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WHEN the following communication was received, we were disposed to suppress it, as may be seen by our answers to correspondents for Sep tember: but on farther considera tion, we thought that a natural and simple solution of the phenomena which it relates, might be useful to the writer of the narrative, and to such of our readers as might not have paid attention to subjects of this kind. We have, therefore, determined to insert it.

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To the Editor of the Christian Observer. A LADY who resides near Milford Haven, a subscriber to your invaluable work, so much wanted in these degenerate times, when atheism and infidelity have overcome christianity in a most alarming manner, wishes to have inserted in the Christian Observer an account of two awful visions which have been seen near the place hot her residence, thinking it might be the means of converting some from the dreadful supineness and delusion they are under: as from her knowledge of the scriptures, and what is now bacting on the stage of the world, she believes the prophecies are very near their full accomplishment, and that all true believers are of that opinion. The first vision was seen by Captain Jones, of the James Tender, lying at Milford. He says, that on Thursday the 19th July last, about six or seven o'clock in the evening, he saw the vision of seven ships in the element at the harbour's mouth in action, and could distinguish the French and English colours; after an hour's action, an angel appeared with a trumpet, which, when he blew, all vanished away. The captain called all the impressed men out of the hold, who saw them as well as himself. It has been much talked of at Milford, and the captain is willing to make his affidavit of it, but as the men are now dispersed in different ships, their collected testimony could not be had. The other vision is related to the lady by a woman of whom she has the highest opinion for her honesty, faithfulness, and veracity, so that she

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places the greatest reliance on what she says. The writer of this has also conversed with the woman, and heard her relation of it. She, Margaret Thomas, says, that on the 19th July last, she went with her daughter to Haverfordwest; it was late when they returned home. Between ten and eleven o'clock her daughter happened to go to the front door, and called her mother to look at the moon, when she saw something in the form of a cross hover to and fro over the moon. The distance from each other, not in difcross appeared black. The moon then divided into three parts, a considerable ferent directions, but perpendicular. In a few minutes it dwindled away, in appearance as small as a rush light, and entirely disappeared. In about two minutes the moon appeared again, in a strange figure, and an awful form, much like a woman in deep mourning, with a hood on her head, covering her face, in a bending pos ture, to the earth; it remained so for a short time, then disappeared, swift as a star shot from the heavens. The horizon was clear, not a cloud passing at the time. She does not know how long the vision lasted, as it was begun before she saw it. She made her son, a boy of twelve years of age, write it down in her own words, that there might be no variation in the details given of it.

plan, the lady would be glad to see If it should be agreeable to your work, if not, the writer of this rean account of these visions in your quests that a reason may be assigned, in the Observer for September, for its non-insertion, that she may be satisfied of her request to have it sent to the editor has been attended to.

THE WRITER of the preceding narrative, in giving the title of "awful visions" to the appearances which she has described, evidently regards them as preternatural phenomena or prodigies, announcing certain events about to take place. We, on the contrary, supposing the facts to be authentic, and related with tolerable exactness, consider them as mere natural occurrences; and we shall ac

cordingly proceed to shew, that such phenomena are neither extraordinary in their nature, nor unfrequent in their appearance. There is a certain state' of the atmosphere that occasionally takes place in this country, and in other parts of the world, in which those rays of light that pass in a particular direction are refracted in an uncommon degree, and produce the appearance of aerial spectra. Under these circumstances distant objects are apparently elevated to a consider able altitude, while they are, at the same time, rendered more distinctly visible.

A great variety of curious phenos mena, depending on atmospherical refraction, have been long known to philosophical observers; and the explanation given of them is not difficult to be understood by those who are moderately versed in the science of optics. For the sake of those of our readers, who may not have paid at tention to this subject, we shall present them with a few specimens of the effects of atmospherical refraction, which have been collected from the most authentic writers on this subject.

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1. One of the most familiar instances of atmospherical retraction occurs near London, and may be observed by any person standing on the side of the Thames at Greenwich, when it is high water there. He may then see the cattle grazing on the Isle of Dogs, a marshy meadow, situated on the opposite side of the river. When it is low water, the cattle cannot be seen, being hid by the land, wall, or bank on the other side, which is raised higher than the surface of the marsh, to prevent its being over flowed by the Thames at high water. 2. In the transactions of the American Philosophical Society is the following letter from Mr. Andrew Elliott, dated Pittsburg, November 5,

1787.

