NATIONALITY AND GENEEAL CHARACTEE1STICS. 19 



friends with rejoices in the uame borne by one of the daughters of the patriarch Job, Keren-hap- 

 pucli, or that the baby's name is Jerusha. To those not quite familiar with Scripture names it may 

 be well to say that the first two are to be found in Uosea, I, G, 9. It is on record that one child 

 was baptized Beersheba, entered in the marriage register in due time as Bathsheba, but always 

 called Bertha by her neighbors. A clergyman of the Church of England relates that once in 

 beginning a service in a private house in an ' outport' a woman near him, intending no offensive 

 familiarity, lifted up a corner of his surplice, and, after examining it with finger and thumb, pro- 

 nounced it aloud, 'A beautiful piece of stuff.' Under similar circumstances he was startled on 

 another occasion, in the middle of his sermon, by an old woman in the chimney corner calling out 

 to some young ones, 'My gracious, girls, I've forgot the loaf! Julia, go out to the nest house and 

 hang on the bake-pot.' It must be understood that these instances occurred in some of the prim- 

 itive outlying settlements, far from the center of civilization, where the people seldom see a clergy- 

 man, and are quite unaccustomed to the solemnities of religious assemblies. They welcome eagerly 

 the rare visit of clergymen in these scattered hamlets, and whole batches of children of various 

 ages are baptized by him at the same time. So cold is weather in winter, in the more northerly 

 parts of the island, and so wretched their houses, that, in order to keep the loaf from freezing at 

 night, it is a practice to wrap it in the blanket and take it to bed when retiring. 



"The population is a mixed one, nearly half being the descendants of Irish settlers, the rest 

 English; most of them sprung from progenitors who came originally from Devonshire, Dorset 

 shire, and Hampshire. The descendants of the latter retain many 7 of the peculiarities of speech 

 which still distinguish the peasants of Devonshire. They say, ' l's took no notice to she,' that is, 

 no notice of her. ' Did 'ee want anything wi' I?' They speak of their ' haudses and postses;' of 

 their cows being ' alossed,' and their bread 'auiade.' They will say 'Mubbe l's gouu home.' The 

 • parson is ' pareson,' and they ask him to ' 'bide a spurt ' with them. A ' spell' is either short con- 

 tinuance at labor or a time of rest. Short distances are, in common speech, measured as ' spells.' 

 Thus 'two shoulder spells' is a distance a man would ordinarily carry a burden on his shoulders, 

 resting once in the midst. The word ' obedience' is sometimes used for ' obeisance.' Thus, chil- 

 dren are directed to 'make their obedience,' that is, to bow courtesy. The inhabitants of a settle 

 ment are called 'livicrs,' and if any district be uninhabited there are said to be no ' liviers' in it. 

 An expressive phrase is used to indicate a fall in the temperature — 'To-day is a jacket colder than 

 yesterday.' 'Dow do times govern in Saint John's?' is a common question which is answered by 

 recounting the prices of fish, oil, and provisions. 'Praise the fair day at e'en,' is the Scottish 

 proverb which has its counterpart in Newfoundland,' 'Praise the bridge that carries you over.' 

 The folly of lazy, shiftless expedients is well expressed by r saying 'He sits in one of the tilt and 

 burns the other.' When admiration of a benevolent man is expressed, he is described as 'a terri- 

 ble kind man;' or the weather is commended by saying, 'It's a shocking tine day.' Clever, in 

 Newfoundland, means strong or large. A 'clever man' is a stout, large man. A 'clever baby 

 is a hearty r , big baby. A singular use of the word ' accommodation ' is common. A person of bad 

 repute is said to have 'a Very bad accommodation.' Or a servant on leaving his master requests 

 ■an accommodation,' evidently a corruption of recommendation. 



" With all their primitive and often amusing peculiarities and local customs the fisherfolk of 

 Newfoundland have many sterling qualities of head and heart; and all they want to put them on a 

 level with corresponding classes in other countries more advanced in the arts of civilized life is 

 education. No one could live among them without likiug them, hi simplicity of character, 

 warmth of heart, kindness, and hospitality, they are unsurpassed.* 



* Cape Ann Advertiser, January !•">, 1875 



