The "Bay of the Tomb," the "Point of Endeavour," the "Isle
of Amber," and the "Cape of Misfortune," still bear the same names,
and are pointed out as the memorable spots mentioned by St.
Pierre.--_Recollections of the Mauritius_.
* * * * *
THE COSMOPOLITE.
* * * * *
COINCIDENT POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.
(_For the Mirror_.)
In No. 475 of the _Mirror_, p. 98, will be found an article by a
correspondent (H.) on "English Superstition," introducing a very
interesting Cheshire legend, as a counterpart to a Scottish one,
related by the celebrated author of "Demonology and Witchcraft." H.
remarks of his tale that "it gives rise to many interesting
conjectures respecting the probable causes of such a superstition
being believed in countries with apparently so little connexion or
intercourse as Cheshire and Scotland." Perhaps it may be as well to
refer to what Sir W. Scott has said upon this very subject, in note
xi. to canto 4 of his "Lady of the Lake," ere we proceed to utter a
few specimens of coincident superstitions:--
"A work of great interest might be compiled upon the origin of popular
fiction, and the transmission of similar tales from age to age, and
from country to country. The mythology of one period would then appear
to pass into the romance of the next century--and that, into the
nursery tale of subsequent ages.
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