Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/272

248 years ago, the dreug was seen quite distinctly as a ball of light with a tail after it. It passed the door of the man who was near death, broke up, and went off in sparks in the direction of the burying ground."

It is to be noted that in the first of these Islay dreugs the appearance was after the man's death. This is very much the exception.

The next is a more detailed account by a female native of Bernera of what she herself saw in the Kyle of Harris:

"One morning, about seven o'clock, I went to put out the cattle, and saw about as far as from here to the high road [seventy yards, says the collector] a big lump of red light as big as a kettle. It was like a man's face, but much longer, and ropes of white light after it. Then came a chest, like a coffin, about the height of a man from the ground. It moved easily, and it was red from the reflection of the light, and at its head was a lump of red light as big as my fist, and narrow ropes of light following it. It was very light round about it. I got a fright and went in and told my mistress, and she said to me it would be a dreug."

"Chaidh mi mach aon mhadainn mu thimchioll seachd uairean gus a chrodh a chuir mach, agus chunnaic mi, mar gum b'ann cho fhad ri o so gus an raid mhor (about 70 yards) meall mòr de sholus dearg, gu mòr ris a choire. Bha e cosmhal ri eudann duine, ach moràn ni 'b fhaide; agus ròpaichean de sholus gheal na dheigh. An sin thainig ciste, cosmhal ri ciste mairbh, gu ard o'n talamh ri duine. Ghluais e gu h-athaiseach, agus e dearg le ais-thilgeadh an solus; agus aig a cheann bha meall de sholus dearg mu mheud mo dhuirn agus ròpaichean chaol de sholus ga leantuinn. Mu 'n cuairt bha e ro shoilleir. Ghabh mi eagal, agus chaidh mi steach agus dhinnis mi do mo Bhan-Mhaighistir, agus thubhairt ise gu b'e dreug bha ann."

The next description is from Skye, and in the very words of the reciter:

"Another remarkable instance of the supernatural, now