Reminiscences of a Voyage to Shetland, Orkney and Scotland ... Translated by C. Spence. Second edition, etc

Front matter

PLOYEN'S REMINISCENCES CHRISTIAN PLOYEN. FROM AN AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPH OF AN OIL PAINTING. REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO SHETLAND, ORKNEY & SCOTLAND IN THE SUMMER OF 1839 BV CHRISTIAN PLOYEN AMTMAND AND COMMANDANT IN THE FAROE ISLANDS TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH BY CATHERINE SPENCE SECOND EDITION. PUBLISHED AT COPENHAGEN 1840 % e r w i c I? T. & J. MANSON TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE FAROE ISLANDS, WHO ARE SO VERY DEAR TO ME, AND AMONG WHOM I HOPE TO NUMBER NOT A FEW FRIENDS, THIS LITTLE BOOK ie ©eMcateO WITH THE SIN CERE ST WISHES FOR THEIR FUTURE ADVANCEMENT. TRANSLATOR'S

Preface

. PHE publishing of the translation contained in these pages has been delayed by certain circumstances for fifty years. And during that period what momentous changes have occurred with regard both to the people and the places described ! But this disadvantage is perhaps in some measure compensated by the interest imparted by the novelty of beholding the picture so clear and vivid of how the islands appeared to an intelligent foreigner half a century ago. Mr Ployen (who has been dead for many years), was indeed a man of great natural ability, heightened by early culture, and much experience of life, and his shrewd observations on what he saw during his trip can scarcely fail to interest his readers, even though what he describes may have now passed away. GULBERVVICK, 3rd Sept., 1894. TO THE READER.

TT is not without a certain timidity that I adventure myself in the path of authorship, and I certainly should never have taken this step if I had not considered it my duty to lay before the public an account of a journey under taken at the public expense ; and moreover, if the help of the press had not been necessary for me to communicate with the small community among whom I live, and for whom I have specially written. With a steady view to this public, to whom I particularly desired to be intelligible, I have constantly compared Shetland with Faroe, and I hope that by these comparisons I have made my book more use ful, and at the same time more entertaining to the Faroese than had they been omitted ; but at the same time, I feel that for this reason I must often become tedious to the Danish reader — if, indeed, I am so fortunate as to find readers in Denmark.

Whilst on the journey I am about to describe, I daily wrote down notes of what I saw and heard. It is therefore my own observations which I now communicate ; but at the same time, when revising these, I made use of such sources of assistance as were within my reach, and these are : — Edmondston's History of Shetland, Hibbert's Des cription of Shetland, Barry's History of the Orkney Islands, Anderson's Guide to the Highlands, and Dr Low's Elements of Practical Agriculture. And now, without permitting my self further remarks, I abandon my book to its fate. THE AUTHOR. Thorshavn in Faroe March, 1840. CONTENTS. Page. Introduction XIII

Introduction

. "\ X THEN one has lived for a considerable time in the Faroe Islands so as to have become thoroughly acquainted with the resources of the country and the way in which the people gain their livelihood, the desire is natural to be able to contribute in some measure to the improvement of their con dition ; for everything there is in the same state as it was centuries ago ; but the race are bright and intelligent, and will soon progress when the first difficulties are overcome. From conversing with various Shetlanders of both upper and lower classes, who, from time to time, have visited Faroe ; from reading Dr Edmondston's Description of Shetland * and, moreover, from having seen these islands in the distance several times when sailing past them, I had become convinced that there is a great similarity of soil and climate in the two groups, though Shetland has reached a higher state of develop ment.

I therefore judged that it might be advantageous to visit Shetland, accompanied by two or three intelligent Faroese, and endeavour to become acquainted with such improvements as might be available here ; and when I was in Denmark in the summer of 1836, I represented these views of mine to the Royal Exchange, and solicited permission and assistance to undertake the voyage. This was graciously accorded, and I was further commissioned on the same occasion to examine a turf-press invented by Lord Willoughby and frequently mentioned in English newspapers ; to conclude a bargain about

INTRODUCTION.

. XIV a parcel of seed potatoes, greatly needed at the time in Faroe ; and lastly, to purchase on the public account some cows and one or two bulls. How I executed the different commis sions, none of which was in my own line of occupation, I shall describe in the following pages ; whilst without wishing to write a history of my voyages and travels, I shall at the same time set down whatever seems to me most likely to be interest ing. One other observation must be permitted me. Although every one who writes a book, big or little, good or bad, must desire readers, many readers and readers of sound judgment, yet I write with a steady view to the people of Faroe, and suit my style specially to the public to whom my book is addressed. Various circumstances, interesting only to myself, prevented me from carrying out my intention to travel until the Spring of 1839.

