Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/323

315 FOLK-LORE OF RORAIMA AND BRITISH GUIANA.

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T is the fashion in many parts of the West Indies for sheep to accompany horses. They say it is healthy for sheep to live in the stables with horses, and they get so attached to one another that, out-of-doors, the former will not leave the latter as long as they can keep up with them.—(.P 31.) [Compare the preceding extract with the English custom of keeping goats in stables, and among flocks of sheep.]

"A fishing boat sailed by, in which was an enormous Jew-fish, at which the 'Admiral' pulled a very long face, and explained to us that, whenever a Jew-fish was caught, some one of high position in St. Thomas (in the West Indies) was sure to die, or perhaps was already dead. Strangely enough, next morning we noticed that all the flags were at half-mast, and heard that news had just arrived of the death in England of the head of one of the chief firms in the island."—(P. 34.)

"The yellow flowers of the 'cedar bush' sprinkle the mountain-side (in St. Thomas), and a species of bitter aloe is common; from the latter an old black woman of the town makes a decoction which is positively declared to be a certain cure for lung disease. The fleshy leaves contain a jelly-like pulp; this, after being extracted, is washed seven times in pure water, and beaten up with eggs and milk. To effect a cure, seven wine-glasses of it must be drunk. In Mexico I have frequently seen the same medicine used, and have heard wonderful stories of its power, but there the number seven is not included in the recipe."—(P. 37.)

"Morne Rouge (in Martinique) is one of the localities which the