Bay-salt to stop the barrels.—Before heading down a cask of salted meat, the vacant spaces are filled up with salt.
Giggs and scourge-sticks.—Whip-tops, and whips for spinning them.
Jumballs.—A kind of gingerbread.
John P. Stilwell.
Dorking.
"Violet-crowned" Athens (Vol. ix., p. 496.).—I have always understood that the adoption of the violet as the heraldic flower of old Athens involved, as heraldry so often does, a pun. As you well know, the Greek for violet is Ιον, and thence its adoption as the symbolical flower of the chief city in Europe of the Ionian race.
Cantab.
Smith of Nevis and St. Kitt's (Vol. ix., p. 222.).—I find by some curious letters from an old lady, by birth a Miss Williams of Antigua, and widow of the son of the Lieut.-Governor of Nevis, now in the possession of a friend of mine connected with the West Indies, that the arms of that family were—Gules, on a chevron between three bezants or, three cross crosslets sable. And the crest, from a ducal coronet or, an Indian goat's head argent.
This may facilitate the search of your correspondent for the affiliation of that family to the United Kingdom.
B.
Hydropathy (Vol. ix., p. 395.).—"John Smith, C.M." (i. e. clock-maker), of the parish of St. Augustin, London, was the author of several pamphlets. He published in the year 1723 a treatise in recommendation of the medicinal use of water as "a universal remedy," as well by drinking as by applying it externally to the body. In the British Museum there is a French translation of it, which appeared in Paris, A.D. 1725. This is a proof of the notoriety which the treatise obtained. The tenth edition, dated "Edinburgh, 1740," contains additions communicated by Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F.R.S., and others. In the year 1695 he published a short treatise entitled A designed End to the Socinian Controversy; or, a rational and plain Discourse to prove, that no other Person but the Father of Christ is God Most High. This attracted the notice of the civil power, and by order of parliament it was burnt, and the author prosecuted. (See Wallace's Anti-Trinitarian Biography, vol. iii. p. 398., London, 1850.)
N. W. S.