fS MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. II. 



pected, and I got one new idea from it. We put a halfpenny 

 each into fine tasselled black velvet bags, which supply the place 

 of ladles, and came away. 



" I had reserved all my energies for the Gaelic sermon in the 

 afternoon, although I could not get the stupid people to under- 

 stand how I, who could not understand Gaelic in conversation, 

 could comprehend it preached. I did not think it worth while 

 to enlighten them. As, in consequence of the lateness of the 

 day when the Gaelic sermon commenced, had we stayed we 

 should have had a very disagreeable walk back in the evening, 

 I did not go, and so missed all the edification which should have 

 ensued from the Highland discourse. I had, however, a very 

 edifying conversation in the evening with one of the Arran 

 women concerning adders, to see one of which alive was a most 

 eager wish of mine. The principal facts concerning their natu- 

 ral history were that they could draw birds out of the air ; that 

 if they tasted bread they grew to an enormous size ; and she 

 assured me that when the people were eating bread out of doors, 

 they were very careful to allow none of the crumbs to fall, for 

 fear the adders should eat them, and be converted into boa con- 

 strictors. If one of the said adders bites any person, it imme- 

 diately runs to the nearest water, and the person bitten must 

 immediately run also ; if he gets first, the wound will not be 

 dangerous, but if the adder reaches the water before him, he 

 must make up his mind for a great deal of suffering. A silken 

 bandage tied round the bitten limb cures it, but cotton or linen 

 is useless. I questioned this in the woman's presence, telling 

 her I had no doubt a ligature tightly tied would be very useful 

 in preventing the poison passing into the blood, but that it would 

 be exceedingly foolish to allow a sufferer to wait till silk had 

 been got when a common garter would suffice. She got very 

 angry, and my crime was consummated when I asked her what 

 they were fed upon ; she asked me if I read the Bible, and told 

 me I would find it there. I in vain tried to recollect any pas- 

 sage telling the food of adders, till one of the bystanders sug- 

 gested the curse put on the serpent, that he should ' lick the 

 dust.' On attempting to question that way of reading the pas- 

 sage, so great grew her ire that I was fain to decamp from the 

 anathemas which were unsparingly hurled at me. 