As companions I had chosen Poul Joensen, Udaller of Eide, Churchwarden and Dannebrogsman, who is remarkably intelligent and free from prejudice, and though above sixty still brisk and active ; also Poul Joensen from Ndlsoe, a fine intelligent fellow, besides being an expert fisher man and one of the best boat-builders in the country. Along with these I had also a young peasant proprietor, Mourits Mohr, who possesses some means, and who solicited permis sion to come with us at his own expense. I acceded to his request, the more readily as one of the greatest wants of the Faroese is an idea of the great world from which they are isolated by the present Government Monopoly, which often causes them to consider their own little world as perfect and incapable of improvement. The Directors of the Royal Faroese Trade kindly assigned to me for the voyage one of the merchant vessels which con stantly pass close by Shetland. I gratefully acknowledge this favour, as the vessel might very probably have been detained

INTRODUCTION.

. XV some days by having to land passengers ; but I had pledged myself to go ashore at any point of Shetland most convenient for wind and weather, even if this should be Fair Isle, and I did not expect much difficulty in landing, unless the weather proved exceptionally rough. Provided with an open letter of credit to draw on the Danish Vice-Consul in Lerwick, Mr C. Ogilvy, for any money required by me and my companions ; with passports from the Foreign Department in Denmark, and the English Am bassador at Copenhagen ; and lastly, a letter of recommenda tion from the Royal Exchequer to the authorities of those places that I proposed to visit, I prepared to leave Thorshavn in Spring 1839. I have always had a strong desire to visit foreign countries, so that when I saw this desire beyond expectation about to be gratified, and in such a manner that the journey might prove greatly to the advantage of the little community with whom my lot has been cast during the best years of my manhood, my exultation was very much greater than had I set forth on a pleasure trip. REMINISCENCES of a voyage to SHETLAND, ORKNEY, & SCOTLAND.

Chapter I. Departure From Faroe

— GENERAL REMARKS — ENTRANCE TO BRESSA SOUND. si \ N Saturday the ist June, about eleven o'clock at TT/ night, we got under sail in the trading schooner \ Hector. It is always with mixed feelings that one tears one's self away from family and friends, though only for a short absence. I bade farewell to two of my dear children, who were to be sent, during my absence, to Denmark for their education, and the thought that I should miss their company when I came back was very bitter to me. I stood long in the stern looking towards Thorshavn, until the hills of Stromoe began to sink into the sea, all but Skjelling, whose snow-clad summit still towered toward Heaven. Forthe enlighten- A ment of the reader who has never been in the far north, I may mention that in this latitude at this season, night is very little darker than day, so that every object can be distinctly seen even at a considerable distance, indeed one may read the smallest print at midnight.

On Sunday morning we had lost sight of Faroe, to my great satisfaction, since there is nothing more tiresome than sailing by a mountainous coast. To the unpractised eye it seems as if the ship was making no progress. The ocean between Faroe and Shetland is a real desert when the land is out of sight — the ship hovers like a point in limitless space, for rarely is another in view. Every one who has ever been at sea knows how enliven ing it is to meet another craft ; the spy-glass comes out and the sailors make guesses about where she belongs, whither bound ; and judgments are passed on her qualities and handling, the whole commonly ending with the conviction that their own vessel is a far handsomer craft and sails better, whilst the other lies like a log on the sea. From our heights we rarely see any other vessels than the French and Dutch craft that fish in our waters, and these are a thorn in my eye, at least so long as the Faroese are not able to meet them under more favourable circumstances than the present.

On Monday, the 3rd June, Foula, the farthest west ofthe Shetland Islands, could be seen from the topmast, and I went up several times to look out, for to a lands man firm ground is always pleasanter to look at than ocean only, even if not sea-sick. Variable winds and rough weather kept us during Tuesday under the land in sight of Foula and Fitful Head ; but on Wednesday, the 5th, the wind blew fair, and we could sail swiftly in past Sumburgh Head, the south point of Shetland. As we neared the land, I saw between Sumburgh Head and Fair Isle — a small island half way between Orkney and Shetland — a numberless multitude of small sloops and large two-masted boats, which all lay-to and fished ; nearer the coast, there were many common boats all busy in the same way. This is just the manner in which I think the Faroese should work, and though the fleet of small craft before me was a pleasant sight, it gave me a certain pang to remember how far short the Faroe fishing falls, and how many difficulties must be met and overcome before it reaches the point it might and ought to do.

