Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1835. ' BRUXOS ' — WIZARDS — TREASURE. 389 out sparks, when the witch flew througli the air from place to place. " I have been informed," continues Mr. Douglas, " upon in- disputable authority, that such lanterns do exist ; and that when two or more witches wish to communicate by signal, one of them ties a lantern to a long pole, and throws it up and down very quickly, making the sparks fly. The other then makes similar use of her lantern, at a considerable distance, and those who casually see the lights, think that a witch has flown from one place to the other. The magical ai't of the wizard is often exer- cised in a search for hidden treasure. There are some places where, in a dark night, inflammable gas, or phosphoric light, is seen, near theground, not like a Will-o'-th'-wisp of Europe, but a clear steady light, of a white, yellow, or red colour. Popular superstition ascribes these lights to the ghosts of departed misers, watching their hidden treasure ; and when one is dis- covered by any person, he calls a friend to assist him and watch it, about the time of new moon, until they ascertain the spot whence it proceeds ; and there they dig in search of an anticipated heap of gold or silver. Not succeeding (of course), they apply to a wizard, who pretends to discover where the treasure lies, and what it is, by looking earnestly into a smooth slab of black stone (which I suppose to be basalt). The wizard may not himself find the prize, nor may he be present at the search ; but, after telling the people where and when to dig, he takes good care to alarm and frighten them away in some strange manner, just at the moment they expect to grasp the store of gold. Among other devices, the wizard, or witch, pretends to cover a worsted thread with quicksilver, and hold- ing it over the supposed place, allows the quicksilver to run off into the ground, and then he desires them to dig till they find the quicksilver, thus affording time for creating some sudden alarm, wliich they attribute to the ' devoto,' or familiar spirit of the deceased. It is believed by some that I am able to dis- cover hidden treasure, and for my amusement I have more than once made an experiment before them, by sticking up two stakes in a line towards the light ; then going a quarter of a circle