, 5 miles.

The figure of both is very irregular, being indented by numerous bays and inlets of the sea. There are no mountain ranges but several hills, none of which rise more than 300 feet above the level of the sea. In both parishes, there are some fertile valleys.

The coasts, both of Fetlar and North Yell, are of great extent, owing to the many bays in both. In Fetlar, the principal bays are, Tresta, sandy; Aith Bay, pebbly; Funzie, the only ling-fishing station in the island; Gruting Voe, pebbly; Urie, where there is a kind of pier lately built; Sand, a small sandy bay; and Mowick, where the people of the east part of the island bring down their peats from the hill of Lambhoga, to be transported home by sea. The principal bays in North Yell are, Basta Voe, a broad,

deep, shingly bay; Gloup Voe, long, narrow, and partly sandy; Sand of Brecon, Papal, and Cullivoe.

Our climate is mild but moist; snow seldom lies more than three or four days at a time. Rheumatism and stomach complaints are very prevalent, and sometimes fever comes amongst us, but is seldom very fatal. North Yell is said to be more healthy than Fetlar.

Hydrography.-Colgrave Sound bounds Fetlar from south-west to north-west: it is about nine miles broad between Lambhoga in Fetlar, and Burravoe in South Yell, and three miles broad between Hammersness in Fetlar, and Burraness in North Yell. The Sound between Fetlar and Unst, is about six miles broad, and Blue Mull Sound, betwixt North Yell and Unst, about one or two miles, where narrowest. In all these sounds, but particularly in Blue Mull Sound, the tides run at a very rapid rate, so strong when wind and tide are contrary, that no boat or vessel could attempt to stem them.

We have some mineral springs but of no account, and no lochs of any consequence, though numerous small ones. The largest is in Fetlar, in the neighbourhood of the manse, which may be threefourths of a mile long, and one-fourth broad.

Geology.-Serpentine, containing chromate of iron, is an abundant rock; associated with the serpentine are deposits of mica slate, quartz rock, gneiss, chlorite slate, and clay slate. We may add to our list of rocks, diallage rock, syenite and syenitic greenstone, and granite in veins.

Zoology.-Sea-fowl in abundance breed on our rocks and holms, and many eggs are taken in the breeding season. Scarths, gulls, kittiwakes, marrots, mother Carey's chickens, and ducks of various kinds, abound. The wild swan pays us a visit in considerable numbers, going north and returning. Of land-fowls we have the corbie, the hooded-crow, the hawk, the grey plover, sparrow, linnet, starling, blackbird, wren, snowfleck. The mother Carey's chickens breed in deserted rabbit holes in the holms. The plovers, starlings, linnets, sparrows, snowflecks, and corn buntings are found in large flocks. I have seen only one or two robins, and once heard the cry of the cuckoo. The corncraik comes to us in summer, and wild pigeons are in abundance.

Our breed of cattle and ponies is small but hardy. A good number of both is sold every year; fat cattle, from L.2 to L.3; ponies,

from L.1, 10s. to L.5. The prices of both have been considerably raised since the steamer commenced.

A mixed breed of sheep was, some years ago, introduced into Fetlar, by Sir Arthur Nicolson, and scab, which was unknown among the native breed, was introduced along with them. This mixed breed does not seem to thrive well.

In the small lochs there is plenty of trout, which go up the burn to spawn about the end of September. Ling, cod, haddock, turbot, seath and flounders, are found in our friths and bays, sillocks and piltocks all along our shores. Limpets and welks are common. The limpet is used for bait to catch haddock, sillock, and piltock. Spouts and large muscles are sometimes driven ashore in stormy weather. Large oysters are dragged in Bastavoe; and some spouts are taken in Gloupvoe.

There are no forests of any kind in the parish. A few stunted trees and bushes drag out a miserable existence in some of the gardens. A few apples have grown in the manse garden, also some gooseberries, currants, and strawberries.

II. CIVIL HISTORY.

Land-owners.-There are 28 proprietors in Fetlar and North Yell, of whom the chief are, Lord Dundas, Sir Arthur Nicolson, and William Mouat, Esq.

Parochial Registers.-No parochial register is to be found, of older date than 1754: it commences with the ordination of Mr Gordon on the 12th June of that year, and was irregularly kept till 1803, when a new book was begun, in which the births and marriages are pretty regularly entered; but there are no entries of deaths.

