1835. 



' BRUXOS — WIZARDS — TREASURE. 



389 



out sparks, when the witch flew through the air from place to 

 place. 



" I have been informed,'' continues Mr. Douglas, " upon in- 

 disputable authority, that such lanterns do exist ; and that when 

 two or more witches wish to communicate by signal, one of them 

 ties a lantern to a long pole, and throws it up and down very 

 quickly, making the sparks fly. The other then makes similar 

 use of her lanterti, at a considerable distance, and those who 

 casually see the lights, think that a witch has flown from one 

 place to the other. The magical art of the wizard is often exer- 

 cised in a search for hidden treasure. There are some places 

 where, in a dark night, inflammable gas, or phosphoric light, is 

 seen, near the ground, not like a Will-o'-th'-wisp of Europe, but 

 a clear steady light, of a white, yellow, or red colour. Popular 

 superstition ascribes these lights to the ghosts of departed 

 misers, watching their hidden treasure ; and when one is dis- 

 covered by any person, he calls a friend to assist him and 

 watch it, about the time of new moon, until they ascertain 

 the spot whence it proceeds ; and there they dig in search of an 

 anticipated heap of gold or silver. Not succeeding (of course), 

 they apply to a wizard, who pretends to discover where the 

 treasure lies, and what it is, by looking earnestly into a smooth 

 slab of black stone (which I suppose to be basalt). The wizard 

 may not himself find the prize, nor may he be present at the 

 search ; but, after telling the people where and when to dig, 

 he takes good care to alarm and frighten them away in some 

 strange manner, just at the moment they expect to grasp the 

 store of gold. Among other devices, the wizard, or witch, 

 pretends to cover a worsted thread with quicksilver, and hold- 

 ing it over the supposed place, allows the quicksilver to run 

 off into the ground, and then he desires them to dig till they find 

 the quicksilver, thus afibrding time for creating some sudden 

 alarm, which they attribute to the ' devoto,' or familiar spirit 

 of the deceased. It is believed by some that I am able to dis- 

 cover hidden treasure, and for my amusement I have more than 

 once made an experiment before them, by sticking up two stakes 

 in a line towards the light ; then going a quarter of a circle 



