Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-21

which spacious subterranean passages lead
from the bav. The simple Dutch traders Of
those olden times knew how to fear God and
thrive.
Two of the most interesting, though some
what grewsome, objects OF interest in the
little islands are the Pictish tower of Mouss,
and Fitful Head, of both of which you have
caught giimpses from your steamer. A boat
must be hired at Sandlodge, seat of the
Shetland Bruces, to cross the sound to the
utterly dreary island of Mousa. The broch
or tower stands at the southwest corner OF
the island, and is remarkable from an anti
quarIan standpoint in being the largest and
finest example OF the olden Pictish towers of
defense now remaining in Europe. They
are very numerous In Northern Scotland
and the Orkneys and Scotland. Anderson
gives 60 for Sutherlandshire. 10 in CATH
ness. 20 in the Orkueys and rs in Shetland.
WALLS FIFTEEN FEET THICK.
The Mousa tower has the appearance of a
gray ragged and gigantic dice. box; is built
of uncemented stones like the great Dun
Engus on the Irish Aran Islands; is about
$50 feet in circumference, and it is still fully
40 feet high. The walls. which are about 10
ieet thick are really double, or rather consist
of two concentrlc circles of stone five feet
thick, with an intervening space of equal
width. This space, chambered by making
the door of one tier answer Tor the ceiling of
the next one below, light and air only being
admitted from the open interior, contained
all the barrack accommodation the hardy
warriors of old knew how, or cared, to pro-
vide.
A curious screw-like stone staircase, built
into the inner wall, winds around within
the tower, communicating with the tiny
stone chambers; and on the ground floor
are three large detached chambers, Is feet
long, 10 feet high, the width of the space
between the walls, in which are square
storage-holes or ambries. Mousa is a
wondrous old relic of Pagan times. Its
age is certainly 1,500, and perhaps 1000
years. Strange chronicles fash along the
pages of Morse history regarding the orgies,
sieges and tragedies known within this
ancient tower; and we can easily learn that
among its other uses it was held i'll high
repute I 200 years ago by Morse lovers of
noble blood, as a sort of impregnable
Gretna Green. Many a Morse Viking has
besieged the sturdy place in vain for
daughter, or sweetheart, who has found
protection, husband and q honeymoon,
within its gray old walls.
vERITABLE WHITE MOUNTAIN.
By foot-path across the moorland wastes
il is but about seven miles to Fitful Head.
1t is the White Mountain of the Norsemen,
on account of the luster of its slate iorma-
ton. Its highest crag rises rully 900 feet
above the sea, but the legendary habitation
of Norma. bold, almost detached, cliff
lifting its sea-iront into point as sharp as
church-spire, is not more than three
fourths that elevation. 1t is quite accessible
after a rough scram Bile, and its sides are the
haunts of myraids OF sea-fowl.
Horrible indeed must be the spot in time
of storm. But when 1 had accomplished
the task of scaling its heights, nature
seemed asleep and dreaming peacefully.
Away down there below, the sea was as
calm as Highland loch. From the higher
headland the whole of Shetland could be
seen with a glass-waste, moor, hillock,
valley, glen; land without forests, split
and serrated by the ceaseless cravings OF
the sea. Tremendous precipices rose every
where. Lochs and tarns showed without
copse or verdure. Shadowy "hellyers" cut
the seawalls where the tide is ever at ebb or
flow. Here fishing station; there dreary
hamlet. Yonder a gravelly beach, with
fish curers and their sodden toll; beyond a
weird glo with a herd OF seals turning their
shining sides to the low, red sun. Over all,
flmy, dreamy, tender presence; for in the
brief days before the dark, long winter sets
in, it is "peerie summer" in the Shetland
Isles. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.