18 
of five or six feet diameter, passing- through the centre of the 
coil in the middle of the vessel, where it would be subject to 
the smallest amount of motion from the pitching and rolling 
of the vessel. The kind of self-acting apparatus which he 
would recommend, could be applied with greater facility with 
the cable passing through the centre than over the stern of 
the vessel. 
The paper “ On the Folk-lore of Lancashire, and its 
relation to that of the Greeks, the Romans, the Saxons, 
• and the Danes,” by Mr. T. T. Wilkinson, F.R.A.S., 
was concluded. 
Abstract. 
The object of this paper was not to point out the distinc- 
tive Folk-lore of Lancashire as differing from that of other 
counties, but simply to collect a variety of instances as it at 
present exists, and compare them with the corresponding 
portions of the Folk-lore of those nations from which ours has 
most probably been derived. It is observed in the essay that 
tradition has in most instances preserved enough of each 
custom, rite, or ceremony, to enable us to trace it through its 
various changes, but how, or where, it originated must neces- 
sarily be left to conjecture. Portions of one custom, or 
popular opinion, are often engrafted upon another, and hence 
the separation becomes difficult ; yet in many instances this is 
found not to be impossible. The Egyptians divined by the 
rod and the cup as we do at present; and the Teanla fires of 
Lancashire are a remnant of the ancient worship of Baal. 
The river Ribble was dedicated to Minerva Belisamie, and 
relics of the worship of this deity are yet in existence. Ancient 
and modern astrology is then alluded to, and the reverence 
paid to the numbers three, seven, nine, &c., illustrated by 
several curious examples. This reverence prevailed amongst, 
the Saxons and Danes as well as amongst the older nations of 
Europe. 
