112 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



and killed a black dog and buried it over the chest as a protection. 

 This was Ramsay's last trip. About 1817 Dr. Troyer and his son, 

 Michael, having found out by his divining rod where the treasure 

 was, went out towards evening to dig it up. I saw them going out 

 in the boat. My father was the only one I know about that they had 

 consulted, but he was an unbeliever, and would not go. The Doctor 

 afterwards told me that they dug down to the box. The 'Doctor was 

 a Tunkard. He held a Bible open and a lighted candle to keep away 

 the Evil One. Michael dug and tried to pry the chest out of the 

 ground, when a big black dog rose up beside the chest — grew right 

 up bigger and bigger, until the light went out, and then they took to 

 their boat and went home. 



Doctor Troyer had a stone, which he covered with a hat, and when 

 one of the Pick girls put her head under the hat, she could see every- 

 thing that was hidden — stolen money, and goods, &c. Many things 

 were recovered in this way, amongst others some things stolen from 

 my Uncle, Ephraim C. Mitchell." 



In a later conversation, which I did not record at the time but 

 give from memory, Mr. McCall added some details, furnished by 

 Michael Troyer to himself. The Doctor and Michael arrived at 

 the portage a little before dusk. This was to give them time to fix 

 the exact location of the treasure. Having found the spot, they 

 withdrew to the boat and waited until midnight, when they proceeded 

 to the place, the Doctor leading the way with a lighted candle in one 

 hand and an open Bible in the other, Michael following with pick 

 and spade. Precisely at midnight they heard the clink of the spade 

 on the iron chest, and Michael endeavoured to pry up the lid, when 

 the frightful apparition rose up, expanding to an enormous size, and 

 the daring intruders, brave as they had thought themselves, dropping 

 book, candle and digging implements, fled to the boat, leaped in, 

 and rowed with all their might for home. 



Historical Basis. 



So much for the story of the buried treasure. The legendary 

 factors are old enough, to be sure. The witch doctor, the divining 

 rod, the buried gold, the b^ack dog, the exorcism with book and 

 candle, the ghostiv guarci^n of the treasure, the magic stone, the 

 "thinking cap' — these are among the commonplaces of folklore. 

 That Mr. McCa^l was firmly convinced of the truth of his story was 

 manifest. 



The sup<:"rnatural elements in the narrative are for the psychol- 

 ogist. The writer's interest in it was chiefly concerned with its 



