Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/399

Rh it for this paper. In the diocese of Zanzibar, in many of the Anglican churches belonging to the Universities' Mission in Central Africa, new fire is made on Holy Saturday. Here the early form of fire-production is resorted to—that process known as drilling. This fire is made outside the church, or just inside the porch. A candle that has been blessed is lighted from this new fire and is taken into the church. From this candle all the lights in the church are lighted. The natives for miles round come to get fire from this fresh supply and take it back to their huts, having previously extinguished their old fires.

There is an interesting custom which has been carried out with great regularity in this country until the outbreak of the war. The lacemakers of Bedfordshire on the 6th December celebrate what is said to be the introduction of lacemaking into England by Queen Catharine of Aragon. It is called "Wetting the Candleblock." In old days, before the use of gas for lighting purposes, the lacemakers, when daylight failed, had to fall back on candles for light. The candle was stuck in a socket in the centre of a square stool of convenient height, and at each of the four corners a flask of water, corked and turned upside down, was fixed in a socket. The light being reflected thus through water was intensified. At this festival of "Wetting the Candleblock" the four oldest lacemakers in a village come together and use this old method of illumination. They sit round the candleblock and work on their pillows. The candle is always lighted by flint and steel as in former days. After working for some time they receive visitors, and several join together and have tea. Afterwards there is the general "cut off"" and "set up," and drink of "Meytheagle" to the good old days. I was fortunate enough to obtain from Mr. Mulford, of Far Cotton, Northampton, an old steel for striking fire. It had been in use in a family of lacemakers for several generations, and had,