To detain the Hector as little as possible, I wished to hire one of the fishing sloops to run to Lerwick with me and my small company. I went myself in the ship's boat on board one of them, and tried to bargain with the skipper, but he declared that he durst not leave his fishing ground, as the boat was not his own, and that the most ofthe others were in the same circumstances. It was therefore necessary to take a pilot along the coast, and when we hoist our flag, a small boat rowed by three men at once came alongside of us. This was the first Shetland fishing boat I had seen near at hand, and of course I scanned it earnestly. It was about the size, perhaps rather smaller, than our four manned boats ; each rower handled two small oars, and was seated on a mat of plaited straw, a luxury I would advise to the Faroese, as I often hear people complain of having to sit for hours on the bare toft and row hard ; and at any rate it would cost little to try the experiment of binding together a little straw, hay, or rushes in the form of a mat.

The people in the boat were meanly clad, one of them in a skin dress, very like what is worn here ; they begged for food, tobacco, and brandy — alas ! that I must say so — exactly like Faroese, they fished with hand-lines, and had several cod and saithe in the boat, and they used for bait the large mussel which they call yoags and we over. Whilst with one of this crew for pilot we sail along the south west coast of Shetland with a delicious breeze from the west, which allows us to approach the land or recede from it at pleasure, I shall give vent to my feelings about this begging from foreign ships, which I saw practised in Shetland, and have often witnessed in Faroe. It is a commonly received opinion that all islanders, whose natural position separates them from the rest of the world, are giving* to begging and stealing-, and as far ' O O OO O Qi as my* personal experience goes, the judgment is correct.

I owe it to the inhabitants of Faroe to state that I can travel through the islands with my trunks unlocked without fear of either clothes or money taken, though the luggage may pass through a hundred different hands. But the same men who were thus so trustworthy would in many cases the next day take peats or fish that belonged to a neighbour, or dig up his potatoes to spare their own. This kind of theft, especially the two first named, are very common and very difficult to detect, because every one has peat and fish that really belong to him, and supposing that any one is caught in the act and punished, he at once becomes an object of sympathy, since " he only took a bit of mould or a fish, which God created for the use of all." Such reasoning is a sad proof that pilfering is an en grained vice.

The same is the case with regard to begging. The poor among the natives of Faroe consider it no shame " to ask good men for what they need ;" but from the constant practice of this, they come at last to importune on every occasion for that which assuredly they do not need. When a foreign vessel comes into any of our harbours, this predisposition shows itself even in those who in ordinary circumstances would be far too proud to beg ; the people in the boat who pilot her in, or who row out to her when she has anchored, beg with ridiculous mein and gesture for all sorts of things — for chewing-tobacco, brandy and biscuit ; and it has vexed me exceedingly when the few strangers who visit us, have asked me if the Faroese were a set of beggars, as almost every one they came in contact with deaved them with their importunity.

I would like to be just towards the Faroese, and am forced to consider the whole of this mean practice as pure greed, and the desire to profit as much as possible by the coming of strangers. I have Often meditated on the cause of this shameful habit of begging, and am convinced that the Monopoly under which the Faroese have now lived for a long time, like a great hinge, on which the whole affairs of the islands turn, has a remarkable influence too in this respect. It is human nature to prefer what is beyond our reach, and as the inhabitants of our islands can procure no other wares of any sort than those offered by the royal monopoly, they have a childish hankering after anything that conies from anywhere else, and will willingly pay double for what is not better, only because it is foreign.

Trade with strangers is forbidden them, and they therefore take the only other means to obtain the otherwise inaccessible — they beg for it ; but in so doing they forget the shame they bring on themselves and their com patriots by showing themselves in such a pitiful light. What I have here set down is true, and it is my earnest hope and desire that my words may be laid to heart by all the Faroese who read them. The Shetlanders are, however, as inveterate beggars as the Faroese, perhaps even worse. I have myself often experienced this ; but they are, however, from causes which I shall afterwards explain, generally poorer than the Faroese, however lamentable our people may consider their own circumstances. Stealing is also carried on in much the same way as here. This indeed I do not know from my own experience, but I have heard it from so many trustworthy people that I cannot for a moment have any doubt on the subject.

Peats and food are also in Shetland the special objects of theft. During these reflections the Hector has glided swiftly past Sumburgh Head, whilst the strong tide of the roost is to-day more placid than usual, scarcely a ripple on the face of the deep ; and we change our course towards the north-east, to run for Lerwick. I had never been so near before to the coast of Shetland, and strain my eyes to catch an impression of its aspect. The hills are evidently not so high as with us ; Fair Isle, Fitful Head, and Foula, the points one generally sees in passing, are some of the highest ; the land lying further south is much lower, but the valleys are also broader and more level than those in Faroe, the coast is low and somewhat broad, and thence rises into hills. Large cultivated fields, high and regular fences, well built houses, are visible all along the coast, which by the way is dangerous from Sumburgh Head to Lerwick, not offering a single haven of refuge for a vessel.

