9 th S. I. JAN. 29, '98.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
89
"WHIFFING." See Jonathan Couch's * His-
ory of Fishes of the British Isles ' (London,
George Bell & Sons, 1887), vol. iii. p. 81, s. v.
Pollack" (which we in Scotland coll ly the) :
" Dr. Fleming says they are sometimes caught by mploying a white leather as bait, we must suppose it the surface ; but the usual method of fishing for ,hem is in the manner called whiffing, by using a, ine which is not weighed down by a sinker, and is
- owed after a rowing boat. The bait is made, both
oy the setting on and action, to imitate a living object, and the fisherman manages two of these lines by the alternate motion of his arms, while another rows the boat."
On the Clyde we used, as boys, to catch lythe (Anglic^ pollack), the " gade pollack " of Lacepede, and Merlangus pollachius of Flem- ing, and saith, seath, or seth (Anglice, green or sey pollack), the " gade sey " of Lacepede, and Merlangus virens of Fleming, by " trolling."
In the ' Imperial Dictionary ' " trolling " is denned :
"The act of one who trolls; specifically applied to a certain method of fishing for pike with a rod and line, and with a dead bait, and chiefly when the water is full of weeds, rushes, &c." Stormonth gives " Troll (verb), to fish with a rod having the line running on a reel near the handle. Troll (noun), a reel at the handle of a fishing-rod round which the line is rolled." (When we were youngsters we were not such swells as to have "reels.") And whiffing^ is defined " a kind of hand-line, used for taking mackerel, pollack, and the like." Is it not rather the act than the instrument ? The meaning given in the ' Encyclopaedic Dic- tionary ' supports this view : " Troll (verb), a mode of fishing for bass, mackerel, pollack, &c. (see extract). ' Whiffing., the process of slowly towing the bait (sculling or pulling in the haunts of the fish)' (Field, 26 Dec., 1885)."
In what parts of England is ivhiffing still a term in common use ? I do not think it is known in Scotland at all. J. B. FLEMING.
Kelvinside, Glasgow.
" YETH-HOUNDS." Will some one kindly supply me with the exact significance of the above term, with, if possible, some folk-lore legends or superstitions to illustrate the same?
J. P.
AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED. " There is just light enough given us to guide our faith, there is just darkness enough left for exercis ing it." A. MYNOTT.
" I looked behind to find my past, and, lo ! it had gone before." J. FOSTER PALMER.
"Adieu, canaux, canards, canaille !" NEMO.
[These words were uttered by Voltaire on his return from a journey to the Netherlands. It was thus that he summed up his "impressions de
voyage."]
MAJOR WILLIAMS'S VOYAGE TO CANADA
IN 1776. (8 th S. xii. 402 ; 9 th S. i. 54.)
SOME additional particulars may, perhaps, be acceptable concerning the interesting paper which R. B. B. has contributed about this voyage. The body of artillery on board the Charming Nancy was Major Phillips's company of the 4th Battalion (the term "battery" was not adopted in the Royal Artillery until 1859), under the imme- diate command of Capt. - Lieut. Edward Williams (Kane's List, No. 268), holding the local rank of major. Such rank was given to place officers on an equal footing with colonial commanding officers in America. With regard to the other artillery officers, Lieut. Molesworth Clieland (Kane's List, No. 460) was killed at the action of Skenes- borough on 6 July, 1777 ; Lieut. Samuel Rimington (Kane's List, No. 477) rose to the rank of lieutenant-general, and died 13 January, 1826, at Woolwich ; Lieut. William Cox (Kane's List, No. 485) left the Royal Artillery in March, 1778, and joined the 21st Regiment of Foot. This company of the 4th Battalion formed part of General Bur- goyne's army which moved from Canada in June, 1777, to operate down the Canadian lakes and the river Hudson towards Massa- chusetts. During this unfortunate campaign it acted with the greatest spirit, and, in common with the other portions of the Royal Artillery, received the entire approba- tion of General Burgoyne and the applause of the army. It capitulated with the rest ot the army at Saratoga, 17 October, 1777, and was reduced in 1872. In conclusion, a few words may be said concerning Major William Phillips (Kane's List, No. 153), a very distin- guished officer. His able direction of the artillery greatly contributed to the success of the allies at the famous battle of Mmden, 1759, an action held in the same estimation at the beginning of this century as the battle of Waterloo is in the present day. He only commanded this company of the 4th Battalion for a few months, when he was made a major - general, and joined General Burgoyne's army in command of the artillery. He died in Virginia, from ex- posure and hard service, in 1781.
Besides being a distinguished soldier, Phillips was a man of taste and refinement. He was the first to originate a band in the Royal Artillery. He formed one in 1/62
