Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-11-22
Dartrtp.
rolx.Lore...the aMauthe Doog.D


Folx.Lore---the aMauthe Doog."
Most Of the readers Of Sir Waller Scott
are acquainted with the Mauthe Doog-for
centuries an inhabtant Of Peel Castle in
the Isle of Man. This creature, in the
form Of an enormous dog black, shrggy,
and gigantic-was observed To issue night
ly from n subterranean passage leading to
the quard-room, to which it returned with
the dawn If morning, wandering over the
sands in search Of prey during the night
This circumstance, says Waldron in his
description of the Isle Of Man, "mlde them
look upon this place as its peculiar resi-
dence." Above a century ago, one of the
garrison, in a drunken frolic, ventured to
confront it alone determined, as he said,
"to try whether it were dog or devil, "-rc-
turned shortly afterwards speechess. and
died within three days in the greatest ag'
o1ies "The Mauthe Dolg was never after
seen in the castle, nor would my one 60
through that passage, for which reason it
was closed up" This accident" says
WaIdron, II herd attested by several, but
specially by an old soldier, who assured me
that he had seen it ofjcner than he had hairs
on his head"
Though thus walled out Of his castle
the DooI still haunts the neighborhood and
with singularly good taste Cor 50 uncouth
creature) may he met with taking moon.
light rambIes across the Duddon Sands and
Morecambc Bay. A year or two ago
spent some months in this neighb0rhnod, at
most picturesque and unsophiali;a lated little
watering place, called SlIverdaIe near the
head of the bay. Here, after days ram.
bic, spent in skctching or bntanizing. |
used sometimes to enjoy an evenings g0ss.
ip over to turf fire with an cid States
man." one Of those small Inded proprietors
common in the north, who eau claim an
uninterrupted descent from fLIher to son Cor
commissioning Of them having remained
on the plternaI estate from generation to
generation since the Saxon era. The dan.
gerous nature of the lancaster sands is
well known, and accidents have frequently
happened to parties crossing them without
guide, as the high tides rise very rapidly
with what is Technically chilled b0Ve J and
the channel of the river is perpetually
changing, leaving in ltSplace quicksand.
1t is ON these occasions that the Mau,he
Doug is said tn prowl over the broad sands !;
concurrent traditions and actuu testimony
Of the whole district assert that the night
before one Of these fatal accidents his un.
earthly howlings hive ,een heard over the
whole extent Of the bay
"Slgacious of his quarry from alar."
My venerable old friend who with his agri.
cultural pursuits united the occupation Of a
fisherman, assured me TINT he tad himself
often heard his warning voice: and men
toned among others the following inst
ance lit was a clear sumer's night, thirty
or forty years ago, that he was out on the
bay with three comrades, pursuing thei
avocatlon, when the creatures voice wa:
heard-frst distant, then gradually DRAWN,
nearer, sometimes bowling above thei
heads, sometimes appearing to come frou
below the sands under their feet : then /
became like the roaring Of waves mingled
with groans aud shrleks They distincll
heard ooh, Lord Oh, Lord w repeated
several times al tell the tale as twas told t,
me " The old man declared they colId no
be mistaken, they knew the sound Of old
it could not be thunder, it could not be tn
eea, 1t could not be any noise on the land
They were many miles from the shore, In
tide was out, aud the night was calm an,
moonlight. On their return home in tn
morning, they found that the same sount
hadbeen heard at intervals throughout tn,
night by those on shore. In expectation o
some bodng catastrophe, numbers of tn
scattered population assembled on tn
beach. In the village of Warton. a fey
mles.distant, lived a wild and disipate,
young fellow known by the sorbiquet q
"Wicked WILL" Wicked Will had gon
over to INVERSION fair with some Of his com
panions, where they had spent The night il
tipping. III the morning, having nitere
on then way, they reached the beach afte
the usual time of crossing. Wicked Viii
however, resisted every persuasion to re
main: and with drunken obstnancy swor
he would cross though the devil himse
should come to catch him. When they ha
reached within couple Of miles of the or
posite shore-the tide was rapidly comm
up-the line OF channel was covered wit
water, and they soon got ont of their de2tl
The guide, who had seen them from d..
lance, galloped across to help them; an
the fisherman, who were watching on tn
shore, came with reaps and boats to the
assistance. All was, however, in vain
Wicked Will, though twice dragged out {
the current was too bewildered to knov
which way to turn, he struggled gain in
to deep water, and was drowned. lie wa
buried in Warton Churchyard, where,
am told, there is graye-stone on the wes
ern side recording his death This is bu
one of many instances which are vouche
for by hundreds, and implicitly believed
should add, however, that they have la
terly become rare; and, indeed, as my il
formant very naively added, the creatur
seemsHha'e part gien ap O'late." Shout
Mr. Stephenson succeed in carrying out hi
bold project for a railway across the head ,
the bay, he will probably be entirely drive
away from his long accustomed haunts."
l. f.
The Mauthe Doog," in the precedn
legend is obviously CONNECTED with tn
WuteHdeS Her of German superstition, c
Which 1.-THE VIII Hrntsman," made {;
FniIisr to ENGLISH EeaasLs lf Weber's DE