"On the 13th of last month, about ten o'clock in the morning, as I was walking on the beach, I discovered something that had the appearance of land in the direction of Presqu'isle: about noon it became more conspicuous, and when viewed by a good achromatic telescope, the branches of the trees could be plainly discovered. From three o'clock in the afternoon till dark, the whole peninsula was considerably elevated above the hori

zon, and viewed by all our company with admiration. There was a singu lar appearance attending this phenomenon. The peninsula was frequently seen double, or rather two similar peninsulas one above the other, with an appearance of water between. The next morning Presqu'isle was invisible, and remained so during our stay. Presqu'isle was about twentyfive miles distant, its situation very low."

3. We shall now transcribe a short account of the well known optical phenomenon, called Fata Morgana, or the Castles of the Fairy Morgana, which is often seen in the air, and in the sea, in the Straits of Messina. When the rising sun shines from that point whence its incident ray forms an angle of about forty-five degrees on the Sea of Reggio, and the bright surface of the water in the bay is not disturbed either by the wind or the current, the spectator being placed on an eminence of the city with his back to the sun and his face to the sea, on a sudden there appear in the water, as in a catoptric theatre, mumberless series of pilasters, arches, castles well delineated, regular columns, lofty towers, superb palaces with balconies and windows, extended alleys of trees, plains with flocks and herds, armies of men on foot and on horseback, and many other strange images, in their natural colours and proper actions, passing rapidly in succession along the surface of the water, during the whole of the short period of time while the above-mentioned causes remain. But if the atmosphere be at the same time highly impregnated with vapour, it then happens, that in this vapour, as on a curtain extended along the channel to the height of a bout thirty palms, and nearly down to the sea, the observer will behold the scene of the same objects, not only reflected from the surface of the sea, but likewise in the air. If the air be slightly hazy and opaque, and at the same time humid and adapted to form the Iris, then the abovementioned objects will appear only at the surface of the sea, but all vividly coloured, or fringed with red, green, blue, and other prismatic colours. P. Minasi, the author of this account, says, that he has himself seen this appearance three times, and that he would rather behold it again than the most superb theatrical exhibition in

1804.] Explanation of certain Phenomena supposed to be supernatural.

the world. This author, while de
scribing the city of Reggio, and the
neighbouring coast of Calabria, shews,
that all the images which are exhibit-
ed in the Fata Morgana are derived
from objects on the shore.

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4. The following letter written by William Latham, Esq. F. R. S. and A. S. is transcribed from the Philosophical Transactions, dated Hastings, Aug. 1, 1797. “On Wednesday last, July 26, about five o'clock in the afternoon, whilst I was sitting in my dining-room, at this place, which is situated upon the parade close to the sea-shore, nearly fronting the south, my attention was excited by a great number of people running down to the sea side. Upon enquiring the reason, I was informed that the coast of France was plainly to be distinguished with the naked eye. I immediately went down to the shore, and was surprised to find that, even without the assistance of a telescope, I could very plainly see the cliffs on the opposite coast; which, at the nearest part, are between forty and fifty miles distant, and are not to be discerned, from that low situation, by the aid of the best glasses. They appeared to be only a few miles off, and seemed to extend for some leagues along the coast. The sailors and fishermen could not, at first, be persuaded of the reality of the appearance; but they soon became so thoroughly convinced, by the cliffs gradually appearing more elevated, and approaching nearer, as it were, that they pointed out and named to me the different places they had been accustomed to visit: such as, the Bay, the Old Head or Man, the Windmill, &c. at Boulogne; St. Vallery, and other places on the coast of Picardy; which they afterwards confirmed when they viewed them through their telescopes. Their observations were, that the places appeared as near as if they were sailing, at a small distance, into the harbours. Having indulged my curiosity upon the shore for near an hour, during which the cliffs appeared to be at some times more bright and near, at others more faint and at a greater distance, but never out of sight, I went upon the eastern cliff or hill, which is of a very considerable height, when a most beautiful scene presented itself to my view; for I could at once see Dungeness, Dover Cliffs, and the French

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coast, all along from Calais, Boulogne, &c. to St. Vallery, and, as some of the fishermen affirmed, as far to the westward even as Dieppe. By the telescope, the French fishingchor, and the different colours of the boats were plainly to be seen at anland upon the heights, together with the buildings, were perfectly discernible. This curious phenomenon con→ tinued in the highest splendor till past, eight o'clock, when it gradually vanished."

