SUPERSTITIONS OF THE FRENCH CANADIANS. 523 



was called an adocte that is, one who had made a secret compact 

 with a mahoumet. It is difficult to find the origin of this term, 

 which the French colonists applied to the familiar spirits of the 

 Indian wizards. A Canadian writer (Dr. J. C. Tache*) offers the 

 explanation that, considering the founder of Islamism the incar- 

 nation of all evil, the French applied his name, slightly altered, to 

 these diabolical spirits. The mahoumet was a species of goblin, 

 who devoted himself to the service of his votary on the condition 

 that the latter should obey him in all things and should offer him 

 frequent sacrifices. This mahoumet is described as a little man, 

 about two feet high, having a skin gray and shining, like that of 

 a lizard, and eyes that glowed like living coals. The adocte bound 

 himself by a solemn oath, and it was only the sacraments of bap- 

 tism, confession, and absolution that had power to break the com- 

 pact, Treachery between the contracting parties was not rare, 

 neither being deterred by any scrupulous delicacy from striving 

 to outwit the other ; but as the adocte was the slave of his tor- 

 mentor, he usually got the worst of the bargain. The mahoumet 

 counseled his adocte, and, when not restrained by the power of 

 magic superior to his own, aided him in his difficulties. Feuds 

 were frequent between these wizards ; through the powers of 

 their mahoumets they played each other many tricks. The con- 

 flicts between them might continue for a long time, but in the 

 end one must perish. Unless a wizard abandoned his evil prac- 

 tices he never died a natural death. 



The Canadian sailors and fisher folk have superstitions pecul- 

 iar to themselves. A belief in mermaids is very general. There 

 are certain fishes which the fisher folk never touch ; for instance, 

 a certain kind of haddock, commonly called "St. Peter's fish," 

 which legend declares to have been the first fish taken out of the 

 net by the apostle on the occasion of the miraculous draught of 

 fishes. The back of the fish is said to bear in black marks the 

 imprints of St. Peter's fingers. 



The Abbe* Ferland, a well-known Canadian writer, gives an 

 account of flames which are said to be seen dancing upon the 

 waters of the Baie de Chaleurs, and which the fishermen declare 

 are caused by the souls of sailors who have perished on that spot, 

 and who send this weird appearance that the living may be re- 

 minded to pray for their souls, "According to the reports of 

 those who have examined them," he observes, " they rise from the 

 sea between Caraquet and Paspebiac. Sometimes no larger than 

 a torch, then again like a vast conflagration, they advance, retire, 

 rise, fall. As a boat approaches they disappear ; then, as it retires^ 

 the light acquires fresh brilliancy." 



The sailors and fisher folk are also firmly persuaded that Ad- 

 miral Walker, with his phantom fleet, appears occasionally in the 



