In the high latitude of Shetland, the light of day at midsummer never totally disappears, and the smallest print can be read at midnight.
During the winter the nights are proportionally long and dreary; and In the month of December the sun is not above the horizon more than five hours and a half.
Agriculture is conducted in a primitive manner; the inhabitants directing their attention chiefly to the fisheries. The small tenants have a small proportion of arable land, enough to raise a scanty supply of food for themselves and their families, and to allow them to devote the best part of their time to fishIng. The lends are also frequently let ender condition that the landlord is to receive all the fish at a fixed price, which enable. him to derive a profit from the re-sale ; while on the other hand the landlord is the purveyor of the fishing materials, and often of a great proportion of the tenants' food, upon which a profit also arises. The climate Is so ill adapted to the raising of corn, that, although the soil Is in several places good, only the most comegon descriptions of barley and oats are cultivated. The race of cattle peculiar to these islands Is of diminutive size. The cow has long pointed horn., and Is generally of more than one colour, dingy white and brown predominating. Three hundred-weight is above the average weight of a cow, and three English quarts per day is the utmost quantity of milk yielded. The Shetlaud pony, or Sheltie, is annually exported in great numbers. These diminutive horses are extremely hardy and vigorous, and undergo much fatigue in proportion to their size. They provide their food from the bill pastures, and are never placed under shelter. The native sheep are remarkably email, and have a degree of nimbleness and vigilance which would be consi dered foreign to the nature of the animal by persons ouly acquainted with the flocks of other countries. The carcass of one weighs about 30 lbs. The colour of their wool, from which stockings and gloves are knit by the natives, is various, being white, dun black, and brown, and all these colours are often blended together in one animal.
The fisheries are the most important branch of industry. 'Si]lecke,' the young of the coal-fish, literally swarm from May until September, close to the shores, affording abundance of a favourite food, and consi derable quantities of oiL The ling and tusk fishery, in the open sea, is the most valuable and most hazardous, and, together with the cod fishery, contributes more to the prosperity of Shetland than any other. The herring fishery is also followed. The capture of whole herds of whales, known as ' bottle noses,' which approach the coast in pursuit of the herrings, snppliea the natives occasionally with supplies of oil of very fine quality. The slaughter of seals iu the deep caverns of the coast is engaged in to au extent sufficient to class it among the fisheries.
Dirision4, Towns, etc.—The islands form 14 parishes, under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Synod of Shetland. The Free Church has seven chapels, the Independents have six, and the United Presbyterians have two chapels. There are also some chapels for Wesleyan Methodists. The only town is Lerwick, which is situated on Bressay Sound, on the east side of the Mainland of Shetland. The population of the town in 1851 was 2904. The houses are built close to the water's edge ; and the country being destitute of roads and wheeled vehicles, Lerwick presents a singularly confused appearance, with no other thoroughfare than a tortuous ill-paved path betwecu the houses. It poeseases many oxcellent shops, and has a harbour which
Is about a mile wide at the south entrance, expends opposite to the town, and again contracts ; being fully protected by the /shores of Bressay island on the one side, and by those of the Mainland on the other. The number of veasels registered at the port on December 31st, 1853, was 62. of 1980 tone burden. During 1853 there entered the part 111 sailing-vessels of 8121 tone, and 28 steam-vessels of 8960 tons; and during the same period there cleared from the port 105 ailing-vessels of 8116 tone, and 28 steam-veleela of 8960 tons. Besides the pariah church there are in the town a Free Church and chapels for United Presbyterians and Independents. The only villages which require notice are Scalloway and Hillewick, both ou the wet side of the Mainland. 11 Woo irk, population about 200, is 30 miles N.N.W. from Lerwick, and has a finely-sheltered harbour. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the ling and the herring fisheries. Many of the lochs in the parish abound with 111ln:ion-trout. Besides the parish church, there are chapels for Wesleyan Methodists and Independents. Scalloway, population about 400, about six miles W. by N. from Lerwick, was formerly the capital of Shetland. The Independents have a place of worship here. Scallowny has a good harbour, and near it along the coast are several commodious roes or bays, which afford convenient shelter to vessels. A short distance east from the village are remains of the castle of Scalloway, built about the year 1600 by Earl Patrick Stewart.
History, Antiquities, etc.—Antiquaries have loug disputed whether the ancient Romans saw the Shetland Isles when they circumnavigated Britain, and much learning has been advanced to connect the Thule of Tacitus with Shetland. The country was peopled by Northmen, and was long subject to Norway. About 1330 the line of Norwegian earls ceased to retain their authority, and a Scottish nobleman, Henry Sinclair, obtained the earldom of Orkney, which included Shetland, from the King of Denmark and Norway. It contiuued in his family for about a century. In 1469 James 111. of Scotland married Margaret, the daughter of the King of Denmark, and with bar obtained the Shetlands in security of her dowry, which never having been paid, tho islands have since formed part of Scotland. The Norwegian laws and usages continued in force in Shetland until a very recent period, and thus the old laws and observances of Shetland essentially differ from those of Scotland. The free possession of lands is known by the term ' ndal,' the proprietors being termed ' udallers,' and this property descends in the ndaller's family without the evidence of any written instrument. The islands now form part of the united sheriffdom of Orkney and Shetland. [ORKNEY.] There are several interesting remains of antiquity in Shetland,— such as Lawtings, or open courts of justice under the Norwegian laws; round towers, particularly that of 31ousa, which is newly entire; and, of more recent erection, the ruins of the large castle of Scalloway.
For several years a steam-vassal has plied regularly every week, from March till November, between Edinburgh and Lerwick in Shetland, calling on its way at Aberdeen and Wick.