Telegram-herald., 1890-12-14
THE TWILIGHT LAND
A Trip Areund the shetland ana
Orkney Islands.
A QUAINT AID STAPLE PEOPLE
Btss sc Aaeient htsfers AAa soasatsss
stan Lore~ rae fs~aaess 1Aa I1-
asssFiss - tss North.
era lstes.
luopsrght lNsl


Although these PARKWAY islands be
cong - Scotland, and lhough msroNn-
sale Interests aad inteFmsrrl4ee for 40
years shog marked scottish. and es-
pecally Highland scottish influences
and similarity of customs and man.
ners, the Shetlanden refuse % con.
sldes themselves, o. he called.
"Scotch." They have ALWAYS been
"Shetlsnders. Those frsm the mann
land are scotch Thus Il has slwsys
stood, and stands TO this DAY with reso-
luIe obsNnSey. Both The Shetland Islands
and the ogkneys, lying between the
sheflsnds and Scotland originally
belonged % the old Scandinavian king
dom Of Norway and Denmark point
Of fact they stili DO. That Is, they were
never formally transferred % scotland.
When, ia 1865. James Ill, az scotland,
took tor his bride Margaret, daughter
OF Christian .,oi Denmark both groups
OF islands were merely assigned m
"wadset, F." or as pledge for Margarei's
dowry. Tins form III moriCage has
never been redeemed. noF has Il ever
been forec.osed, unless tme may
be said 30 have haYe done soi
and Il AZ any time the S2 600 people
Of the Orknoys, who derive Their
name. Orcadians, from the islands
ancient name, the Roman 0rcades, and
the $4,000 souls ~ shetland, Leiiand
ancient Morse, Hlslti4nd, OF high
land should al any time desire 10 re-
new their allegiance either 81 Denmark
or 70 NORWAY and Sweden, nothing en-.
listing in information comfy could Justly
oppose their dong 60. There are fifty
SIX Stands, islets and holms ID the Ork-
ney group, tweniy-nlne Of which are
inhabited; and the Shetland group com
prise 100 islands and islets, OF which
twenty-eighs are peoplod.
IN remote parts Of both the orkneys
and sAetisnds much Of the dialect Of the
natives is 50 impregnatod with soapci-
nayian words and iaioms, ss 10 be very
difficult for even Highland sootchmen.
between whom and these folk there are
strong athnities IN speech and customs,
TO understand. At the time these
islands were pledged 20 james III.
for the payment Of MargArei's
dowry, il was distinctly provided
/ that Morse government should
/ be continued and that the law Of 81.
Olaf'-that good saint who IL Dot dead
/ but only sleepng, and hiding DIS time,
/ 10 return with ali power and greatness
/ for Norway should prevail A relic Of
/ this ancient system r. found IN the
"peerie lairds, OF little lords, who still
/ hold and may transfer their lands by
word CT mouth, 10 written document
/ being required. These are today the
only absolute freeholders Of land
n both island groups. The re-
/ gion about Harray, on the northeast
shore Of the Loeb 81 HtcnnosR. iu thc
! Orkncys. and the township Of Fad
/ dabster. about ten miles south II the
/ CITY 81 Icrwick, in the Shetland Man
! land, are still peopled by these "peerte
1 lands They are woudrous Boosters
over their pure Morse descent, and are
/ poor. proud and iusolent. The herring
1 ASKING industry has within 8 few years
given both the orknrys and ehet.aBds
/ unusual prosperity, and a. the total
catch of Oh fish on the shetland coasts
( nov equals cnc-thITc Of the eui rcauuusl
/ catch for Scotland, 4 would seem
/ that Che Scotch were destined 60 reap 80
/ great rewards from this source ~ form
erly did the Dutch. Previous ~ the
/ British lmnoattnn ~ ftf duties ln
4 1872. tie fisheries of Shetland were In
/ the hands 81 The Dutch. who. So . SID
/ derived az annual profit n So. 900 GOO
/ from the same, OF The enormous profit
/ during tAcIr cutre control ri
/ 81 .o00. 600 coo More than = 600
/ "busses'' OF fishing vessels might then
have been IN Lerwick hafhof az
one imr. While few rn ieE from Ter
wick, towards ecailowsy. the ancient
capital of Shetland. be- ttl seen the
/ "Hoiianders knowc" or h'll0fk
where fn the old tnYts. when the
Dutch Fishers and merchants were ln
tie ascendant. was held sreat annual
far. where the SIMPLE IsisndeTf haf-
tered their ffh and wpoleDs for e.
/ bacco, E5.fits and other luTures from
/ amsterdam
other industries r. Ire itiandf ere
! very noted hosffY and Various k1li-fab.
/ rics q marvellous pattern sud del icErv
If texture. shecp-rsisng. regard .ng
( Which most interesting tales are t0lo ~
the carrying 81 sheep for summer graz
ing e. almost Boz accrss 5le and unan-
hsbted iasnds. and the nstvs cattle
have beeu improved IS : cross vifh the
/ southern shorthor0t and she sootiisn
poied Angus. ia TIE 0rsnfys there
are q ate years mary sxten
sve sDd ercfI lfntiv cultivated farms.
and during 1856 over - 600 600 segs
vefe exported The ssiubrfF ~ the
climate r both these island groups q
remarkable. Though - fsf NORTH tnaf
in The longest day ~ ire wear the san
rises 81 tive rninatns pas three set nr
So tufntv uinutrs fssst nine. news
rsnsr car b. ras8 ct midnight and TIE
lark norus snEiur 81 9 O'Clock In TIE
nsrrr ~. ard ir tlse shortest dsT there
ere oniv sx hourt and seven minutes
betHeen fhe finur and setting ~ ne
sau, TIE r4ssn temperature = - tiCh
ss fs degrees. The - uo10ufIte1 II
0vrr - fhe irfDsnrf ~ ire 9ulf
~,Fssna. srrne iegius q. APRIL sum.
rear ferrr nstes shout IRE middle -
september sn1 toer after fes weeks
~ b.1sterinr wrestler there 10 = rnonth
~ fre mrt fraEtfi' sr1 ee7is
yazfter. sns4rerfrf - orr 0wD 'Iurisr
surnsns1. = ard esi JED 1srs che TesrIs
sur.rner- nueerifr fn f'ffuer -net
lsfd ard fere Sr5t.srif, russnlne
fvet tr~. ffis ~ fu4
IL ~as rot trfr i,ar srr fret fhs
frkae~t snd es1tesIsi'v So snelisut