Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/44

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38


NOTES AND QUERIES.


[12 S. I. JAN. 8, 1916.


not mention the whiskers. At the present day it is generally believed that the whiskers of a tiger, when taken with food, are a slow and deadly poison. They are also valued as an amulet. The whiskers of a tiger or leopard, mixed with nail parings, some sacred root or grass, and red lead, are hung round the throats of young children im- mediately after birth to ward off the Evil Eye and the attacks of demons. Hence, when a tiger is killed, and made over to coolies for transport to camp, the head shikari carefully counts the hairs of the whiskers and the nails of the animal, lest they may be appropriated by the bearers.

W. CROOKE.

PHILIP DODDRIDGE. D.D. (see sub 'John Conder, D.D.,' US. xii. 479). Presumably the nineteen pages of manuscript bound up with John Conder's lectures are notes of a lecture delivered by Dr. Doddridge, taken by one of his students. I cannot find that the doctor published anything relating to the ' Characters of English Writers,' but he may have lectured on such a subject. Many of his students studied shorthand, and might easily have transcribed their notes of his lectures afterwards. There are in exis- tence (at Northampton, I believe) nine manuscript octavo volumes of Dr. Dod- dridge' s lectures which were transcribed in this way by certain of his students. They were acquired by my friend the late Mr. John Taylor many years ago, and are fully described in his " History of Northampton Castle Hill Church, now Doddridge, and its Pastorate, 1674-1895, from original docu- ments and contemporary record s,"&c. (1896).

JOHN T. PAGE.

Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

SONG WANTED (11 S. xii. 503). MB. COOLIDGE will find the poem in full in the ' Book of Poetry about Oxford ' (Macmillan, I think, red binding : there is a sister Cambridge one). I have the reference at chambers, and if no one else does will send the exact page, &c., later. H. COHEN.

THE WATER OF THE NILE (1 1 S. xii. 443, 510 ; 12 S. i. 18). Having lived for many years by a great and muddy river the Irrawaddy I may record the universal belief, alike of Burmese, Indians, and Europeans, that water drawn from the centre of the river, or any part where the current is swift, is perfectly wholesome, no matter how muddy it may be. It is stagnant water that is dangerous. I was also informed once by a medical officer of my acquaintance that no


bacteria can live in a strong current, and that it was known that two miles of strong current were fatal to them. This was in answer to an official objection of mine to placing a cholera camp on an island.

H. F.-H.

CHURCHES USED FOR THE ELECTION OF MUNICIPAL OFFICERS (11 S. xii. 360, 404, 430, 470, 511). The following paragraph from The Public Advertiser of Saturday, Jan. 28, 1769, shows that this custom pre- vailed in London during the eighteenth century :

" Yesterday a Wardmote was held at St. Bride's Church for an election of an Alderman for the Ward of Farringdon Without, and there being no candidate to oppose John Wilkes, Esq., that Gentleman was declared duly elected to the Office."

Another paragraph from th? same news- paper of Tuesday, May 1, 1770, shows that the Aldermen of the period made free use of the churches :

" Mr. Alderman Wilkes yesterday held a, Wardmote at St. Bride's Church .... received with loudest acclamations, and every part of the church was crowded with people. Before busi- ness began Mr. Wilkes made a short speech of

thanks to his constituents "

HORACE BLEACKLEY.

THOMAS GRIFFIN TARPLEY (11 S. xii. 482 ; 12 S. i. 12). Some records of this gentleman can, I believe, be found at the Public Record Office. Doubtless he would have been a claimant for compensation of losses sustained in the American Revolution. A complete index of American Loyalists' claims is on the shelves, and among the names are those of Thomas and William Tarpley, Virginia. The memorials to the Commissioners appointed for examining into the claims of the Loyalists often disclose much information. If Dr. Tarpley held a commission in the American Loyalist army,, records of himself and family might also be found. An index of such officers, giving dates of births, marriages, &c., might be consulted with advantage. A. H. MACLEAN.

14 Dean Road, Willesden Green, N.W.

MOIRA COALS (11 S. xii. 482). These were probably coals from the Moira Colliery, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

J. T. T.

ARMORIAL BEARINGS SOUGHT (11 S. xii. 503). " Fandles (Spain), m. Sir Edmund Mortimer, d. 1303." Probably " Fiennes " (not Fandles). See ' Dictionary of Nat. Biog.,' xiii. 1031, and ' N. & Q.,' 4 S. vii. 318, 437-8. V. D. P.