1546
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
- Neil Wishart became vicar in the Parish of Dunrossness.
- A latin manuscript account of Shetland from the archive of Bishop Jovius di Nocera was published in Venice. It gives a similar report as Boece (see 1527).
- . . . the inhabitants of [Shetland] are half-naked and destitute of riches, and support themselves by the eggs of birds and fish; they delight in peace and justice, and have never heard the name of riches and luxury; they live in extreme want and in the perpetual darkness of winter, yet almost all of them by an incredible felicity of nature, reach the summit of old age. - priests come across to them from the Orkneys, baptize the children born during the former year, and celebrate the sacred solemnities, and then, after having purified the caves and huts of the inhabitants by aspersion with holy water, and having received their tithes in hard fish, the priests abundantly enriched, return to the Orkneys. [the last sentence might be refering to Fair Isle because the account continues with Beyond the Shetland Islands towards the right hand lie other small but inaccessible islands . . . ]
- . . .
- Here is that immense ocean which human daring has discovered and navigated, and from whence we see all Europe supplied annually with an abundance of fish. It is incredible what a quantity of equipment and provision, and what a number of ships are sent into these parts by many nations. British, French, and Germans come to these shores, . . . all these preparations and this expenditure is for the capture of small fishes not much exceeding a span in length. These fishes . . . are called Herrings, which , being salted in barrels, or dried by smoke to a pale yellow colour, are conveyed to our markets. ... Whole fleets, often numbering a thousand sail, come from the continent of France and the ports of Britain about the summer solstice, and scattered over the whole sea prosecute the fishing, and return home about the Equinox, laden with booty . . .
