J. F. Campbell Collection > Prophecies of the Brahan seer (Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche)

SECOND-SIGHT, 117
to undertake the task. The method pursued was thus:
— The plaintiff locked himself in the house alone ; he
stopped up the keyholes, closed up the windows, stuffed
up the chnnney, and, in tact, left no mode of egress to
the unfortunate witches whom he was to summons into
his presence. He then lit a lire and put a pot of milk
on it, and into the pot he put three rows of pins and
needles, which had never been sullied or contammated
by use. These he boiled together for half-an-hour, dur-
ing wnich time the witches were supposed to be suffer-
ing the most excruciating tortures, and had at last to
take to flight. They had never been seen or heard of
smce. The cows resumed their former healthy condi-
tion, and the land its wonted fertility. The case being
of a rather " complicated " nature, it was left to arbi-
tration. Subsequently, it was announced in court, that
the sum of lUs had been awarded to the plaintiff.
kSecond-Sight. — This is the faculty of seeing other-
wise invisible objects. It is neither voluntary nor con-
stant, and is considered rather annoying than agreeable
to the possessors of it, who are chiefly found among the
-Highlands and Islands of [Scotland, the Isle of Man,
and Ireland. The gift was possessed by individuals of
both sexes, and its flts came on within doors and with-
out, sitting and standing, at night and by day, and at
whatever employment the votary might chance to be
engaged. The visions were usually about funerals,
shrouds, the appearance of friends who were at the time
in distant countries, the arrival of strangers, falls from
horses, the upsetting of vehicles, bridal ceremoniea,
funeral processions, corpses, swamping ©f boats, drown-