New-York tribune., 1874-08-12
ON THE WAY TO ICELAND.
BAYARD TAYLORs ACCOUNT OF A DAY At
THE ORKNEYS.

| APPEARANCE OF KIRKwALI, CAPITAL OF THE oRK-
NHYs-AN OLD MORSE CATHEDRAL-A NOTED
PICT AND MORSE sEPCLCHER-oFF FOR THE
FARCE IsLANDS.
(FRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rkBrsrI
LERwIcK, Shetland Isles, July 2i.-Except tho
westernmOst island Of Hoy, which lifts defiant
'front.' 100 feet in hight, toward Scotland, the Ork-
neys are rather low-lyng group. The shores rse
gradually from rocky hens, fringed with breakers.
until their long lines merge into blunt, broad sum-
mits Near the shore there bright green fields
Of oats barley. but higher up is uniform tint Of
greenish gray or brown. The strait between
Pomona. the main island. and Shapinshay IL toera-
bly, straight and tame, its chief feature being tho
gray turreted pile of Balfour Castle, on the hight
Just opposite, an or bay opens westward to
Kirk wan the capital Of the Orkneys.
By o'clock the steamer dropped anchor IN tho
shallow harbOr. The American flag at the fore-an
unusual sight in these waters-drew a small crowd
to the end of the pier, and were all mustered by
curious eyes as we landed. Mr.. Nelson our Edin-
burgh friend attracted avery marked attention. bnt
the secret thereof soon leaked out; be had been
taken for the Right Hon. John Bright! Curiosity
is pardonable IL, such out-ofthe-way place az
Kirkwall: it was friendly goodnatured, never in
trusive and presently learned how to turn 1t to
good service. Every question was eagerly answered
by half dozen listeners; whatever we wanted or
needed TO see was made accessible obliglng friends
seemed to be lying in wait at each corner and thus
no moment of our brief time was squandered,
1t seemed to be neither an English nor Scotch
town which we were traversing The houses OF
gray stone, with their pointed gables and high chin
neys, suggested Normandy. Narrow. winding
streets paved with large. fat slabs led inward from
the water-side, and, after some five minutes, wo
issued upon an open square, deserted and partly
grass grown on one side of which rose the massive
pile of the old Morse cathedral.
A one-legged sscristan came upon his crutches,
and unlocked the main entrance, before we had ball
done admirng the vyeaved capitals Of the cluster
ing attached columns. The interior is plainly grand,
and would be still more imposing were the chancel
not completely walled up to the vaulted roof IN or
der to shut out the diminished modern congregation
from the chill and dampness Of the ancient church.
The eastern part of the nave which was built about
the middle OF the 18th century, is large beautifully
proportioned specimen of the Early Gothic. The
pillars are circular and massive, but the roof is
true Gothic arch. One is surprised to find such
structure here, where all the present population
might easily be gathered within its walls. At the
time it was built. however, the Jarls of Orkney
were daring sea-robbers, and the cathedral wac no
doubt chiefly built by unwilling contributions.
The limit of our stay only allowed us TO undertake
an excursion TO MaeshOw noted Pict and Morse
sepucher between 9 and 10 miles from kirkSalL
The Castle Hotel furnished conveyance for all;
the way was hard smooth, and of easy grade, and
we bowled along the rate of seven miles an hour
enjoying the exquistely pure and cool AIR, yet ~
must be said little disappointed in the scenery Oh
Orkney. The fields either hand showed US grass,
oats, potatoes, or turnips gorse, heather, on
dry bunch-grass occupied the ridges above them.
hpain were IL
ing sleek soft-colored cattle feeding OH the short
grass and lawmakers were piling the dry swaths
into cocks The ses-channe. of dim blue, lay on
our right, and now aud then a tanned sail Jagged
slowly along, before the insufficient breeze.
Five or six miles from Krkwall, reached =
village called Finstone, which is chiefly remarkable
as having three churches for about 300 inhabitants.
In the gardens there elder-bushes III blossom,
and one rather stately house lowered UP ont Of n
belt of annual trees Here we turned inland through
shallow valley. where a tract of woodland seemed
to have been planted with a thicket as the result
There was sma1 farmhouse, with q huge quad
rangular barn of cut stone beside it. and the driver
with the gravity of a man who speaks the truth.
informed us that the cows there were MIXED three
times day, each time furnishing eight quarts of
milk apiece-or six gallons day Tor each COW!
Il tell the tale as twas told to me-"
From the crest Of tue valley the land fell west
ward TO the blue sheet Of Loeb Of the upper end OF
which is fresh water and the lower. invaded by the
tide, partly salt. We already saw the sepnlehrai
mound of Maeshow, and beyond the loch the taii
Druid stones of Steenness. Ii was simple mo-
notonOus almost des0late landscape; yet the falr
sunshine and delicious air were those OF the Eeyp-
tian Delta,-so enjoyable in themselves that the
scenery around us became q secondary matter
The sepulcher is an exceedingly curious relic OK
the Past, and would give you its oriEn purpose
and history if anybody had ever been fortunate
enough to discover them. There is, first, rin2-
mound about 200 feet in diameter. Inside OF this
the signs Of a deep. wide moat then mound At
least 100 feet in diameter by ~ in hight. A door
way on the western side admits you into the interior
by passage as low and az that leading into
the Great Pyramid. Exactly in the center of tho
mound there is sepulchral chamber 20 feet square,
with three smaller chambers three sides of It.
The Norsemen, who certainly broke open the mound,
and possibly appropriated it to the uses have
scratched number of runc inscriptions. figures Of
dragons and other fabulous animals on the face II
the stones. Inasmuch there is considerable diff
ference of opinion regard TO the meaning Of these
runes will spare you the various theories
We returned to Kirkwall, dnsd, mailed orr
letters and sailed for the Sbctands. Bnt to-day,
after having landed. made acquaintance with GER
tam of the people travelled fourteen miles the
misty Ossauic hills of the interior and made tins
ha,ty chronicle of n part of yesterdays experience.
"A man waits 10 take mail ashore, and IN bSo
minutes We are OF for the FaIoe Islands. 1T.