ON THE ETHNOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 493 



animals, and to examine them. He then ordered all the wickets or holes 

 in the walls of the byres to be opened, so that whatever of evil influence 

 was in them might get out. He next ordered all the members of the 

 household to go into the dwelling-house, shut the door, cover all the 

 windows, fall on their knees, and pray to God that what he was going to 

 do would have the effect he wished, and not stir or open the door till three 

 knocks were heard on it. He went into the byre, and did something no 

 one knew, but the bellowing of the animals was terrible to be heard. 

 After a time the three knocks on the door were heard, and the door was 

 opened. The man had accomplished his work. When the cows were 

 examined, each had a piece of vervain tied into the hair of the tail. The 

 man then made a rope of hair, and tied it threefold round the bottom of 

 the churn, and at the same time gave orders that it should not be 

 removed. Things now went on all right, so that it was at last deemed 

 safe to remove the rope. This was done with the result that no butter 

 was got as formerly. The rope was replaced and Mr. Kerr, who was a 

 handy man, made a sort of shallow tub to put over it and preserve it. 

 Butter was again got. Vervain stitched into a band of silk was after 

 this worn round the waist next the skin by the folk of Kilstay Farm. 



Evil Eye. 



&11. Balmaghie. — Thei'e once lived at the Waukmill, Balmaghie, a 

 woman named Mrs. Melroy, who had the evil eye. The power was so 

 strong that if when milking her cow, she had looked on the milk in the 

 pail, it would have been sour before she reached the dwelling-house. Her 

 husband was a dyer, and he would not allow her to look into the dye-vat, 

 for if she did so the dye would not take. 



678. Dairy. — If one carrying milk meets one with the evil eye, the 

 milk becomes sour. 



679. Kirhnaiden. — The fishermen of Dromore, when returning from 

 gathering bait, do not care for one looking into the ' bait dish ' on the 

 bait. 



Place Legends. 



680. Corsock. — A diamond is believed to exist in Criffle Hill. Sailors 

 see it glittei-ing at night as they are sailing in the Firth. It cannot be 

 found during the day, though search has been often made for it. 



680«. Kirhnaiden. — There is a large boulder in a field on the farm of 

 Aucabrick, parish of Kirkmaiden. The present tenant wished to remove 

 it, and one day, without telling his father, went to remove it. He had 

 gone so far with the work as to have a chain fixed round the stone and 

 the horses attached to the chain. His father saw what was going on. 

 He made all haste to the spot, and reached it in time to stop his son in 

 his work. The stone is still standing in the field. 



681. Eells. — In Carsphairn there is a place called Whanny Knowes, 

 from the fact that there is a number of knowes or knolls all scattered 

 about, popularly said to number 365. The rhyme is — 



Every knowe 



Would grass a yowe (ewe). 



682. Carsphairn. — There is a narrow gorge in the river Deuch, parish 

 of Carsphairn, a little above the Old Brig of Deuch, called ' The Tinker's 



e> 