To a stranger it is not very easy to find the entrance to Bressa Sound, on which the town of Lerwick stands, as there are two inlets in appearance, both of which look accessible, but the eastern one is the south entry. The one to the west, on the contrary, is close at the north and full of sunk rocks, on which many vessels have been wrecked. In clear weather a hill in Bressa called the Wart, meaning the beacon on Bressa, a conical height com posed of sandstone, on the top of which a pole has been fixed, is a good landmark, for by keeping close to the west coast of Bressa, which has no false opening, one can sail into the harbour. In foggy weather, of course, no skipper will attempt to find the opening without a pilot, at least unless forced by necessity ; and in such case I would advise him to keep as far east as possible, as he may thus get outside Bressa and Noss, whereas if he goes too far west, he will be in danger of shipwreck.

Although I am a landsman, and probably have not expressed myself in nautical language, I think it right to state what I am persauded is correct ; for I have often heard our skippers who run between Denmark and Faroe express the wish that they knew Lerwick Harbour or any of the other safe havens in Shetland, as it would be a great advantage for them in tempestuous weather, to put into one of these and wait for a time rather than to drive back into the North Sea ; and to the north of Lerwick excellent harbours are to be found both on the east and west side of the islands, though Lerwick and Scalloway are the only ports where vessels that have sustained material damage can undergo repair. On this subject I can only add that the English Govern ment has lately issued an excellent chart of Shetland, surveyed by Captain Thomas of the British navy, a chart which skippers sailing these seas should not be without.

At last we cruised outside of Bressa Sound, when the skipper expected that the pilot boat from the town would take us ashore ; but when one came off, he declared that we had come in so far, that it would be better to run through the harbour and out at the north entry, and in a minute or two we were in Bressa Sound, a large and remarkably safe harbour, formed by Main land on the west, and Bressa on the east. At the north end of the town stands Fort Charlotte on a slight eminence. The town itself is very irregular, compared with other towns in Europe ; in comparison with Thors havn, it is a city of palaces. The Hector made a dash through the harbour, a boat received our luggage, we gave our Captain a hearty shake of the hand, sprang after our belongings, received a salute of three guns, saw the Hector turn northwards, and rowed ashore to the town.

Halfway between the vessel and the landing place there met us a smart boat rowed by four sailors in a sort of uniform, and steered by a gentleman in a military coat and cap. It came near, and the gentleman spoke, but in so hoarse a voice that I could not make out one word. However, I took for granted that he had to do with passports, showed him my papers, which I had ready in my hand, told him who I was, that my luggage contained nothing but wearing apparel, and other personal necessaries, and that I meant to go to the best inn in the town, where upon, by a sign, he gave me to understand that I might proceed. I afterwards learned that this gentlemen was Chief Officer of the Coastguard, Lieutenant in the Navy, and a pleasant, amiable person. I often met him after wards, and felt grateful for his courtesy in allowing me, having only my word for it, to escape a wearisome examination of my luggage ; but it was somewhat dis couraging not to be able to understand the first person I had to do with in a foreign land, almost as if I had come to a country the language of which I had not learnt.

The place where we landed was a flight of stairs of hewn stone nicely constructed, which at once gives one a pleasant notion of the town. I am sorry to think how very bad the landing places at Faroe generally are ; that at Thorshavn, indeed, beggars description. As soon as I reached the top of the flight of stairs, I was most courteously received by the Danish Consul, Charles Ogilvy, Esq., a man whose hospitality and kindness I can never sufficiently acknowledge. He at once received me into his amiable family circle, and very soon brought me to forget that I was in a foreign land, in the midst of strangers. He took me to a very good inn called the Ler wick Hotel, which was newly erected, and very superior to other accommodation of the kind : there I left my com panions, and accompanied Ogilvy to the Collector of Cus toms in Lerwick, to whom I must show my passport.

Chapter II Lerwick

— MR OGILVY — SCALLOWAY. HAD now entered the British Dominions, and |T regarded with the closest attention the strange I objects and persons around me ; in particular, I took notice of the manner in which foreigners are treated by English people on their first arrival. My papers were examined, and read over carefully, a description of my person was inserted in a register kept for the purpose, where too, my height and usual signature were entered, but all with the utmost courtesy, during an easy and pleasant conversation. As I am on this subject, I shall once for all, say all I have to say about it. My papers were, as I have stated, carefully examined on my first arrival in this foreign land, but herewith ended all question of passports and certificates ; I might now stay where I choose, do what I liked : no one troubled themselves further about me, so long as I attempted nothing illegal, and surely the maintenance of the law is provided for by the state independently of the question of native or foreigner.

