Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
General
Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 4 (of 10)
Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
Authors, Scottish -- 19th century -- Biography; Scott, Walter, 1771-1832
Here, according to his locality, the Caithness-man witnessed the
vision, in which was introduced the song, translated by Gray, under
the title of The Fatal Sisters. On this subject, Mr. Baikie told me
the following remarkable circumstance: A clergyman told him, that
while some remnants of the Norse were yet spoken in North Ronaldsha,
he carried thither the translation of Mr. Gray, then newly
published, and read it to some of the old people as referring to the
ancient history of their islands. But so soon as he had proceeded a
little way, they exclaimed they knew it very well in the original,
and had often sung it to himself when he asked them for an old Norse
song; they called it The Enchantresses.--The breeze dies away
between two wicked little islands called Swona and Stroma,--the
latter belonging to Caithness, the former to Orkney.--_Nota Bene_.
The inhabitants of the rest of the Orcades despise those of Swona
for eating limpets, as being the last of human meannesses. Every
land has its fashions. The Fair-Isles-men disdain Orkney-men for
eating dog-fish. Both islands have dangerous reefs and whirlpools,
where, even in this fine day, the tide rages furiously. Indeed, the
large high unbroken billows, which at every swell hide from our deck
each distant object, plainly intimate what a dreadful current this
must be when vexed by high or adverse winds. Finding ourselves
losing ground in the tide, and unwilling to waste time, we give up
Thurso--run back into the roadstead or bay of Long-Hope, and anchor
under the fort. The bay has four entrances and safe anchorage in
most winds, and having become a great rendezvous for shipping (there
are nine vessels lying here at present) has been an object of
attention with Government.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account