that, before noon, a violent hurricane, which came on and continued all day, obliged us to keep our station; at least, as much so as the storm would permit; for we dragged our anchors a considerable distance. The howling of the wind among the rigging, joined to the sight of a number of large vessels that were driven on shore, and of boats in distress in every direction upon the river, did not strike us with very pleasing sensations, although we were riding in perfect safety: to add to the scene, a house close to the shore was discovered to be in flames. Towards evening the storm Saturday, abated, and early the next morning, June 3. with a charming breeze, we sailed down the river; and, while looking with delight on the green and fertile shores, we thought of the far different appearance of those more striking scenes of fire and devastation, which Von Troil, in his Letters on Iceland, had taught us to expect in that country. In the after part of the day the wind increased, and, towards night, blew so violently, that our captain thought it most prudent to come to an anchor in Hollesley Bay, and, in the morning, to fire a signal for a pilot. When the violence of the storm had Sunday, June 4. abated the next morning, a boat came off to inform us, there was no pilot to be had; therefore, with a more frequent use of the lead, the captain determined to pass the sands off the coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk without one. Having cleared these, we steered more to the eastward, and soon lost sight of land. When we were about seventy miles from the shore, a Willow-wren, Motacilla Trochilus, was observed flying about the rigging of our vessel, and, soon after, a female Black-cap, Motacilla atricapilla; and, when we were still further out Hirundo domestica and H. Apus were skimming about us, and every now and then resting upon our ropes. These birds. were probably driven from our own coasts by the late strong westerly gales, as it is too late for the regular migration of these, our summer visitants. On the third morning of .our losing sight of land, Hirundo urbica settled upon our rigging, and seemed much fatigued. We had, from the time of our leaving Hollesley Bay, so fine and so favorable wind, that on the Wednesday at sea, Wednesday, morning I was called from my cot, and asked if I knew the coast which was in sight. I immediately recognised Wick Castle, in Caithness, standing upon a rocky pe ninsula, and we soon descried Wick itself. From Sleigo, an adjoining village, we took on board two pilots, and, with great rapidity, passed the three extraordinary conical and insulated rocks, called the Stacks of Duncansby. Here, we calculated that we had run seven hundred miles, and six hundred and twenty-two of these in three days. The Orkney Islands were, in a great measure, obscured from our view, as we dashed through the Pentland Frith, by a thick fog, in which most of them were enveloped. We could, however, distinguish Stroma, South Ronaldsha, and Hoy, and, in the latter island, the hospitable seat of Colonel Moodie, at Melsetter. Opposite to it, on the Caithness coast, whilst viewing the venerable residence of the Earls of Caithness, I recollected the hearty welcome and kind assistance that Mr. Borrer and myself received there, from the present hospitable proprietors, but nine months before, when we were rambling over these northern parts of Scotland. Near to Mey Castle was the Church of Caninsby, and, on the opposite side, the steep cliffs of Thursday, Dunnet Head. When we had got out of the frith, a clearer atmosphere gave us a view of the Paps of Caithness, in the south-east: in the south, was the fine conical hill, called Ben-y-Græme; and, in the south-west, the great mountains of Ben Hope and Ben Luyal, in Sutherland. No sooner had we passed the frith, and got to the westward of the Orkney Islands, than we were becalmed, and continued so for two days; Hoyhead and the Old Man of Hoy, a singular rock near the shore, being most of the time in sight. On the Thursday, a Tringa, which appearJune 8. ed to me a new species, flew on board quite exhausted, and was taken. From this time calms or bad winds, and frequently, heavy squalls, attended us, so that we made but slow progress. About the hour of midWednesday, night, on the 14th, we descried land June 14. in the horizon, or rather snow, for, as we approached it, we could discover nothing but mountains of prodigious magnitude, covered on every side with snow, and most distinctly seen, from being backed by a dark cloud, though at the distance, as we computed, of fifty miles. On the highest ridge of these mountains were some huge angular and projecting precipices, which cast a deep shadow on the white snow, when the early rays of the sun were striking upon them, breaking the uniformity of such an extended outline. This range of mountains we afterwards discovered to be Klofa Jökul (Jökul, pronounced Yuckul, meaning a range of snow mountains), in the south-eastern part of Iceland, and Mr. Phelps and I gazed upon it with astonishment and delight, till a late hour in the morning. Such a scene was quite novel to us, and the circumstance of our contemplating it all night long did not at all diminish its effect. To the north-east of this, we saw a long stretch of nearly level land, of, comparatively, no great elevation, but every where covered with snow, and only here and there interrupted by a rugged mountain, whose sides were of a very June 15. rude figure. The following night, we passed within sight of a flat extent of land, which appeared to be about twenty miles from us, and on which, by the help of our glasses, we could plainly discern a number of buildings; but we could never learn what place it was. I do not recollect ever after, except at Reikevig, seeing so many Thursday, |