et another
ancient and equally reputable friend on the same day, one, too, who had
been much about the world in the capacity of a navigator to foreign
climes, I took occasion to relate to him the strange narrative which I
had just heard. "Oh," said he, "there is no doubt about it; my mother has
often told me she was present and saw the whole transaction." "In the
mouth of two or three witnesses," says the Scripture, "shall every word
be established." In this case, it will be observed, the witnesses were
two, but both at second-hand. I shall not vouch, therefore, for anything
except that, as Scott says, "I tell the tale as 'twas told to me,"--and
it may be set down as one of these veritable legends which all persons
are at liberty to reject or accept, as they please. I expect to try the
faith of the reader still further before I have finished this historical
sketch. People often tell us, nowadays, that vulgar superstitions are
altogether things of the past. This may be so in public; but I imagine
that in private there is a lurking tinge of it in every human bosom.

CHAPTER III.

In maritime towns, at a season of the year when there is no inducement
for them to wander into the fields, boys who have nothing else to do, on
play-days, are very apt to lounge, more or less, on the wharves and in
the Market Place. When quite a youngster, I witnessed a scene on the spot
last named, the incidents of which are as vivid in my memory as at the
moment when they occurred, more than half a century ago. Though the
commerce of our town had very materially declined from its former
condition of wonderful activity and enterprise, it was still kept up with
considerable semblance of its former spirit, and, besides our native
vessels, a foreign ship occasionally sailed up our beautiful river. A few
miles beyond the stream, in the neighboring State, dwelt a population
chiefly agricultural, a portion of which, pursuing the avocation of
small farmers and fishermen, alternately, for they were directly on the
borders of the sea and somewhat isolated in their position, besides, were
certainly a little wild in character and habits; though I am told that
great improvement among them, in these respects, has taken place of later
years. We called them "Algerines," from which epithet, more opprobrious
than probably just, our estimate of their pretensions to civilization may
be inferred. It was the practice of these people to bring their fish in
w