Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/452

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. x. DEC. s,

My grandfather came over to this country with his favourite and eldest sister Caroline from Amsterdam, and left three sisters ^Xanine, Nanette, and Ann) and a brother (Isaac) behind, who adopted their name Taffare during the Reign of Terror in 1789. My grandfather adopted the surname of Tavare, which all of his descendants bore. He and his sister were Dutch aliens and refugees, at the time of a revolution, or els? he might have been caught and made to fight. Caroline became the mother of Charles Swain, the Manchester poet (see Southey,' vol. iv., 1856). The Government gave my grandfather 1,0001. for carrying on the war correspondence. He dropped the title of " de " when he came to this country.
 * Selections from the Letters of Robert

Bayonne, 26 April, 1792.

I received, Sir, with great pleasure proofs of your remembrance in the letter which Mr. Dawson has forwarded to ine. I am delighted to learn you are happy and content with your lot. You speak to me of gratitude, whilst it is I who -am indebted to you. I waited or intended to answer yours when an opportunity presented itself of sending to you a proof, an impression of my work (publication), which has at last been printed here very incorrectly. I post by the -address to Mr. Dawson at Bordeaux with request to forward it forthwith to Manchester. I beg you to accept it with as much pleasure as I have tn offering it to you. As you have co-operated in at more than any other, you will not surely dis- approve that my gratitude should pay therein that tribute which was due to you. If my talents could have responded to my zeal, my country would have been celebrated in a manner more worthy of it, but the motive which has directed me will merit, perhaps, the indulgence of your kindness. Bayonne continues to be very tranquil. My Lord and Lady have been very desirous for your remembrance. They start decidedly for Spain. Adieu, Sir. Continue to recollect me in your prayers. No happiness can befall you in your prayers which I have not -anticipated and specially desired.

LA TOUR D'AUVERGXE COMTE.

The Eegiment received orders to send

Battalions by the frontiers of Germany. I think that I shall be of the number of officers who must march. My compliments, T beg, to your sister. A Monsieur Angleterre

Monsieur Ch. Tavar<,

at James Harrison's, Esqre., Piccadilly,

a Manchester.

FREDERICK LAWRENCE TAVARE. 22, Trentham Street, Pendleton, Manchester.

SNAKES DRINKING MILK. (See 10 S. x. 265, 316, 335, 377, 418 ; xi. 157, 336.) The question whether snakes are fond of milk was discussed at considerable length at the above references. As nursery tales fre- quently embody local traditions and beliefs,

it may be of interest to cite two illustrations of the liking of snakes for milk from, a volume of Indian stories just published by Messrs. Macmillan. Mr. C. A. Kincaid, the author of ' Deccan Nursery Tales,' states that he has translated them as literally as possible from the original Marathi.

' The Tuesday Story ' relates how a little girl had been married to a boy who was fatail to die young. She prayed to Parwati, the consort of Shiva, to avert the doom threaten- ing her husband.

" Parwati appeared to the little girl in her sleep. The goddess said, ' My child, a snake will come to bite your husband : give it milk to drink. Then put near it a new earthen jar. When the snake has finished drinking, it will enter the earthen jar.'. .. .Next evening everything happened as Parwati had said. The snake came to bite her husband as he slept. But the little girl offered it milk, which it drank. After drinking, it curled itself up in the earthen jar." The book has illustrations by an Indian artist, and that to this story shows a saucer of milk beside the earthen jar.

' Nagoba, the Snake-King,' tells how a " little daughter-in-law," when in the snake- king's palace beneath the earth, had the mis- fortune to drop a lamp and burn off the tails of som3 little snake-princes. As a result she had to return to her hom.3, and the tailless snake-princes were so angry that they decided to pay her a visit, intending to bite her to death.

" They were late in coming, so to pass the time she drew pictures of Nagoba, the snake-king, on her dining-platform and on the wall. When she had finished the pictures, she worshipped the:n and offered them milk and food .... Little Prince No-tail and little Prince Cut-tail and little Prince Dock-tail. .. .when they saw the honour which she was paying their father, King Nagoba.... no longer wished to kill or bite the little daughter-in-law .... When night fell, they drank the milk which she had offered to the snake-king. And in its place they put a necklace with nine beautiful jewels in it.'.'

J. R. THORNE.

AS GORDON HIGHLANDERS.^ Now that the Germans have got many Gordon Highlanders as prisoners, including Lieut. -Col. W. E. Gordon, V.C., it is interest- ing to note that one of the first racruits was a German :

C. Augustus Sochling, musician, " Hess CastI Beutlin, Germany," attested, age 27, 3 No 1794 ; discharged 16 May, 1798.

Another German fell at Quatre Bras (W.O. 25 : 2,119 : and 2,665) :

Frederick Zeigher (or Zugner), musician, kill 16 June, 1815.

123, Pall Mall, S.W.

J. M. BULLOCH.