Mona Miscellany Author:William Harrison Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Gold On Cushags. " Ta airh er cushagyn ayns shen." "There is gold on Cushags there." Cushag is the Manx name of the rank weed Eagwort, which grows most lu... more »xuriantly in the Isle of Man. It is an ironical expression, often used when people talk disparagingly of the island and boastingly of other places, either where they have been, or where they purpose going to. Men frequently speak of other countries as the land of Goshen, where gold is so plentiful that it can be gathered off the very weeds of the field! " Meeyl-chreen." " A flesh-worm." A worm that burrows under a person's skin, causing great itch. It is said of it— " Dy beagh ee er e Twlg myr tee er e dreeym, Sliimmey mac dooinney yinnagh ee harrish y cheym" " If it were on its belly as it is on its back, Many sons of men would it put over the style." It is a prevailing idea that the itch and other irritating cutaneous diseases are caused by insects, or worms, under the skin. This insect is said to lie with its back towards the flesh, and its feet, or feelers, towards the skin, under which it creeps. It is supposed that if the position of the creature would be reversed, so that the insect would have its feet, or feelers, towards the flesh, it might then burrow into the flesh, and thereby cause the death of the person affected, whereby " many sons of men " (many people) " would be put over the style "—that is, would die, and would find their resting-place in the churchyard—"over tke style" of the churchyard. Imitation Of The Sound Of Kirk Arbory Bells. " Shenn phott shenn ghryle, Shenn chlooid dy choodaghey yn aile." " An old pot, an old griddle, An old clout to cover the fire." Balla-salla. ' Four L's, four A's, an S, and a B, Spells a nice village, as you may see." The village of Balla-S...« less