1. About the year 1837 the Lower Canada French were very superstitious, so much so that they believed the devil was about them in different forms. One form was 'Jack with his Lantern,' that would lead travellers into swamps and laugh at them afterwards.

Upon one occasion, one Louis LaFontaine was driving home from Alexandria [Glengarry County, Ont.] with his grist, when he was attracted by a light in the road before him. He knew the road well, but as it was dark and the light seemed to make on to his house, he decided to follow it. In the course of about twenty minutes he plunged into a deep swamp, and the light also disappeared and left him in the dark, to get out the best he knew how. Through his excitement he heard the light, or the devil as he called it, laugh at him until morning dawned. So afterwards the people would always keep clear of 'Jack with his Lantern.'

2. One Johnnie Saveau went fishing one dark and foggy night, about one hundred yards from his house, when he saw 'Jack with his Lantern' moving in his direction. He had a torch-light at the bow of the boat, so did n't feel timid until 'Jack' came pretty close to him; and then he became afraid and tied his boat to the shore as quickly as possible; and to make it more secure pinned the rope to a log with his jackknife and hammered it down as much as he could. Then he ran for the house and closed the door as quickly as possible on arriving there; but the 'old devil' (as he called the evil spirit in the light) pulled the knife out of the log and threw it after him, planting it in the door, just as he closed it, with such force that he could not at first pull it away. So, to be sure, the devil was working in many a form." [1]