434 ANTIPATHY TO SWINE. [CHAP. x. 



In illustration of the peculiar dread and antipathy of fisher- 

 men to swine, I give the following extract from a volume 

 published by a schoolmaster, entitled An Historical Account 

 of St. Monance. The town is divided into two divisions, the 

 one called Nethertown and the other Overtown the former 

 being inhabited entirely by fishermen, and the latter by agri- 

 culturists and petty tradesmen: "The inhabitants of the 

 Nethertown entertained a most deadly hatred towards swine, 

 as ominous of evil, insomuch that not one was kept amongst 

 them ; and if their eyes haplessly lighted upon one in any 

 quarter, they abandoned their mission and fled from it as they 

 would from a lion, and their occupation was suspended till the 

 ebbing and flowing of the tide had effectually removed the 

 spell. The same devils were kept, however, in the Uppertown, 

 frequently affording much annoyance to their neighbours be- 

 low, on account of their casual intrusions, producing much 

 damage by suspension of labour. At last, becoming quite 

 exasperated, the decision of their oracle was to go in a body 

 and destroy not the animals (for they dared not hurt them), 

 but all who bred and fostered such demons, looking on them 

 with a jealous eye, on account of their traffic. Armed with 

 boat-hooks, they ascended the hill in formidable procession, 

 and dreadful had been the consequence had they not been 

 discovered. But the Uppertown, profiting by previous re- 

 monstrance, immediately let loose their swine, whose grunt 

 and squeak chilled the most heroic blood of the enemy, who, 

 on beholding them, turned and fled down the hill with tenfold 

 speed, more exasperated than ever, secreting themselves till 

 the flux and reflux of the tide had undone the enchantment. 

 . . According to the most authentic tradition, not an 

 animal of the kind existed in the whole territories of St. Mon- 

 ance for nearly a century ; and, even at the present day, though 

 they are fed and eaten, the fisher people are extremely averse 

 to looking on them or speaking of them by that name ; but, 