fect of atmospherical refraction is ex5. The following account of the eftracted from the Bakerian Lecture, written by Professor Vince, and read before the Royal Society, Nov. 15, 1798. The effects of atmospherical refraction were observed by him at Ramsgate, August 1, 1797, from a bout half an hour after four o'clock in the afternoon till between seven and eight. The day had been extremely hot, and the evening was very sultry the sky was clear, with a few flying clouds.

to observe any objects which might "Directing my telescope at random. happen to be in view, I saw the top of the masts of a ship above the ho rizon; at the same time also, I discovered in the field of view two com→ plete images of the ship in the air, vertical to the ship itself, the one be ing inverted, the other erect, having their hulks joined. The phenomenon was so strange, that I requested a person present to look into the telescope and examine what was to be seen in it, who immediately describ ed the two images as observed by myself. As the ship was receding from the shore, less and less of its masts became visible; and I found, that as the ship descended, the images ascended. The next ship which I directed my telescope to was so far on the other side of the horizon as just to prevent its hulk from being seen; and here I observed only ar inverted image of part of the ship. These images would suddenly appear and disappear very quickly after each other; first appearing below, and running up very rapidly, showing more or less of the masts at different times as they broke out. As the ship. was descending on the other side of the horizon, I continued my observations upon it; when I found, that as it continued to descend, more of the image gradually appeared, till at last

the image of the whole ship was completed, with their mainmasts touch ing each other; and upon the ship descending lower, the image and the ship separated." In another instance, Professor Vince observes, that two images of a ship could be seen before the ships itself was visible, when the whole ship was actually below the horizon. The same author mentions several other instances of atmospherical refraction, which our limits will not permit us to insert.

Without entering into any farther philosophical disquisition on this subject, we presume, that our readers will be fully satisfied that the appearance of the images of ships, or any terrestrial object in the air, is neither preternatural nor ominous, and is as really within the ordinary laws of the system we inhabit, as the Rainbow, or the Aurora Borealis. It must be, however, acknowledged and lamented, that persons of eminent learning and piety have published accounts of these aerial spectra, with a superstitious interpretation of their signification annexed. Dr. Short, who compiled a chronological history of meteors, &c. has inserted the following narrrative. January 1, 1254, at night, the moon being eight days old, and the sky clear, was clearly and plainly seen in the air, a prodigious large ship, which, after some time, seemed as though the boards and joins were loosed, and then vanished. A severe cold winter followed, till St. Gregorie's in March. There was so great á murrain and death of sheep, that in many places about half died, &c. &c."

Mr. Cotton Mather, in his Magnalia Christi Americana, after relating the loss of a ship which was freighted at New Haven, for England, in the year 1646, and foundered at sea soon after her departure, proceeds with the following narrative: The spring following, no tidings of these friends arrived with the ships from England; this put the godly people on much prayer, both public and private, that the Lord would (if it was his pleasure) let them hear what he had done with their dear friends, and prepare them with a suitable submission to his holy will. In June next ensuing, a great thunder storm arose out of the north-west, after which (the hemisphere being serene) about an hour before sun-set, a ship of like

dimensions with the aforesaid, with her canvas and colours abroad, ap. peared in the air, coming up from our harbour's mouth, seemingly with her sails filled under a fresh gale, and sailing against the wind for the space of half an hour. At length her maintop seemed to be blown off, then her mizen-top, then all her masting seemed blown away by the board. Quickly after she overset, and so vanished into a smoky cloud, which, in some time, dissipated, leaving, as every where else, a clear air."" Mr. Da venport, in public, declared to this effect; that God had condescended, for the quieting of their afflicted spi rits, this extraordinary account of his sovereign disposal of those for whom so many fervent prayers were made continually."

