Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-12-03
IDEAS ABOUTDROWNING.
HOW VARIOUS NATIoNALITIES
REGARD THE MATTER.
I'm Many Countries 1t Is Considered
Folly to Save Victim 1.-THE River
Spirit Claims HIS Yearly
Sacrifice"

later do an injury to the rescue. says I
American Notes and Queries. The 4
comes down to us from
our European ancestors yet traces OF I
it exist among the Sioux and other
Indians who seem to have inherited
it from aboriginal sources. In GreN !
Cornwall and various parts OF Scot
land,
SIR Walter Scott in Tho Pirate
tells how Bryce the peddler refused
TO help Mordaun TO save the ship
wrecked sailor from drowning. and
even demonstrated with him on the
rashness of such a deed ,Are you
mad says the peddleE you that
have lived sac lang IN Zetlanl to risk
the saving of drowning man. Wot
ye net il ye bring him 20 life again he
will be sure TO do you some capital In.
jury? 1t is found, too among French
sailors and boatmen OF the Danube.
and is widely credited in Russia Mr..
Barry IN his Ivan at Home gives
a striking instance OF tho Russian re-
pagnance to save life I ON drowning.
One day drunken man walked into
the water and disappeared. A number
OF spectators stood by and gazed on
the scene with the utmost Indifference,
but no one tried to rescue him. A
court OF inquiry was held, but as on
examination. no cross was found on
his neck verdict was quickly agreed
upon by the villagers. who
declared that the man was
drowned because ne had no cross on
his neck. The Bohem an fisherman
shrinks from snatching u drowning
man from the waters fearing that the
water demon would take away MS luck
in fishing and drown him ut tho first
opportunity This rs DR. TytOr
points out in his Primitive Culture
Is lingering survival OF the ancient
significance OF this superstition tho
explanation being that the water spirit
is naturally angry at being despoiled
OF its victim and henceforth bears a
| special grudge against the uniHcky
| person who has uared to Illustrate
1 him Ihas when ONE one Is drowned
in Germany tho remark Is made:
The river spirit claims his yearly
sacrifice /" or. The nix has taken
him" Out OF Europe also the &c.
cidental drowning Of person Is Mt
tributed TO similar seizure and the
| Siamese breads the Pnuk q water
spirit that seizes bather5 and drags
them under TO his dwelling The Sioux
Indians have a sim lar fancy and tell
how men have been drowned by INK.
tahe, the water monster. For the same
reason, il appears. the Kamtchakais
far from helping a man out OF the
water would drown him by force II
rescued by any chance no one wo I'D
receive such man into his house or
give him food, hut be- was reckUncd
for dead The Chinese reluctance 10
save a drowning man arises from quite
different belief il being supposed
that the spirit OF person who has
met his death in this way continue.
to fit along the surface OF the water
until it has caused By drowning the
death OF fellow creature "A per,
son. therefore. writes Mr.. Jones II
his 'Credulities Past and Present :
who attempts to rescue another iron
drowning il considered 70 incur tbs
hatred OF the uneasy spirit which Il
de5irous even AT the expense OF q
mans life, to escape from It's wander
ings.n
A loaf OF broad is favorita tails
man in most European countries.
Sometimes it is found sufficient OF ID
self. sometimes it needs the aid o.
some other substance Thus in Eng
land the loaiis usually Weighted with
quicksilver The London Standard
recently told story In point Soma
years ago u boy fell into tho stream
! AZ Sherborno Dorse:shire. and wa
drowned The body not having beef
s. recovered for some days. the mode o
procedure was thus: a four. pount
loaf Of best -four was procured and
small piece cut out OF the side Of ii
forming u cavity into which a littl
quicksilver was poured. The pee
was then replaced and tied firmly /
.. It's original position. The Loaf thu
prepared was thrown into the rive
ut the spot where the body fell. an
was expected TO float down the strear
till it came to the place whore tn
body had lodged. But no satisiactor
result occurred. In Brittany. whe
the body OF drowned man cannot b
found. lighted taper is fixed IN
loaf OF bread which is then abar
! doned to the retreating currcn
l When the loaf stops there # is SUI
. posed the body will be recovered.
In Java live sheep Is thrown int
l the water and is supposed 10 indicat
the position Of the body by sinkin
near It. But the objects used for tn
purpose vary largely in differer
countries A correspondent Of Note
and Queries tells how corpse va
discovered by wisp Of straw aroun
which was tied a strip OF parchmei
Z inscr bed with certain cabalistic cha
8 acters written on it by the paris
$ priest A curious custom is practice
. la Norway whore those in search Of
3 drowned body row to and fro with
y cock in the boat. fully expecting tht
d the bird will crow when the boz
= reaches the spot where the corps