[41] The Australian bushman, when the water boils, takes the can off the fire, and, lifting the lid, puts in the tea on the boiling water. The lid is then replaced, the can is left to stand for a few minutes by the fire, and the tea is ready for use. The tea made in this way is very good, and a teapot is dispensed with.
[42] Three excellent sermons referring to marriage, entitled “A Good Wife God’s Gift,” “A Wife Indeed,” and “Marriage Duties,” were published in the “Spiritual Watch” in 1622, by the eminent theologian, Thomas Gataker, B.D. He was the author of many learned works, and his annotations on “Marcus Antoninus” are well known to scholars. Thomas Gataker was born in 1574, of a very old and ancient family, still retaining their ancestral heritage of Gatacre, in Shropshire. The former Hall of Gatacre was built of stone, three sides of the exterior of the mansion being entirely covered with a glaze of greenish glass. It has puzzled many to account for the method by which the walls received their vitreous coating, effectually preserving the stone from the action of the weather. The foundation of a building on the estate, where the glass is supposed to have been made, still retains the name of the “Glass House.” We have in our possession some of the stone, with its covering of glass, given to us by one of the family. The roof of the mansion is said to have been supported by an enormous oak tree, turned upside down. This interesting relic of former ages was pulled down during the last century, and replaced by the present large and spacious brick-built Hall of the Gatacres of Gatacre.
[43] On the left of our road, by Brandvold and Söthorp, are the Espedal Nikel Works, on the Espedal Vand, which belonged in 1853 to an English company, who were said to employ as many as 500 hands, under the management of Mr. Forbes, by whose energy the nikel mines were first developed. The mines had many years previously been worked for copper. The nikel ore falling in value, the Espedal Works were sold to a Norwegian company. The scenery of the Espedal is wild and beautiful, and the lake is well stocked with trout.
[44] To the gentlemen with three donkeys.
[45] Patron, Sundt’s Norwegian gipsy, signifying a leaf, a signal; Patrin, Paspati’s Turkish gipsy, a leaf; Patrin, in the “Italien Lingua Zingaresca” of Francesco Predari; Patrin, in Hoyland’s “English Gipsy;” Patrin in Bischoff’s “Deutsch-Zigeunerisches;” Patrin, in the “German Gipsy Vocabulary” of Dr. Liebich. Patrin is also given as German gipsy by Grellmann. The word is used by gipsies, signifying a signal or sign on the gipsy trail to indicate to other gipsies, who understand this silent language, the route they have taken. The word is pronounced occasionally with some slight variation, as patteran, patrin. Borrow, in his admirable work, “The Zincali; or An Account of the Gipsies in Spain,” vol. i., p. 37, uses “Patteran.” We have spelt the word as nearly as possible as pronounced by the gipsies of our party. Patrins of chor (gip. grass) are commonly put by gipsies. Some gipsies we have met with used to put patrins for their favourite blind dog, “Spot,” when he had strayed or lingered far behind. A few blades of grass or leaves crushed in the gipsy female’s hand, and cast on the road, were scented out by the blind animal, who ultimately reached the encampment. Spot would occasionally remain all day in charge of the tents, and would never steal a morsel of the hobben (food), though he were famishing; “but,” said the gipsy female, “dogs brought up in the tents are like nobody else’s dogs, and they know our language as well as we do ourselves.” Poor Spot strayed one day, and, losing the trail, they never saw him again.
[46] The gipsy word “chor,” signifying grass, is sometimes pronounced by English gipsies like “chaw,” without the “r” being sounded. The Norwegian gipsies use “Tjar”; the German gipsies, “Tschar.” Borrow gives “chur’” as the Spanish gipsy for grass. The Italian gipsies use “char” and “Tschar.”
[47] Gorgio—any person not a gipsy.
[48] Here was buried George Sinclair, the leader of the Scotch, after having fallen at Kringelen, on the 26th August, 1812.
[49] A general shop.
[50] A work was published by Baxter, entitled, “The Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits, fully evinced by Unquestionable Histories of Apparitions and Witchcraft, Operations, Voices, etc. Written for the conviction of Sadducees and Infidels, by Richard Baxter. London: Printed for T. Parkhurst, at the ‘Bible and Three Crowns,’ Cheapside; and by J. Sainsbury, at the ‘Rising Sun,’ over against the Royal Exchange. 1691.” An ancient timbered house, the early residence of Richard Baxter, may still be seen at Eaton Constantine, in Shropshire. Richard Baxter was born at Rowton, in the parish of High Ercall, in the county of Shropshire, 12th November, 1615, and received part of his education at Donnington Grammar School, in the same county, where several distinguished scholars, including the staunch Royalist, Dr. Allestree, afterwards Provost of Eaton, were also educated. Baxter ministered successively at Bridgnorth, Kidderminster, and other places. His mental activity for literary production was extraordinary. Twenty thousand copies of his “Call to the Unconverted” were sold in one year. Baxter died 8th December, 1691, and was buried in Christ Church. “Baxter’s House” (and about 100 acres of land) was purchased some years since by William Hancocks, Esq., of Blake’s Hall, near Kidderminster, a magistrate for the county of Salop.