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SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENON.

The following accounts intimate at least, that were our vision improved by heavenly skill, we should at all times, see spiritual beings the inhabitants of eternity, as did Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, when the prophet praying for him saying-Lord, I pray thee open his eys that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

On the 23d day of June, 1744, his father's servant, Daniel Stricket, about half past seven in the evening, was walking a little above the house; looking round him, he saw a troop of men on horseback, riding on Southerfell side, [a place so steep that a horse can scarcely travel at all] in pretty close ranks, and at a brisk walk. Stricket observed these ærial troops some time before he ventured to mention what he saw: At length, fully satisfied that what he saw was real, he went into the house, and told Mr. Lancaster he had something curious to shew him.Mr. Lancaster asked him what it was; adding, I suppose some bonfire, (for it was then, and still is a custom, for the shepherds on the evening before St. John's day, to light bonfires, and vie with each other in having the largest.) Stricket told him, if be would walk with him to the end of the house, he would shew him what it was. They then went together, and before Stricket spoke, or pointed to the place, Mr. Lancaster himself discovered the Phenomenon, and said to Stricket, "Is that what thou hast to shew me!" "Yes, Master." replied Stricket, "do you think you see as I do?" They found they did see alike; so they went and alarmed the family, who all come, and all saw this strange appearance.

These visionary horsemen seemed to come from the lower part of Southerfell, and became visible first at a place called Knott: they then moved in regular troops along the side of the Fell, till they came opposite Blake Hills, when they went over the Mountain; thus they described a kind of curvilineal path upon the side of the Fell, till both their first and last appearance were bounded by the top of the Mountain.

Frequently the last, or last but one in a troop (always either one or the other) would leave his place, gallop to the front, and then take the same pace with the rest, a regular swift walk : These changes would happen to every troop, (for many troops appeared) and oftener than once or twice, yet not at all times alike. The spectators saw all alike, the same changes, and at the same time as they discovered them, by asking each other

questions as any change took place. Nor was this wonderful phenomenon seen at Blake Hills only, it was seen by every person at every village within the distance of a mile Neither was it confined to a momentary view, for from the time that Stricket first observed it, the appearance must have lasted at least two hours and a half, viz: from half past seven, till the night coming on prevented the further view; nor yet was the distance such as could impose rude resemblances upon the eyes of credulity. Blake Hills lay not half a mile from the place, where this astonishing appearance seemed to be, and many other places where it was likewise seen, still nearer.

Desirous of giving my readers every possible satisfaction, I procured the following attestation, signed by Mr. Lancaster, and Daniel Stricket:

"We whose names are hereunto subscribed, declare the above "account to be true, and that we saw the Phenomenon as above "related; as witness our hands, this 21st day of July, 1785. " WILLIAM LANCASTER, "DANIEL STRICKET."

Thus I have given the best account I could procure of this wonderful appearance; let others determine what it was. Speed tells us of something similar to this as preceding a dreadful intestine war. Can something of this nature have given rise to Ossian's grand and awful Mythology? Or, finally, is there any impiety in supposing, as this happened immediately before the Rebellion which was intended to subvert the liberty, the law, and the religion of England, that though immediate Prophecies have ceased, these visionary Beings might be directed to warn mankind of approaching tumults ?"

The following account of an extraordinary phenomenon, that appeared to a number of people in the county of Rutherford, state of North Carolina, was made the 7th of August, 1806, in presence of David Dickie, Esq. of the county and state aforesaid, Jesse Anderson, and the Rev. George Newtown, of the county of Buncomb, and Miss Betsy Newtown of the state of Georgia, who unanimously agreed, with the consent of the relators, that Mr. Newtown should communicate it to Mr. Gales, editor of the Raleigh Register and State Gazette.

