FOLK-LORE FROM UNST. 211 



one tribe differs as much from another as do the 

 Negro and Saxon. Such a supposition may explain 

 seemingly contradictory statements regarding this 

 mysterious race of beings ; and, indeed, I can find 

 no other way of reconciling various legends regarding 

 them ; but all the authorities which I have consulted 

 agree in saying that their language contains " neither 

 curses nor blessings." They cannot be where either 

 are used, so that we have an effectual means at hand 

 of driving them from us when we so choose. 



Mam Kirstan (so tradition saith) was fetched to a 

 Trow's wife, and when she was there she saw them 

 rolling up something to resemble a cow. She con- 

 trived to throw her bunch, of keys into the heap 

 without the Trows seeing her do so. When she got 

 home she found her own cow dead, as her husband 

 had omitted to " sain the byre." She told him to 

 open the beast, and he would find her keys there. 

 Accordingly he did so, which proved that the cqw 

 had been changed. When the Trows take anything 

 they always leave some resemblance of the stolen 

 property in its place. 



On another occasion when Kirstan was among the 

 Trows, she had to dress a baby, and one of the grey 

 men brought a box of curious ointment, with which 

 the child was to be anointed. While doing so Kirstan 

 chanced to put up her hand to her eye, and left some 

 of the Trow's ointment on it. From that time her 

 sight became so keen that she could see a boat on the 

 ocean twenty miles away, and could tell the position 



