ON THE ETHNOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 489' 



638. Balmayhie. — If one puts on a piece of dress inside out, it must 

 not be changed. Changing puts away the luck. 



639. Dairy. — If one sees a wraith in the morning, it indicates long life. 

 It is not a good omen to see one at night. 



640. Galloxoay (general). — It is accounted lucky to have the toes 

 webbed or partly webbed. 



641. Dairy. — Certain persons are considered as having a 'lucky hand.' 

 ' You have the lucky hand,' is the saying. 



642. A film of carbon hanging from a bar of the grate foretokens the 

 arrival of a stranger. 



643. If the black films that appear on the bars of a grate fall off at 

 once when blown, strangers will soon arrive. If they require two or three 

 puffs, it will be two or three days before they make their appearance. 



644. If the youngest or the eldest of a family sneezes before breakfast, 

 a stranger will arrive during the course of the day. 



645. If the right hand becomes itchy, it is an indication that money 

 will be received in no long time. If it is the left hand that itches, money 

 will be paid away. 



646. If the left ear becomes hot, one is speaking evil of you ; if the 

 right ear, good things are being said of you. 



647. Crossmichael. — If the ' girdle,' or a pot, or any cooking utensil 

 that may be hung over the fire, slips in the ' crook,' a stranger will arrive. 



Giants. 



648. Balmagliie. — At Barstolick there lived three giants that were the 

 terror of the whole neighbourhood, and no one was bold enough to meet 

 and fight them. At last a man of the name of McGhee undertook to do 

 battle against them. He fell upon them unawares at night, and succeedecJ 

 in killing them. For this deed he got a grant of the lands of Waylard. 



649. A giant and his wife lived in a cave now called the Giant's Cave 

 at Aldequhat. One day the giant fell asleep in his cave whilst a big 

 kettle of fish was cooking. A man that was fishing in the loch went into- 

 the cave, found the giant asleep and his wife away. He overturned the 

 boiling kettle over the giant's face, and blinded him. He jumped up in 

 his pain and tried to catch the author of his misery. It was in vain. He 

 could not see him. He asked his name in hopes that he might in after- 

 times have an opportunity of exacting justice from him. ' I mysel' is my 

 name,' was the answer. After chasing the man to no purpose he roared : 

 'A' burnt, a' burnt.' The roar was heard by his wife, and she called 

 back : ' Quha did it 1 Quha did it 1 ' He answered : ' I mysel' did it.' 

 Her reply was : ' I thysel' can blaw thysel'.' The man, dreading the wife's 

 return, meantime made his escape from the cave with all speed, mounted 

 his horse and fled, as the wife was coming to the cave. When she found 

 out what had taken place, she set out in pursuit of the man that had done 

 the evil deed. It was a hard race, but she overtook him. She seized the 

 horse by the tail. The man turned round in the saddle and struck out 

 with his sword and cut off her ai-m, and so escaped. 



650. Dairy. — There was once a giant sived in Carsphairn. A family 

 in the parish incurred his ill-will. He resolved to take his revenge. He 

 went to the top of a hill called Dundeuch, seized a big rock, and threw it 

 on the house in which the family lived. It fell on the house, crushed it,. 

 and killed all in it. The stone has been taken and made into gateposts. 



