News!!

Researching old Cornish newspapers as part of my efforts with my next novel, Magick, I came across some strange stories, exactly the sort of trivial news we read oin our local paper every week in among the more serious reports:

• Mildness of the Season – Though the weather has been unusually wet, it has nevertheless been particularly mild, in consequence of which, the gardens and shrubberies exhibit more of the appearance of spring than winter. Many of the bulbous roots have made their appearance above the surface of the ground, and the over. shrubs are putting forth young shoots, which give perceptible indications of growth. A few days ago, a yellow butterfly was seen flying about, as in summer.
• Extraordinary Potatoe – A potatoe was last week dug in a field belonging to John Boase, Esq., of Trenethick, in the parish of Wendron, which weighed 4 ½ pounds, and measured 12 ½ inches in length, and 18 ½ inches in girth.
• Adder Shot – On Saturday last, a man by the name of James Phillips shot, at Crantock, an adder two feet long, on a bank near a stream of water.
• Scilly – The fine piece of fresh water, called “The Pond” at Tresco, was drawn, one night last week, when nearly five bushels of eels were caught.
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  Last week, a lad named Samuel Ellis, about 15 years of age, fell from the mast-head of a vessel now building at St. Mary’s, and although severely bruised, not one of his bones were broken, and he is apparently doing well.

• The “Goose Dancing”, which formerly constituted so substantial a part of the Christmas revels at Scilly, has declined very much of late years, and has now scarcely a [leg] to stand on.