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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 783
wood grows on any of the iflands. They follow the reformed religion. Thee iflands
are well peopled; above all, round the coafts, which prefent feveral bays, creeks, ports,
and anchorages.
Mainland ifland is feventeen leagues long from N. to S., and five leagues from E. to
W. atanaverage. This ifland alone includes more ports and anchorages than the
iflands of Yelle, Unft, and all the others together. I fhall fpeak of thofe only even
which are in Mainland, the others not being frequented, nor fit to receive veflels of any
burthen, as well that fhips of any defcription abfolutely require pilots of the place
for fteering them. Let us begin with the fouthern part of Mainland, where there is
anchorage for a {quadron of ten veffels north of a {mail ifland called Pard-ifle. The en-
trance into this road is either by the FE. or W. of this ifland, which is fafe ; and the an-
chorage is in twelve to fixteen fathoms water, bottom of large fand. This road is at
the extremity of a very high and diflinguifhable cape, called Swineburger-bead. This
is the beft in this part. Mr. Bellin defignates three other anchorages between tlus cape
and cape Fitzul, which is the moft weftern point of the fouthern lands, but thefe an-
choring places are bad, being expofed to hurricanes of wind, which render the feas
dreadful. There is only Quendale-bay which can receive large veflels. It is large
and f{pacious ; there is an eafy entrance, and an eafy way out. On all the weftern fide
there is only one road fit to receive veflels of war, it is that which the Dutch call Magny-
fiord. Its entrance is three leagues N. of the cape, called Fitzul by the French. On
the eaftern part are the belt ports and anchorages. Four leagues N. of Swineburger-
head, towards the E., a little ifland is feen, called Connix ifle, which with the large
ifland, forms an excellent road, called Hamburger-haven; there is eight fathoms wa-
ter; it may be entered by the N. or by the S.: but the belt harbour of the whole
of the Shetland Ifles is that of Iaerwyck, which is four leagues more to the N. than
the laft. ‘The roads of Laerwyck would contain a whole fleet. Every year about St.
John’s day, five hundred fifhing veflels are feen anchored before the town of Laerwyck.
The Dutch, who every year refort to thefe coafts for the herring fifhery, call thefe roads
the Great-bay, or Brafla-found, on account of the ifland of Brafla, which forms the
harbour and prote¢ts it from the eaft winds. To enter Braffa-found from the fouth,
Brafla muft be left to ftarboard at a cable’s length, and the courfe be continued up
the channel till you come before the town of Leerwick, where there is anchorage in
five, ten, or fifteen fathoms, according as you goNnear to, or keep diftant from fhore.
North of the town are the veftiges of a fort which commanded the roads, and which was
deftroyed by Mr. Bart. The entrance of the road of Laerwyck is eafily known by Nofs
ifland, which is alfo called Hanging-cliff, on account of a remarkable rock which hangs
over into the fea, forming a natural vault. This ifland is eaft of Braffa, and ferves as a
landmark for the port of Laerwyck; the fleet enters fouth of Brafla, and the eddy
confequently carries them to the fouth. ‘The tide is {tronger towards the north of the
channel, and the paflage more difficult. This is the mode of getting out through the
paflage called North Sound, and thefe the precautions neceflary to be taken. I ob-
ferved that the flood bore to the north. You fteer fo as to leave to ftarboard a {mall
ifland, called the Holm of Cruefter, at about a mile’s diftance, on account of the rocks
which are under water at half a quarter of a league to the weft of the ifland. When
this ifland is paft, and bears E. quarter S. E., there is nothing further to be ap-
prehended from the rocks called Fabarre. You continue your courfe, keeping mid-
channel, until you perceive the channel begin to narrow; then, in order to avoid a
bank, which is in the middle of the narrowe(t part of the channel, and over which there
is but twelve feet at low water, you muft pals by either on the one or the other fide
of
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