' jumping on a pole held up horizontally by two men; the perJ
mer lights on his knees, takes hold with both hands, bends!
kiffes it ; and then fprings off. He who fucceeds in the!
when the poll is at the higheft elevation, carries the prize.
A fecond game o f activity is played by two or three hundrej
who form a circle; and every one places his Hick in the giJ
before him, by way o f barriere. A perfon called the Jd J
itands in the middle, and delivers his bonnet to anyone in J
ring. This is nimbly handed round, and the owner is to recovi
i t : and on fucceeding, takes the place o f the perfon, whoj
he took it from ; and .that perfon again takes the midi
place.
There are two other tryals o f ftrength: firftly, throwin»
Hedge hammer. The other feems local. Two men fit os ij
ground foot to foot: each lays hold o f a lhort ftick; and til
champion that can pull the other over is the winner.
The power o f fafcination is as ftrongly believed here as itwaj
by the Ihepherds o f Italy in times of old.
Neicio quis teneros oculis mihi fafcinat agnos?
But here the power o f the evil-eye affe&s more the milch cows dul
lambs. I f the good houfewife perceives the effect of the malicious oj
any of her kine, Ihe takes as much milk as Hie can drain from ths
enchanted herd, for the witch commonly leaves very little. Sra
then boils it with certain herbs, and adds to them flints and unj
tempered fteel: after that Ihe fecures ‘ the door, and invokes the
three facred perfons. This puts the witch into fuch an agony]
.that Ihe comes nilling-willing to the houfe, begs to be admitted,d
L obtain relief by touching the powerful p o t: the good woman
| | makes her terms; the witch reftores the milk to the cattle,
Knd in return is freed from her pains. I
I But fometimes to fave the trouble o f thole charms (for it may
laopen that the diforder may arife from other -caufes than an evil-
j j the tryal is made by immerging in milk a certain herb, and
I the cows are fuper-naturally affefted, it inftantly diftills blood.
I The unfuccefsful lover revenges himfelf on his happy rival
|,y charms potent as thofe of the fhepherd AlphefiUus, and exaftly
Ifimilar.
Nefte tribus nodis ternos Amarylli colores:
JSeCte, /imarylli, modo.
\ Donald takes three th r e a d s of different hues, and ties three
■knots on each, three times imprecating the moft cruel difappoint-
I'ments on the nuptial bed: but the bridegroom to avert the harm,
Itands at the altar with an untied Ihoe, and puts a fix-pence be-
Bieath his foot. , .
I A prefent was made me o f a clach clun ceilach, or cock-knee
atone, believed to be obtained out of that part of the bird ; but
I have unluckily forgotten its virtues. Not fo with the clach cru-
Uin, which is to cure all pains in the joints. It is to be prejlimied
both thefe amulets have been enchanted; for the firfl: very
much refembles a common pebble 5 the other is that fpecies of
[foffil ihell called Gryphites.
I I was alfo favored with feveral of the nuts, commonly calle
'.Molucca beans, which are frequently found on the weftern Ihores
M m of
A mu le ts.'
I l l