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Transactions. 17 
part in a match for the silver snuff-box, which is the coveted 
prize in the parish club, was in the habit of asking this woman to 
throw snowballs or a broom after him for luck as he went over 
the hill just beyond Kirkbean on his way to the pond. The 
fairy lore is exceedingly meagre, and only relates to the appearance 
of the “little folk” at one particular time and in one locality. 
On Hallowe’en night the fairies were said to pass, with drums 
beating, in procession through the village of Prestonmill, and to 
repair to a neighbouring mound called Hangman Hill, on which, 
as I said in my paper on the antiquities of the parish, a kist vaen 
had been found. Here they passed the night dancing, only dis- 
persing at dawn of day. 
A curious piece of folklore is the legend relating to the 
existence of a large diamond on Criffel. It is many years since 
I heard this for the first time when staying at Southerness. The 
story is that seamen on board vessels coming up the Solway can, 
on clear nights, see the gleaming of a large diamond, which is 
lying on Criffel, but although it can be seen a long distance off, 
when searched for it cannot be found, although the search may 
be most carefully made. As a matter of course, no consideration 
is given to the matter-of-fact reasoning which would point out 
that a diamond which could be visible so far off must be of 
dimensions which would make the Koh-inoor and even larger 
gems pale into insignificance. If anything of the nature of a 
brilliant light is seen it is probably due to that of the moon 
glittering on some granite block or some small streamlet flowing 
over a boulder, a sight less likely to excite the cupidity of the 
observer, but immeasurably more full of delight to the lover of 
the beautiful than any diamond, however brilliant it may be. 
With this legend I close meanwhile, leaving to a future time, if 
you will allow me that pleasure, the story of the remaining folk- 
lore, including tne lucky and unlucky omens and miscellaneous 
superstitions, which it takes some time to collect. Singularly 
enough, as it seems to me, this little parish, laved by the waters 
of the restless Solway, which has claimed its many victims in 
storm and in cali, seems to have no traditions of ghosts which 
haunt the Firth, nor of the visions which in other waters have 
lured to destruction those who risk the dangers of the deep. 
