A STRANGE CATCH

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 92, 12 January 1929, Page 24

A STRANGE CATCH

Who knows what history or romance may be associated with the strange catch made recently by a Scottish trawler while fishing some 50 miles south-east of Aberdeen. From the green depths of the North Sea was brought of all things —a “greybeard” which, as my older readers will know (says a contributor to the Edinburgh “Weekly Scotsman”), is an old type of earthen drinking-jug or vessel, made to hold a considerable quantity of.“honey dew” in those times when the national product was more popular, potent, and cheaper than, it is to-day. The “greybeard," which was exhibited at Glasgow fish market, stands 9 inches high, and is made of brick-colourea

let of Calonga, when the people were horrified by seeing a huge cloud in which could be perceived a whole legion of evil spirits of various shapes and most loathsomely deformed. Some were like lions, others like wolves, others again like men and wild animals. After the local clergy had exorcised them, it was seen that most of the spirits rushed into a pond formed by a rivulet two Slones' throw from the village, whence presently there arose a great flame of fire and smoke as broad and as tall as a veritable belfry rising to the clouds and smelling most vilely of sulphur. When it was seen that the storm showed no signs of decreasing, the priest went up the belfry when there was such a violent Wind that lie was driven backwards and the cross fell down from the tower, but without causing damage. All this was reported to the Supreme Council of Spain. The Fuggers had branches in most of the continental trade centres, especially -at Venice, where they seem to have done a big rtaneial business. Spain

ware. It bears the usual representation of an ancient man with flowing beard, and is distinguished by the addition of a family crest. Although broken in part and encrusted with barnacles when found, the vessel U'Mated to be in good condition, and is probably 300 years old. The drinking vessels of our grandfathers had curious shapes. I remember seeing a strange “decanter” in a farmhouse in a “far awa’” district of the West of Scotland, which was placed before a couple of weary hill trampers. “Bring me the mell,” ordered the guidman, and the serving lass entered bearing an earthen jar shaped like the heavy mallet used by masons.

they were fated to find was the most faithless of their debtors. Philip the Second was especially untrustworthy, and indeed is said to have forestalled moderns in the art of State bankruptcy. “May. the devil reward you for this poor factorship,” wrote Anton Fugger in a letter to his Antwerp agent through whose fault the enormous sums of money lent to Spain shortly before were definitely lost. Soon after this luck definitely abandoned "The Golden Counting House." where emperors and crowns had been the pawns of the game. Actual descendants of the ancient Fugger family seem to have disappeared, but in their palmy days they.seem to have exercised immense power, and the. records of their business activities, if once the whole of the secret papers held in the Viennese Library are made public, as is promised to be the case, should mid greatly to our knowledge of the affairs of the period during which they lived Meanwhile. I can recomn—nd ttr-s- ioiw as affording much <-i- --us ana alwajs entertaining reading.