Occasional Notes. 167 



The earth I do vibrate, I the Thunder. 



All flesh fears that reflects the one-ness of the Thunder. 



I pass along my field ; 



With swiftness all must move out of the way. 



The lightning precedes me. 



The thunder-axe I have made, I the Thunder." 



From another Aula they give the following — 



" I am the force of the spirit of the Pulake, (electric eel), the 



thunder-axe, the stone 

 I am the force of the firefly, 



thunder and lightning I have created." 



In a legend of the Thunder the rain-spirit is full of wrath at the 

 would-be ravisher of his daughters, the Rain-inaideiis, and shouts to 

 lightning to hurl the axe. The fugitive Indian shelters himself against 

 the storm under a big tree but the lightning splits the tree and drives him 

 out to be pelted by the Rain-maidens. He runs but is followed every- 

 where until his friends hide him under a pot. — J.R. 



Macaiday's Aew Zealander. — The following from Notes and Queries, 

 Dec. 6th, 1902, suggests that the " Xew Zealander : ' may be a British 

 South American. 



Older writers may have suggested to Macaulay his Xew Zealander. 

 Perhaps the following passage, parallel to it, has not been noticed. It is 

 from Sismondi's ' Literature of the South of Europe,' published originally 

 in 1813, Roscoe's translation, chap. ii. : — 



" Who may say that Europe itself, whither the empire of letters and of 

 science has been transported, which sheds so brilliant a light, which forms 

 so correct a judgment of the past, and which compares so well the succes- 

 sive reigns of the literature and manners of antiquity, shall not in a few 

 ages become as wild and deserted as the hills of Mauritania, the sands of 

 Egypt, and the valleys of Anatolia ? Who may say that in some new land, 

 perhaps in those lofty regions, whence the Oronoco and the river of the 

 Amazons have their source, or perhaps in the impregnable mountain-fast- 

 nesses of Xew Holland, nations with other manners, other languages, 

 other thoughts, and other religions, shall not arise once more to renew 

 the human race, and to study the past as we have studied it ; nations who, 

 hearing with astonishment of our existence that our kuowledge was as 

 extensive as their own, and, that we, like themselves, placed our trust in 

 the stability of fame, shall pity our impotent efforts ?" — J.R. 



Losses of prominent Members. -We have to deplore the loss by 

 death of several prominent members of the Society during the last year. 

 Mr. Godfrey F. Franks was an exceedingly valuable member who had 

 been President, Chairman of several Commitiees and a Director. He was 

 peculiarly valuable to the Museum and helped much in arranging the 



