84 Legends of Parishes, etc. the trial of small cases not criminal. Its prison, a wretched place (visited by Howard), no longer exists, but people were confined there early in this century — sometimes for long periods. I was once shown a beautiful patchwork quilt made by a poor woman, who had been imprisoned for debt. Until within the last fifty years every butcher in Penzance market had to pay to the bailiff of this manor at Christmas a marrow- bone or a shilling. The first butcher who refused to pay it also defied one of the bye-laws of the market that compelled them to wear white sleeves over their blue blouses. He was brought before the magistrates, and declared "that he would be incarcerated before he would do it." The following is a favourite story handed down amongst the butchers from father to son. A solicitor in Penzance had a very large dog that was in the habit of coming into their market and stealing joints of meat from the stalls. One day one of them went to the lawyer, and said, — " Please sir, could I sue the owner of a dog for a leg of mutton stolen from my stall ? " " Cer- tainly, my good man." "Then, please sir, the dog is yours, and the price of the mutton is 4^. bdr The money was paid, and the man was going away in triumph, when he was called back by these words : " Stay a moment, my good man, a lawyer's consultation is 6j. %d., you owe me the difference : " which sum the discomfited butcher had to pay. Every stream in Cornwall however small is called a river (pro- nounced revvur). One flows into the sea west of Penzance, between it and Newlyn, known as Laregan, and another at the east in Gulval parish, as Ponsandane river. There is an old rhyme about them that runs thus : " When Ponsandane calls to Laregan river, There will be fine weather. But we may look for rain When Laregan calls to Ponsandane." Years ago there was a marsh between Penzance and Newlyn, now covered by the sea, known to the old people as the " Clodgy ; " when the sea moaned tjierc they said, "Clodgy is calling for rain."
