The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

2GISLANDS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC.The Faroer are more completely washed hy the tepid stream from the tropicsthan any other North Atlantic islands, the influence of the cold surface currentsbeino- felt only on the east side. The mean temperature of the warm waters variesno more than 4° throughout the year—from 45° 5' in January to 49° in July,while that of the atmosphere scarcely exceeds 12° between winter and summer.The atmospheric temperature is about 37° in the middle of January, when it isfreezin"- in many parts of the Mediterranean ;and although the sky is overcastor charged with drizzling vapours, what is felt is rather the want of light than ofheat. Hence the fields mostly face southwards, in order to catch every ray ofsunshine.But while the winters arc free from hoar frost, the summers lack warmth,and storms are frequent.The only wild mammals were formerly various species of mice ; but since themiddle of the century a species of hare (Lepus alpinus) has been introduced, andhas multiplied considerably in Strtimo and Ostero. There are no reptiles oramphibious animals, and all attempts to acclimatize the grouse have failed. On theother hand, there are myriads of sea-birds, especially on the uninhabited islets,and 235,000 loons (Fratercula arctica) are yearly taken, their feathers forming animportant article of trade. Fish swarm in the shallow waters, and the Fiirberbanks, especially the Bone Bed, are much frequented during the season. The fishis mostly cured on the spot, but many English boats are provided with tanks inwhich the cod are brought alive to the London market.Cooing whales (Delphinus melas or globiceps, the hval of the natives) and othercetacea sometimes arrive in great numbers, affording the people an important,though irregular source of income. This whale visits these shores chiefly insummer and autumn, and especially in foggy weather (grindemorke, or grind&oeir,from grind, a school of whales). "When a fishing crew discovers a grind in theneighbourhood of the Archipelago, a sailor's jersey is immediately hoisted, thesmacks collect from all quarters, the men shouting "Grinde bo ! grinde bo!" anda gradually contracted crescent is formed round the fish, which are thus driven tosome gently sloping beach between two headlands. Then begins the drab, orslaughter, in which nearly all the natives take part. During thirty years theheaviest take was in 1843, when 3,150 cooing whales yielded over 90,000 gallons ofoil,and jerked meat for about 600 cows, to the great improvement of their milk.Formerly the men would never begin fishinguntil satisfied that no woman orpriest was looking on from the shore, else they were sure to meet with somemishap. Other venerable beliefs have long held their ground in these remoteislands. The seeds of the Entada gigalobium, drifted from the West Indies, weresupposed to possess sovereign virtues, and before Debes discovered that they were" West Indian beans" they passed for the kidneys of some mysterious dwarf, oreven the heart of St. Thomas. Tlence, ground to meal, they served as a remedyfor all complaints, especially those of women in labour. Certain wells wereregarded as holy, and, in the absence of the priest, parents would baptize theirchildren at these places. The old worship of springs had survived, although thefirst inhabitants of the isles were traditionally Irish monks.