Cape Breton's Magazine

clued me into this was that I was complet? ing a hunter's safety course. And the in? structor had told me that--we were doing a map-and-compass training--and he said you can't always rely on your compass. For in? stance, I know many people who go up on Coxheath Mountain and have their compasses spinning like crazy when they get up there. Which I assume to be--which they assume to be--from the mineral and metal deposits, which I believe actually are un? der there. So it very well could be that. And I'm not outside of saying that all these strange lights that people are see? ing might have something to do with metal deposits causing some sort of bizarre ball lightning or something. You know, it could be a good explanation for all of this. However, I don't know. But I do know it's been happening for a long time. I'm glad, actually, that somebody does want to make a record of it. Because I hate to live my life and die, and nobody know about this. Kind of interesting to see it get written down. Further Investigation Reveals. After our talk, Mr. Reppa showed a couple related items he found. In the HALIFAX HER? ALD, February 4, 1928, a Second Section headline read, "Elves Refuse to Give Up Blackett Island Home." The article by Katherine F. MacDonald is called a "Cape Breton Island Legend" and includes a car? toon of a creature hurling a hearthstone out of a basement pit. But the article, while clearly creative writing, was un? doubtedly based on Blackett family tradi? tional history. And it, too, included an awful sound: "Such a blood-curdling howl rent the air as froze the blood in their veins, and over the earthen wall as if it were a puff ball came hurtling the huge hearthstone, followed by a hideous mon? strosity like nothing human. A head with no neck, with ears like saucers, protruding from shoulders humped and mis-shapen, eyes bulging like a frog's, legs which ended at STORY CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE From The Halifax Herald. February 4,1928 May 28,1990 Jn?? Canadian <=rfiitoiicaL d/iiiociation REGIONAL HISTORY CERTIFICATE OF MERIT to CAPE BRETON'S MAGAZINE EXEMPLARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORAL HISTORY OF CAPE BRETON in xteo'nilian of an txe'ttni eontxi&uiion; ta