[2] Mr Forster is not happy in his explanation of this word, Porlanda or
    Porland, which he endeavours to derive from Fara-land; precisely the
    same with Fris-land from Faras-land, only dropping the genitive s. 
    Porland seems used as a general name of the earldom, perhaps connected
    with the strange name Pomona, still used for mainland, the largest of
    the Orkney islands.  Frisland the particular Fara islands, or one of
    them.—­E.

[3] Sorany or Sorani, of which Sinclair is said to have been duke or lord,
    Mr Forster considers to have been the Sodor-oe, or southern islands of
    the Norwegians, or those now called the Western Islands; and traces
    the corruption from the Norwegian plural Suder-oer contracted
    Soroer, varied Soroen and transmuted to Sorani.  All this may be
    possible; but it does not appear in Scots history that the Sinclairs
    ever held the Western Islands, and certainly not at this period: 
    Sorani ought therefore to be looked for in Caithness; or it may
    possibly refer to Roslin near Edinburgh, which belonged to the
    family of Sinclair.—­E.

[4] By this latter distinction, Zeno probably means a decked vessel.—­E.

[5] It is hardly possible to mention all the little islands, and the places
    situated on the largest of the Orcadian Islands, which by the ancients
    was called Pomona, and on account of its size, is likewise called
    Mainland, also Hross-ey, i.e. Gross-ey, or large island.  The town
    was called Kirkiu-og or the harbour near the church, now called by
    the Scots, Kirkwall.—­Forst.

In this note Mr Forster wanders from the subject in hand, and his observations have no reference to the present expedition. Ledovo is probably the Island of Lewis, and Ilofe may possibly be Hay, though that conjecture would lead them too far to the south.—­E.

[6] Sudero, or Suder-oe, might mean the Western Islands so called by
    the Norwegians; but certainly here means some bay of Sutherland, as
    they here met the troops of Sinclair, who had marched by land.  The
    town of Sanestol is quite inexplicable.  Though Mr Forster supposes
    it to have been the cluster of islands called Schant, or Shanti-oer,
    which he thinks is here corrupted into Sanestol:  But, if correct in
    our opinion, that they must have been on the main land of Scotland,
    his conjecture must be erroneous.  These conquests could be nothing
    more than predatory, incursions, strangely exaggerated.—­E.

[7] This is a very early mention of salted fish, yet within the lifetime of
    William Beukels, the supposed inventor of the art of pickling herrings
    who died in 1397.  Professor Sprengel has shewn that herrings were
    caught at Gernemue, or Yarmouth, so early as 1283.  In Leland’s
    Collectanea we meet with a proof that pickled herrings were sold in
    1273; and there are German records which speak of them so early as
    1236.  Vide Gerken, Cod.  Diplom.  Brandenb.  I. 45. and II. 45l.—­Forst.