The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-27 00:00:00

STRANGER THAN FICTION.

A whisper passed round the table about hands
having been seen or felt. Unable to answer for
what happened to others, I will speak only of what
I observed myself. The table cover was drawn
over my knees, as it was with the others. I felt
distinctly a twitch, several times repeated, at my
knee. It was the sensation of a boy's hand,
partly scratching, partly striking and. pulling
me in play. It went away. Others described
the same sensation ; and the celerity with which
it frolicked, like Puck, under the table, now
at one side and now at another, was sur-
prising. Soon after, what seemed to be a large
hand came under the table cover, and with the
fingers clustered to a point, raised it between me
and the table. Somewhat too eager to satisfy my
curiosity, I seized it, felt it very sensibly, but it
went out like air in my grasp. I know of no
analogy in connection with the sense of touch by
which I could make the nature of that feeling intel-
ligible. It was as palpable as any soft r,ubstance,
velvet, or pulp ; and at the touch it seemed as
solid; but pressure reduced it to air. Pt was now
suggested that one of the party should hold the
hand-bell under the table ; which was no sooner
done than it was taken away, and after being rung
at different points was finally returned, still under
the table, into the hand of another person. While
this was going forward the white sheets were seen
moving, and gradually disappeared over the edge
of the table. Long afterwards we heard them creas-
ing and crumpling on the floor, and saw them re-
turned again to the table; but there was no writing
upon them. In the same way the flowers which
lay near the edge were removed. The semblance
of what seemed a hand, with white, long, and deli-
cate fingers, rose up slowly in the darkness, and
bending over a flower, suddenly vanished with it.
This occurred two or three times; and although
each appearance was not equally palpable to every
person, there was no person who did not see some
of them. The flowers were distributed in the man-
ner in which they had been removed ; a land, of
which the lambent gleam was visible, slowly as-
cending from beneath the cover, and placing the
flower in the hand for which it was intended. In
the flower-stands in the adjoining window we could
hear geranium blossoms snapped off, which were
afterwards thrown to different persons. Still more
extraordinary was that which followed, or rather
which took place while we were watchingthis trans-
fer of the flowers. Those who had keen eyes, and
who were in the best position for catching the light
upon the instrument, declared that they saw the
accordion in motion. I could not. It; was as black
as pitch to me. But concentrating my attention on
the spot where I supposed it to be, I soon perceived a
dark mass rise awkwardly above the edge of the
table, and then go down, the instrument emitting a
single sound produced by its being struck against
the table as it went over. It descended to the floor
in silence ; and a quarter of an hour afterwards
when we were engaged in observing some fresh
phenomena, we heard the accordion beginning to
play where it lay on the ground. Apart from the
wonderful consideration of its being played without
hands—no less wonderful was the fact of its being
played in a narrow space which would not admit
of its being drawn out with the requisite freedom
to its full extent. We listened with suspended
breath. The air was wild, and full of strange tran-
sitions ; with a wail of most pathetic sweetness
running through it The execution was no less
remarkable for its delicacy than its power. When
the notes swelled in some of the bold passages, the
sound rolled through the room with an astounding
reverberation ; then, gently subsiding, sank into
a strain of divine tenderness. But it WO the close•
that touched the hearts, and drew the tears of the.
listeners.— Cornlall Magazine far August.

THE FRENCLI EXPEDITION TO SYRIA.—A.?
Tnutou the quays are overcrowded with cannon and war
materiel of every description. Two large transports have
been despatched to Algiers for troops, to form part of the
French expedition to Syria. The squadron of reserve which
is now being prepared for sea is composed of five ships of
the line and two frigates, commanded by Admiral Fourri-
chow. The screw ship of the line Alexandre, of 90 guns
and 900 men, is in the roads of Toulon, ready to get up her
steam. The Ville de Paris, three, decker, is in dock at.
Toulon, taking in her guns and stares.
THE ISTHMUS CANAL.—We have seen letters by
the English steamer Valetta, arrived on Sunday last from
Alexandria, stating that the Viceroy is furious at some re-
monstrances made to hint by the British Consul-General
regarding the Isthmus canal. The remonstrances are still
going on. Rumours were prevalent that the Pacha was
again showing a desire for independence, and that the
French were encouraging him in this course. It was re-
ported that a high Turkish official was on his way to Egypt
from Constantinople to insist on the works of the canal
being discontinued.—Malta Times.
CRICKET.—M.C.C. AND GROUND V. SUBURBAN
CLUBS.—This match was played yesterday at lisrd's. The
innings,, 71 ; 2d in-
fnoillnoavris, n69g
29; 2d innings,,lo6l ;issutbhure
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