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injury. In the book just above mentioned, the aforesaid P. Balbinus mentions, that in the mines at Cutna these demons have been often seen going in and out in great numbers, and when there are no miners below, but especially at seasons when great loss and damage are about to ensue, people have heard them raking, digging, thumping, stamping, and performing other miners' work. Sometimes they are distinctly heard hammering like a smith upon the anvil, and turning the iron to meet the blows of the hammer. In these same caverns they are heard knocking and hammering as if three or four smiths were at work, and as these noises are often heard in houses where there is about to be a very great change to either prosperity or misfortune, these demons are called by the Bohemians house-smiths.

In the far-famed mine at Kutterberg, which is called Smytna, in the year 1509, these wicked spirits began to work lustily: men heard them for several days and nights consecutively laboring and digging away, which was looked upon by the inhabitants of Kutterberg as a prognostication of the death of the miners, who shortly afterwards lost their lives. A year afterwards these demons were seen to fly out of the mine in various shapes and to different places, many

of the inhabitants of the place having witnessed their flight through the air.

Many wiseacres rank all these accounts as fabulous; and, although they cannot deny that these demons have been repeatedly seen and heard by the miners, they will not be convinced that they really are demons, but ascribe everything to a heated imagination. But if any room can be found for attributing these things to the imagination, the erudite and clever physician, Thomas Bartholinus, who carried his researches into the rarest and most curious enquiries as to the extent of the power of natural causes, would not have written-"The mines in Norway compel us to entertain no doubt of the existence of gnomes, for they have been repeatedly seen:" and, with a view of convincing us of this fact, he gives us the following story of a silver-mine, contained in a letter from his son Christophorus Bartholinus, and which he showed as a curiosity to his uncle Johannes Finch.

The gnomes inspire the miners with hopes of obtaining a rich booty, when they appear visibly to them. "I myself," says he, that is, Christophorus, "have conversed with a miner, who, when he was at his work, saw a gnome of middling stature with a long beard, but his body all black, standing at his side. This dark com

panion did not offer to say a word to him, but presented his snuff-box to him that he might take a pinch. The miner was annoyed that he should attempt to interrupt his work, and knocked the snuff-box out of his hand. For this piece of politeness the gnome, very naturally, flew at his face, but the miner stood on the defensive with the weapon which he had in his hand. However, thinking that the sooner he was out of that the better, he turned to make a bolt of it, and very speedily found a heavy burthen on his shoulders, which was nothing less than the gnome riding him after the fashion of Sinbad's old man of the sea. It was with great difficulty, and only by the help of God, we are informed, that he managed to effect his escape out of the mine, but his shirt was torn to ribbons, and his body scratched and pinched to all the colors of the rainbow by the devil's talons, and he carried the marks of them to the grave. We are surprised that Christophorus should have humbugged his good father, the doctor, with this story.

These gnomes, however, are not confined to Europe, but are found in all parts of the world. We wonder whether there are any on the Neilgherries: should we succeed in catching

one we will start an opposition coach to our uncle of Agra.*

this

The negroes on the coast of New Guinea tell many wonderful stories of them, but, as they partake very much of the nature of Dr. Bräuner's, we refer the curious reader to the NeuAfricanishe reise Beschreibung, fol. 460, or an account of a recent journey in Africa, published, we know not when. Dr. Bräuner winds up chapter by saying that he has thus established the existence of these gnomes beyond question; and, that the only point to be considered is, whether they are really spirits, or a cross between a man and a brute, which point, he says, is too knotty to be solved. For our own part, we suspect that the old gentleman chuckled hugely as he penned this chapter, and, laying his finger to his nose, said "Tell that to the horse marines."

* The Agra Bank, established for lending money to individuals who want it, on unquestionable authority, and at ten per cent.

CHAPTER XV.

"All the infections that the sun sucks up

From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall and make him
By inch-meal a disease! His spirits hear me,
And yet I needs must curse. But they'll not pinch,
Fright me with urchin shows, pitch me i' the mire,
Nor lead me, like a firebrand in the dark,

Out of my way, unless he bids them."

TEMP. Act ii., Scene 2.

OF THE WILL O' THE WISP OR IGNIS FATUUS.

Who has not, at some period or other of his life, in his native land, encountered, and, perchance, been led astray by a Jack o' Lanthorn, until, haply, he found himself plunged neck deep in a morass. But these natural Wills o' the

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