Page:Hobson-Jobson a glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases, and of kindred terms, etymological, historical, geographical and discursive.djvu/403

FIREFLY. Raynouard himself has in a French passage of 1446: "par leurs sorceries et faictureries."

1487.—"E assi lhe (a el Rey de Beni) mandou muitos e santos conselhos pera tornar á Fé de Nosso Senhor ... mandandolhe muito estranhar suas idolotrias e feitiçarias, que em suas terras os negros tinhão e usão."—''Garcia, Resende, Chron. of Dom. João II.'' ch. lxv.

c. 1539.—"E que jà por duas vezes o tinhão tẽtado cõ arroydo feytiço, só a fim de elle sayr fora, e o matarem na briga...."—Pinto, ch. xxxiv.

1552.—"They have many and various idolatries, and deal much in charms (feitiçoes) and divinations."—Castanheda, ii. 51.

1553.—"And as all the nation of this Ethiopia is much given to sorceries (feitiços) in which stands all their trust and faith ... and to satisfy himself the more surely of the truth about his son, the king ordered a feitiço which was used among them (in Congo). This feitiço being tied in a cloth was sent by a slave to one of his women, of whom he had a suspicion."—Barros, I. iii. 10.

1600.—"If they find any Fettisos in the way as they goe (which are their idolatrous gods) they give them some of their fruit."—In Purchas, ii. 940, see also 961.

1606.—"They all determined to slay the Archbishop ... they resolved to do it by another kind of death, which they hold to be not less certain than by the sword or other violence, and that is by sorceries (feytiços), making these for the places by which he had to pass."—Gouvea, f. 47.

1613.—"As feiticeiras usão muyto de rayzes de ervas plantas e arvores e animaes pera feitiços e transfigurações...."—Godinho de Eredia, f. 38.

1673.—"We saw several the Holy Office had branded with the names of Fetisceroes or Charmers, or in English Wizards."—Fryer, 155.

1690.—"They (the Africans) travel nowhere without their Fateish about them."—Ovington, 67.

1878.—"The word fetishism was never used before the year 1760. In that year appeared an anonymous book called "Du Culte des Dieux Fétiches, ''ou Parallèle de l'Ancienne Religion de l'Egypte avec la Rel. actuelle de la Nigritie." It is known that this book was written by ... the well known President de Brosses.... Why did the Portuguese navigators ... recognise at once what they saw among the Negroes of the Gold Coast as feitiços? The answer is clear. Because they themselves were perfectly familiar with a feitiço, an amulet or talisman."—Max Müller, Hibbert Lectures'', 56-57.

FIREFLY, s. Called in South Indian vernaculars by names signifying 'Lightning Insect.'

A curious question has been discussed among entomologists, &c., of late years, viz. as to the truth of the alleged rhythmical or synchronous flashing of fireflies when visible in great numbers. Both the present writers can testify to the fact of a distinct effect of this kind. One of them can never forget an instance in which he witnessed it, twenty years or more before he was aware that any one had published, or questioned, the fact. It was in descending the Chāndor Ghāt, in Nāsik District of the Bombay Presidency, in the end of May or beginning of June 1843, during a fine night preceding the rains. There was a large amphitheatre of forest-covered hills, and every leaf of every tree seemed to bear a firefly. They flashed and intermitted throughout the whole area in apparent rhythm and sympathy. It is, we suppose, possible that this may have been a deceptive impression, though it is difficult to see how it could originate. The suggestions made at the meetings of the Entomological Society are utterly unsatisfactory to those who have observed the phenomenon. In fact it may be said that those suggested explanations only assume that the soi-disant observers did not observe what they alleged. We quote several independent testimonies to the phenomenon.

1579.—"Among these trees, night by night, did show themselues an infinite swarme of fierie seeming wormes flying in the aire, whose bodies (no bigger than an ordinarie flie) did make a shew, and giue such light as euery twigge on euery tree had beene a lighted candle, or as if that place had beene the starry spheare."—Drake's Voyage, by F. Fletcher, Hak. Soc. 149.

1675.—"We ... left our Burnt Wood on the Right-hand, but entred another made us better Sport, deluding us with false Flashes, that you would have thought the Trees on a Flame, and presently, as if untouch'd by Fire, they retained their wonted Verdure. The Coolies beheld the Sight with Horror and Amazement ... where we found an Host of Flies, the Subject both of our Fear and Wonder.... This gave my Thoughts the Contemplation of that Miraculous Bush crowned with Innocent Flames, ... the Fire that consumes everything seeming rather to dress than offend it."—Fryer, 141-142.

1682.—"Fireflies (de vuur-vliegen) are so called by us because at eventide, whenever they fly they burn so like fire, that from a distance one fancies to see so many lanterns; in fact they give light enough to write by.