Patsy Reaves, a widow woman, who lives near the Apalachian Mountain declared, that on the 31st of July last, about 6 o'clock, P. M. her daughter Elizabeth, about eight years old was in the cotton field, about ten poles from the dwelling-house, which stands by computation six furlongs from the Chimney Mountain; and that Elizabeth told her brother Morgan, aged eleven years, that there was a man on the mountain. Morgan was in

credulous at first; but the little girl affirmed it, and said she saw him rolling rocks, or picking up sticks: adding,' that she saw a heap of people. Morgan then went to the place where she was, and calling out, said, that he saw a thousand or ten thousand things flying in the air. On which, Polly, daughter, of Mrs. Reaves, aged fourteen years, and a negro-woman, ran to the children, and called to Mrs. Reaves, to come and see what a sight yonder was. Mrs. Reaves says, she went about five poles towards them; and, without any sensible alarm or fright, she turned toward the Chimney Mountain, and discovered a very numerous crowd of beings, resembling the human species; but could not discern any particular members of the human body, nor distinction of sexes; that they were of every size, from the tallest men down to the least infants; that there were more of the small than of the full grown; that they were all clad with brilliant white raiment, but could not describe any form of their raiment; that they appeared to rise off the side of a mountain south of said rock, and about as high; that a considerable part of the mountain's top was visible above this shining host; that they moved in a northern direction, and collected about the Chimney Rock. When all but a few had reached said rock, two seemed to rise together; and behind them, about two feet, a third rose. These three moved with great haste toward the crowd, and had the nearest resemblance to men, of any before seen. While beholding those three, her eyes were attracted by three more, rising nearly from the same place, and moving swiftly in the same order and direction. After these, several others rose, and went towards the rock.

During this view, which all the spectators thought lasted upwards of an hour, she sent for Mr. Robert Siercy, who did not come at first: on a second message, sent about fifteen minutes after the first, Mr. Siercy came; and, being now before us, he gives the following relation, to the substance of which Mrs. Reaves agrees.

Mr. Siercy says, when he was coming, he expected to see nothing extraordinary; and when come, being asked if he saw those people on the mountain, he answered, no; but, on looking a second time, he said, he saw more glittering white appearances, of human kind, than ever he had seen of men, at any general review; that they were of all sizes, from that of men to infants; that they moved in throngs around a rock not far from the Chimney Rock; they were about the height of the Chimney Rock, and moved in a semi-circular course, between him and the mountain, to the place where Mrs. Reaves said they rose ; and that two, of a full size, went before the general crowd, about the space of twenty yards; and, as they respectively

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ments are without doors; however, some rooms are still neat enough, and there are some old moveables." "I don't want so much (says the count) it is at least a shelter, and there I'll have my bed made." "I would have done it before, my lord, (said the marshal) if I had not been told that you would have been in danger there, because this castle is possessed by spirits and hobgoblins, who make a horrid din there every night. They told me this very minute, that the witches held their last meeting there, and that the master of it, who is in some foreign country, has let his house to the devil." "What, are you drunk?”. says the Count in anger: "You talk like a fool-have done with this stuff; I'll lie in the castle; get my bed ready immediately, and in the mean time I'll sup with Monsieur the Curate." They were forced to obey.

During this interval, the Count desired his company, and an account whence these foolish reports took their rise. The Curate was a good little man, but as ignorant as possible, and extremely credulous. He had every fabulous circumstance by heart, and recited tales of apparitions of every kind, in order to divert the Count from going to the castle. The valet too made his remonstrances in vain-they made no impression. He threw himself at his master's feet to beg him not to expose himself; but dissuasion only confirmed him in his resolves of going to the castle. He set out and his valet lighted him with a link. The poor fellow, who was naturally credulous, had his head full of stories, which he had picked up in the town; for every one had his tale, and the whole village attested the truth of them so that he went with his master as if it had been to an execution.

His fears increased as he approached the castle. It was an old building, moated round, adorned with several ruinous turrets, which made the place disagreeable enough in itself; and its appearance was adapted to inspire that secret horror which generally attends the view of magnificent ruins. Besides by the desertion of its master, this old pile was become the retreat of bats and screech owls. The cries and flutters of these nocturnal animals so terrified the poor fellow, that he thought he had a thousand spirits at his elbow already. But the Count encouraging him by his reasons and example, they came to the chamber where the bed was prepared. Though it was the neatest and noblest apartment, the door could not be shut on the inside. The Count undressed; but before he lay down, he tied his pistols to his belt, and hung his arms over the bolster. He ordered two lighted candles to be placed in the chimney, and kept two by his bed side. After these precautions, he went to bed, not quite undressed; and his man lay on a mattrass brought thither on purpose,

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