Antiquities. In antiquities, we are not behind our neighbours, if any body thought it worth while to investigate them. We have St Hillary's kirk above Feal, Old kirk at Fetchie Burn, Roman Catholic chapels at Oddsta, Urie, Rossiter, Gruting, Strand, Hubie, Funzie, North Dale, Roman camp at Snawburgh, Pictish forts at brough of Hubie and Aithsness, two round Pictish buildings at Aithsness, several fonts dug up at Aithsness, some urns at Stackaberg with ashes, and bones among the ashes, stone urns dug up in the manse yard in 1828, old burial place at Hammersfield, where the bodies have been burnt, numbers of small round tumuli among the hills. All these in Fetlar. In North Yell, is a brough at Burraness almost entire, and another at Brough.

Modern Buildings.-The only modern buildings which we have in Fetlar are, a nondescript kind of house, designed for a mansion

house, by Sir Arthur Nicolson, and a modern mansion-house, belonging to Mr Smith, an heritor, both built of graystone from quarries in their neighbourhood.

In North Yell, are several modern buildings,-the church, the houses of Gloup, Midbrake, and Greenbank, all built of stone from their neighbourhood, with some freestone from Lerwick, for lintels to doors, windows, &c.

III.-POPULATION.

Dr Webster's report in 1755 is the oldest authentic statement, and it states the population of the two parishes at

Mr Gordon's in 1793,

1098 1346

M. F.

.

837

Fetlar,

North Yell, 1838, 960

The probable causes of this increase are, 1st, no drains from the parish since the peace; 2d, no epidemical diseases; 3d, early marriages; 4th, the introduction of vaccination.

All our population resides in the country. We have no towns

or villages.

Average of marriages in Fetlar for the last seven years,

in North Yell,

births in Fetlar,

in North Yell,

49

523

172/

144

Number of persons under 15 in Fetlar, 306, in North Yell, 283'

The people are not remarkable for any personal qualities. There are, in the two parishes, two insane persons, two silly, three blind, one deaf and dumb.

The people are social enough among themselves,-sympathize with one another,—are apt to murmur at their high rents,—are not intemperate, since smuggling has been almost entirely put down; but, within these few years, they have fallen into an abominable habit of smoking tobacco.

All the males in the two parishes, except a few to be hereafter mentioned, are employed in agriculture. Those who are employed in the home fishery, have all something to do with the cultivation of land, as heads of families, or children, or servants belonging to the family. There cannot be said to be any manufactures among us. A few, at their leisure intervals from the work of the farm or fishing, (for these two occupations are conjoined), employ themselves in weaving "hame claith," or in making and mending clothes or shoes. In the two parishes, there may be ten or twelve persons, who are chiefly employed as masons; but all of these have small farms, and most of them are engaged in the herring-fishing in the season. In Fetlar, there are two retail merchants for tea, spirits, cloths, &c. and the same number in North Yell. There are in Fetlar, 123 men at the ling and herring fishing; 32 at Greenland and Davis' Straits; and 26 superannuated labourers. In North Yell, there are 128 ling and herring fishers; 25 at Greenland and Davis' Straits; and about the same number superannuated.

We cannot reckon, in the two parishes, more than five or six men-servants, all above 20. Of women-servants, there are 38 in Fetlar, and 44 in North Yell.

Agriculture. I cannot give an accurate account of the number of acres cultivated and uncultivated in the two parishes; but there are in Fetlar 7863 merks, and in North Yell, 634 merks of cultivated land, each merk being about three-fourths of an acre. Of uncultivated land, there may be in Fetlar from 10,000 to 12,000 acres, all undivided common, except 1200 acres, and a great proportion of which might be cultivated with a profitable application of capital.

In North Yell, there may be from 12,000 to 15,000 acres uncultivated, all undivided common; much of which might be improved, though it is much more rugged than Fetlar, and not nearly so capable of being cultivated.

Rent of Land.-The average rent of land in Fetlar is about 16s. per merk, and in North Yell, about L. 1, with privilege of hill pasture. The expense of grazing an ox or cow for the summer is 6s., and a sheep for the year 1s. 6d.

Prices. The price of oats per lispund of 32 lbs. is Is. 9d.; of bear, 1s. 8d.; of potatoes, 6d. per anker of 10 gallons; wool, from 8d. to Is. per pound; wadmal or claith, from 1s. to 1s. 4d.;