The  following  interesting  passage  which  shows  the  roving
spirit  that  animated  some  of  the  Irish  monks  at  that  period
is  contained  in  the  third  section  of  the  same  seventh  chapter.
"There  are  several  other  islands  in  the  ocean  to  the  north  of
Britain,  which  can  be  reached  in' a  voyage  of  two  days  and
two  nights  with  a  favourable  breeze.  A  certain  trustworthy
monk  (religiosus)  told  me  that  he  reached  one  of  them  by
sailing  for  two  summer  days  and  one  night  in  a  vessel  with


2S8  THE  SCUOOl.  OF  CLONMACNOISE.
two  beiiclies  of  rowers  (duorum  navicula  transtrorum).  Some
of  these  islands  are  very  small  and  separated  by  narrow-
straits.  In  these  islands  for  almost  a  hundred  years  there
dwelt  hermits,  who  sailed  there  from  our  own  Ireland  (nostra
Scottia).  But  now  they  are  once  more  deserted,  as  they
were  from  the  beginning,  on  account  of  the  ravages  of  the
Norman  pirates.  They  are,  however,  still  full  of  sheep,  and
of  various  Mnds  of  sea  birds.  We  have  never  found  these
islands  mentioned  by  any  author."

It  is  quite  evident  that  Dicuil  here  refers  to  the  Faroe
Islands,  which  are  about  250  miles  north  of  the  Scottish
coast.  A  glance  at  the  map  will  show  that  they  are  rather
small,  and  separated  from  each  other  by  very  narrow
channels,  and  in  this  respect  differing  from  the  Shetland
Islands,  to  which  this  de-cription  could  not  therefore  apply.
Besides,  the  Shetlaiidsare  onh  50  miles  from  the  Orkneys,
and  about  100  from  the  mainland;  hence  they  could  easily  be
reached  in  a  single  day  by  an  open  boat  sailing  before  a
favourable  wind  ;  whereas  the  islands  occupied  by  the  Irish
hermits  could  only  be  reached  after  a  voyage  of  two  days
and  a  night,  even  in  the  most  favourable  circumstances.
