Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
Next vnto this is the greatest of all the Hethlands, an Iland called the
Maine, sixtie miles in length, and sixteene in bredth, full of rocks,
and whose coasts are onelie inhabited, the innermost parts being left
vnto the foules of the aire, bicause of the barrennesse and
vnfruitfulnesse of the soile: yet of late some haue indeuoured to
impeople it, but with no successe correspondent to their desire.
Wherefore they returned to their former trades, making their chéefe
commoditie and yearelie gaine by fish, as aforetime. Ten miles from this
toward the north, lieth the Zeale, twentie miles in length, eight in
bredth, and so wild that it will suffer no creature to liue thereof,
that is not bred therein. Betwéene this Iland also and the Maine, are
other smaller Ilands to be found, as the Ling, Orne, Big, and Sanferre.
And from hense nine miles northward Vsta, twentie miles long, & six in
bredth, plaine, pleasant, but inuironed with a swift and terrible sea.
Betwéene this also and the Zeale, are the Vie, the Vre, and the Ling:
also towards the west, the two Skeues, Chalseie, Nordwade, Brase, and
Mowse, on the west side lie the west Skeies, Rottia, Papa the lesse,
Wunned, Papa the more, Valla, Londra, Burra, Haura the more, Haura the
lesse, & in maner so manie holmes dispersed heere and there, whereof I
haue no notice. Some call these the Shetland, and some the Shotland
Iles. Buchanan nameth them in the third member of his diuision
Zelandine, and toward the end of his first booke seemeth to auouch, that
they liue in maner as doo the inhabitants of the Orchades: although not
in so ciuill wise, nor in such large measure and aboundance of diet in
their houses. He addeth moreouer, that their apparrell is after the
Germaine cut, comelie, but not so chargeable and costlie, and how they
raise their gaine by skins of beasts, as marterns, sheepe, oxen, and
gotes skins, and therevnto a kind of cloth which they weaue, and sell to
the merchants of Norwaie, togither with their butter, fish, either
salted or dried, and their traine oile, and exercise their trade of
fishing also in their vncerteine skewes, which they fetch out of
Norwaie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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