It may, probably, be expected that some particular notice should be taken of the appearances said to have been exhibited by the moon. It is stated, that there was the resemblance of a cross hovering over the moon, and that after this, three moons were seen distinctly, &c. The meteors, called Halo, Parhelion, Paraselene, the former of which appears under the form of luminous circles round the sun and moon, and the latter as mock suns and mock moons, are too well known to require a formal proof of their frequent occurrence. The halo or corona is likewise often seen encircling the planet Jupiter, and some of the larger of the fixed stars. When there are more luminous circles than one, they sometimes intersect each other at nearly right angles; and such a circumstance might, by the eye of a common observer, be easily imagined to resemble a cross. But granting the observation to have been accurate, it is neither new, nor singular, since those meteors have assumed the form of a cross on the face of the sun; and in the year 1677, May 17, a cross was seen on the moon, one of the arms of the crossbar being parallel, and the other perpendicular to the horizon. The Parhelion, or mock Sun, is a meteor that has been repeatedly noticed by philosophers from the time of Aristotle to the present day. Three, four, or more mock Suns have been seen at the same time, and although we have not so many instances to produce of the Paraselene, or mock Moon, yet Dr. Short has recorded that five moons have

1804.] Explanation of certain Phenomena supposed to be supernatural.

been seen at one time in this kingdom; M. Cassini saw three in France, and Mr. Musschenbrook an equal number in Holland. These meteors cannot be seen in distant places at the same period of time, which may partly account for the small number of histories of these phenomena that are on record. After the details which have been given, the explanation of these "awful visions" is simple and obvious. It is probable, that at the time when Captain Jones was contemplating with astonishment the appearance of ships in the air, several ships were passing at a distance, and these, from the particular constitution of the atmosphere at that period, were represented as being not very remote from Milford Haven. Their quick motions might be mistaken for naval manœuvres, and to a mind under the influence of surprise and consternation, a cloud in a fantas-› tic shape might be easily metamorphosed into an angel with a trumpet. Nothing farther seems necessary, by way of explanation of the appearances said to have been exhibited by the moon, than what has been already offered under that head. To render the preceding discussion more generally useful, we shall subjoin a few observations.

1. There exists in human nature an extraordinary love of the marvellous, an insatiable curiosity after new and rare occurrences, and an eager inquisitiveness into futurity, which have too often misled men into the most glaring follies, and sunk them in the most abject superstition.

Learning, aided by experience, will greatly abate and moderate that wonder and consternation which new and singular events have a tendency to excite in perverted and undisciplined minds; and will teach them to reflect, to inquire, and to examine, before they characterize phenomena which they do not understand, as the effects of supernatural agency. The sacred scriptures give no encouragement to divination nor superstition; they are, on the contrary, admirably calculated to restrain and circumscribe the inordinate sallies of a disordered imagination, which are generally as remote from serious piety as they are contrary to true wisdom and soundness of mind. But whatever reason, learning, or religion may have sugCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 35.

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gested, there has been, and still continues, a strange propensity to discover preternatural effects and miraculous interpositions on the most ordinary occasions; to make every remarkable dream prophetic; to announce the impressions made on dis ordered bodily organs, or on a disturbed imagination, as visions from God; and to fill the air and the earth with prodigies, omens, and presages. This disease of the human intellect is it is not confined to a few individuals as extensive as it is pernicious; since of some particular age or nation, but it is the error of the world, and has prevailed in different degrees during every period of time: hence it may be found among Jews and Gentiles, Christians and Mahometans, antients. and moderns, learned and simple; there having been almost a general consent to establish this sort of folly and delusion upon principle.

and almost overrun, with oracles, 2. The Pagan world was infested, soothsayers, diviners, astrologers, and: a whole tribe of similar impostors, who held mankind in a state of timid subjection, and rendered them at all times subservient to any interested or wicked purpose, which the crafty and designing priest or politician found kind was thus "led captive by Satan expedient. The greater part of manat his will;"-"the God of this world having blinded their eyes," that he might establish idolatry more firmly upon the basis of superstition. Indeed, idols, sacrifices, and the complicated ritual of paganism, are banished from ties of heathenism are not only tole our temples; but many of the vanirated but cherished by multitudes who call themselves christians. When these persons are informed that, in the most prosperous periods of the Roman republic, matters of the highest importance were often determined by the flight of birds, the pecking of chickens, and certain appearances exhibited by the entrails of slaughtered animals; that an eclipse of the sun, or moon, a thunder storm, the croak-. ing of a raven, or an imaginary voice in the air, have modified or suspended the most solemn deliberations; they the same persons will manifest a blind are surprised at their weakness: yet credulity to the tales of visionaries, prophetic dreamers, "observers of times," and expounders of prodigies.

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