The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-09-26
To SAVE FROM DROWNING.
Some Queer superstitions of People the
World Over.

Some Queer superstitions of People the
World Over.
1t seems strange that swimmers
should be superstitious, yet II Is So, nor
is 1t alone the small boy who sees his
companion sinking into "A watery grave
without attempting to rescue him,
whether he sank because he was not an
expert and got beyond his depth, or
whether he WAS seized with cramps. 1t
seems ridiculous To think Of, and no
! doubt it Will save many superstitious
person from risking his own neck by
being dragged under by the weight and
struggles of drowning person to know
it Is counted unlueky and worse than
madness to try to save the life Of a
! drowning person or to resuseitate him,
as sooner or later he is bound to do you
some mean turn.
1t is another one Of those cid super
stitions handed down from generation
to generation from our European ances-
| tors, and of which no one knows the der
| ivatiOn. Traces Of it are found among
! the Sioux and other tribes of The Indians
! Of the west, who seem 10 have Inherited
| that belief from their forefathers along
with so many other quaint things They
| still believe. and it's part Of their
creed that in hunting the body of a
! drowned person you can discover its
resting place by floating a chip of cedar
wood which viii stop, even in the
strongest current, and turn around over
the exact spot.
t., I1,-rs h. Ill. -
must not rescue a drowning person is
most prevalent in Cornwall and various
| parts Of Scotland. The French sailor
and the boatman Of the Danube bow to
the decree, together with the Russians,
and let the people drown.
Dr. Taylor, in his Primitive Gull
ture, declares this lingering fondness
for this cid creed is because the water
spirit is angry at being despoiled of its
victim, and should the unlucky person
who has dared to Illustrate him trust
himself 10 the waters power he will
drown as sure as fate
The Z hemian fisherman shrinks
from snatcMng Il drowning man from
the waters fearing the water demon
Will tahe away his luck in fishing and
drown hiN LefOre he gets to shore with
the would be victim. In Germany,
wien sa.ac ole Is drowned, they say,
The river spirit claims his yearly sac
ritice, " or, "Ihe Nix has taken him.
The belief is current not alone in
those countries above mentioned but
the Kamchltkans, rather than help a
man out Of the water, would force him
under, and if he should escape to the
shore no one would dare receive him
into his house or dare to give MIN food.
He is supposed to be dead after once
falling into the water.
The Cur7s of Scotland.
Among the reasons Why the nine Of
diamonds has been called the curse Of
Scotland, think that the following has
not been given:
"Diamonds, nine 1t, called the curse
# Scotland, from Scotch lnember Of
parliament, part of whose family arms
is the nine of diamonds, voting for the
introduction OF the matt tax nto Scot
land. - Chronology; r, the Histo
rian n Companion, Fourth Edition, by
Thomas Tegg, London, 1926, page 3O8
(Addenda).
Could the arms of Daniel Campbell
of Shawfield, member of Glasgow, con
tain the nine lozenges? His house Was
destroyed by a mob in. 1927 because he
was suspected of having given govern
ment the information on the habits and
statistics Of Scotland necessary for tie
preparation of the malt tax, as we'll as
Of having exposed IA system If evasion
of duties in the Scots tobacco trade. >
See "The History of Scotland, by John
Hill Burton.
In the index to the History" Camp
bell of Shaw fields Christian name is
given as David
There is a George Campbell men
toned as having caused the nine of
diamonds to be called the curse Of Scot
land because lhe stole nine diamonds out
of the royal crown i'll the reign Of Mary
Stuart, in consequence of which all
Scotland was taxed Notes and Queries