I afterwards travelled to various parts of Scotland, and the Orkney Islands, but as I went in a steamboat, which only touched at British ports, I was never again asked to show my passports. Far be it from me to depreciate things in my own dear native land ; in many respects I hold an opposite opinion ; but with regard to passports, in Denmark one is subjected to irksome, and as I think useless restrictions which become doubly striking when contrasted with the liberty enjoyed in England in this matter. Lerwick is built along the shore of Bressa Sound, and is not more than 1 50 years of age. It owes its existence to its excellent harbour, the constant haven of refuge of many ships, particularly of the Dutch herring busses, which still assemble here every year in summer, but formerly in much greater numbers.

The town has one principal street about a quarter of a Danish mile* in length, with some inconsiderable cross streets and lanes. As in Lerwick, like Thorshavn, each individual has built his house when and how he pleased, they are both about equally irregular : the buildings do not stand in a straight line, but some press boldly forward, whilst others modestly draw back. This is the more to be regretted as the town, if it had not this drawback, would be pretty ; many of the houses are well built, two or three storeys high, and according to our ideas handsome. Lerwick is seen to least advantage from the sea, because the warehouses are in that direction ; whereas from the Fort, or any other height in the neighbourhood, the view is picturesque ; the many nice buildings, the well kept gardens and enclosures, and the busy harbour, form a very pleasant scene.

The main street is paved with large flagstones, which are pleasant to walk upon, and quite suited for the purpose, as it is impossible for any A Danish mile is equal to about 4 English miles. carriage or cart to spoil them, partly because the street is too narrow in several places for the passage of wheeled vehicles, and moreover on the land side, the entrance to the town is through lanes, many of which have flights of stone steps. As far as I could learn, the population of Lerwick is about 3000 souls, which bears the same proportion to that of all Shetland, that the 700 people of Thorshavn does to that of Faroe. But though Lerwick contains such a mass of people, there is work there for every one who will work, and I often thought sadly of the helpless starving town of Thorshavn, when I saw what life and activity the cod fishing, and more still the herring fishing, developed in Lerwick ; how many hands were employed in cooperages, in loading, and unloading vessels, in sea faring, and what a respectable middle class of tradesmen, shopkeepers, and skippers of vessels had arisen in the place.

All these people of course give work to day labourers, their wives and children require household servants, whilst here with us, almost every person does his own work. I have often compassionated the working man in Thorshavn, who with the best will in the world to labour is obliged to stand with his hands on his breast, when tempests will not suffer him to seek his living on the sea. That in Lerwick as well as here idle folks are to be found who will not work, and so deserve their misery, I only state lest it be thought that I wish to depict the capital of Shetland as a paradise ; it is nevertheless true that there is a vast difference in the life and activity in earning a livelihood between Lerwick and Thorshavn. The most remarkable building in Lerwick is the fortress called Fort Charlotte.

Its strength in a military point of view I cannot estimate, yet I should imagine from its situation that it must be able to command both the harbour and the country in the neighbourhood with its cannons, as there is no higher point within reach. It was pleasant to observe the excellent order in which everything inside and around the fort was kept, and that although the whole garrison consisted in one Sergeant to whose charge it was entrusted. There is accommoda tion for abont 300 men, with officers' quarters in proportion to this number, and the dwellings are all excellent, substantial, roomy and convenient. At the present time, as there is no garrison in the Fort, the dwelling houses are let to private persons, and a very peaceful population inhabit this military station, which is undoubtedly the pleasantest part of Lerwick.

The ramparts of the Fort are furnished with 12 cannons, thirty-six pounders, and very suitably, in a climate like that of Shetland or Faroe, where wood rapidly decays, the gun carriages were cast iron. Immediately on my arrival in Lerwick, Mr Ogilvy invited me to accompany him out of town, and I found after passing the narrow lanes, a nice broad high road running westward. Here stood a small four wheeled gig drawn by a Shetland pony. Mr Ogilvy invited me to get in, we both did so, and to my great astonishment the little animal trotted off with us a good quarter of a Danish mile out of town, to where my friend has a country house in which he lives in summer. He now introduced me to his family, only saying as he presented me, " This is your home for the present, and your room shall be ready for you to-morrow."