GUERXSEY WEATHER LORE. 201 



then it was hung crown downwards, from a nail in the 

 rafter, in the most sheltered part of the kitchen, often over 

 the jonqnerc. It was said that the nose would turn so as 

 to point in the direction the wind was coming from, some 

 12 to 24 hours before the change took place. They also 

 used in exactly the same way a kind of small lobster 

 which they called la grosse Ecreviche^ when they were 

 fortunate in catching one (this I consider must have been 

 the Scyllaras arctns). It was dried, and an eyelet stuck 

 in the back, so as to balance properly, and then it was 

 hung up, and would turn its head, exactly in the same 

 way as the fish's skull. 



There was a saying which signified that wind and rain 

 often accompany each other : La pWe et Vvent sont pres 

 parents (rain and wind are near relations). It will be 

 noticed that in this, as well as in many other sayings I 

 shall have occasion to quote, the two parts of the sentence 

 form a rhyme, and thus are more easily remembered. 



The skin of a Dogfish properly dried (care being taken 

 that no rain fell on it during the drying) was nailed behind 

 the south door, which was known as " riius du grand hn^'' 

 and when damp weather was approaching, the skin would 

 became soft about two days before, but if it remained firm 

 and stiff", then dry weather was indicated. The same changes 

 were foretold also by bottles with the rim of the neck cut 

 off, and filled with water. These were hung bottom upwards, 

 and before fine weather the water would rise in the bottle, 

 but drops would fall if rain was at hand. 



There used to be a great many quaint proverbs and 

 local savings which were the result of close observation, 

 and which must have been acciTrate enough as a rule, or 

 they woidd certainly not have been handed down from the 

 olden time, and still remembered, as they are in many parts 

 of (iuernsey, though I am speaking principally of the 

 Vale parish. Qiiand Ps^afonrs sont Nord et Slid, tii peiix 

 mettre tes apHet.s et t^nir d\s/i : mais s^i sont Est et Vouest, 

 met les s^tn renr, mais tien-te pret. This means that when 

 streaks of white cloud lie north and south across the sky, 

 you may safely put out your fishing-gear, it will be fine 

 weather : but if they lie east and west, you may do so 

 if you like, but be on the look out (for squalls). Another 

 old saying much to the same effect was : Q/iand Tciel est 

 chergi an Nord et cla'ir au Sud, met ten corset et tien-te 

 dthu: mais qnand Tciel est chergi a:ii Slid et cla'ir an Nord, 

 hdle ten corset et Vendors — which may be literally rendered : 



G 



