June _14th_.—In the morning, passed the _Pentland Frith_, in which the tide is like a whirlpool; and, after having run by _Long-Hope_ Harbour, we anchored at _Stromness_, in the Island of _Pomona_, the principal of the _Orkneys_; immediately opposite to which is the _Isle of Hoy_, having on it a remarkable high mountain, in shape very like the Rock of _Gibraltar_. Immediately on our arrival, the two _Hudson’s-Bay_ ships fired seven guns each, to give notice to the inhabitants of their arrival. The visits of the _North-west men_, as the _Hudson’s-Bay_ ships are denominated, creates a sort of annual mart, or fair, in the _Orkneys_; as it is from hence that they derive all the necessary supplies of poultry, beef, vegetables, and even men, to fit them for so long a voyage:—consequently, the _Orkney_ people listen with anxiety for this salute of cannon, which announces the arrival of the N. W. ships; as almost every person in the island is, in some way or other, interested in their coming. June _15th_.—We were employed in watering the ship; and found it difficult to procure a sufficient quantity, owing to a great drought which had lately prevailed. The town of Stromness is an irregular assemblage of dirty huts, with here and there a decent house. There is scarcely any thing deserving the name of a street in the place, although it is said to contain a population of two thousand souls. A few years ago it did not contain above one third of that number. The harbour is small, but very secure: it is defended from the sea by an island called _The Holmes_; and there is a good summer roadstead outside the island, called the _Back of the Holmes_. Firewood cannot be procured in the _Orkneys_, where there are no trees; but _Newcastle_ coal is always remarkably cheap. About six miles from _Stromness_ is a large lake, called _Stonehouse Loch_, in consequence of some high flat stones which stand by the side of it, something similar in appearance to _Stonehenge_, on _Salisbury Plain_: they bear no inscription, and seem to have been set on their ends in the same state as when taken from the quarry[5]:—the view given of them in _Barrie’s_ Description of the _Orkney Islands_ is perfectly correct. The quantities of grouse, partridge, plover, snipe, &c. in the _Orkneys_, is astonishing: neither foxes nor hares are to be found; but rabbits are very numerous. There are some spots of good land in the valleys; but in such a bad state of cultivation, from idleness and want of manure, that at least five weeds are produced to one blade of corn. Wheat is not grown in any of the islands; the produce consisting, principally, in barley and oats. But the chief export of the _Orkneys_ is kelp, ashes obtained by the burning of sea-weed[6], with which all the shores abound: this proves a most valuable acquisition to those gentlemen whose estates border on the sea; as it sells, on an average, at £.11 a ton; and is collected, at low water, without much difficulty. The kelp