Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-03-23
LEAVES FROM OLD LONDON LIFE,
1G61-l7OJ.

ages in the Firth of Forth exactly like
the freaks Of the Fata Morgana IN the
Straits of MessIna and on three DIS
tinct occasions the Bass Rock has as
sumed to the eyes of the crowds upon
the sands of Dunbar, the form OF a
giant sugar loaf crowned by battle
ments, while the island of the May
seemed broken into several portions,
which appeared to be perforated by
caverns where none in fact exist.
Such optical decisions have been
common at all times III certain states OF
the atmosphere, and science finds a
ready solution for them but III the
DAYS Of our forefather they were deemed
the sure precursors of dire calamltles,
invasion, or pestilence.
The years shortly before and after
the beginning of the last century seem
to have been singularly fruitful III the
marvellous; and the most superstitlous
Celtic peasant in the Scottish glens or
the wilds of Counemara would not
have believed in more startling events
than those which are chronicled III the
occasional broadsides, and we're hawked
about the streets of London by the fly
ing stationers of those days.
To take few of these at random.
We find that all London was excited by
strange news from Goeree, in Holland,
where, on the evening of the 14th of
August, 1864, there was seen by many
spectators an apparition of two fleets
upon the ocean; these, after seeming
to engage in close battle for one hour
and half (the smoke of the noiseless
cannon rolling from their si3es), van
ished as if shown from magic-lantern.
Then appeared in the air two lions, or
the figures thereof which fought three
times with great fury, till there came a
third of greater size, which destroyed
them both, Immediately after this
there came slowly athwart the sky, as
represented in the woodcut which sur
mounted this veracious bronds sheet,
the GRANT figure of n crowned king.
This form was seen so plainly that the
buttons on his dress could be distin-
guished by the awe-stricken crowd as
sembled on the sands. Next morning
the same apparition was seen again :;
and all the ocean was rs red as blood.
And this happening at this juncture
of time, concludes the narrator, "be-
gets some strange apprehensions; for
that, about six months before Van
Tromp was slain in war with England,
there was seen near the same place an
apparition of ships IN the air fighting
with each other.
Sixteen years later another broad
sheet announced to the metropolis,
that the forms of ships and men also
had been seen on the road near Abing-
ton on the Goth of An gust, 1880, "of
the truth where of You may be fully
satisfied at the Sarazen's Head Inn,
Carter Lane 1t would seem that John
Nib, "a very sober fellow the car
rier of CirGncester, with five passen-
gers IN his wagon, all proceeding to
London about quarter of an hour
after sunrise, were Mortified TO perceive
at the far horizon the giant figure of a
man in black habit, and armed with
a broad sword, towering into the sky.
Like the spectre of the Broken, this
faded away but to add to the bewild-
erment of Nib and his companions,
II was replaced by ''about hundred
ships of several bigness and various
shapes Then rose a great hill cover
ed with little villages, and before it
spread plain, on which rode thirty
horsemen, armed with carbine and pis-
toll
The same document records that. on
the 18th of the subsequent September,
naval engagement was seen in the air,
near Porsnet in Monmouchshire be-
tween two fleets, one of which came
from the northern quarter of the sky,
the other from the south. A great ship
fired first, land after her the rest dis
charged their volleys in order, so that
great flashes of fire, and even smoak
was visible, and noises in the air as of
great guns. Then an army of phan-
tams engaged IN "a square meadow
near Porsnet, closing in with sword and
pistol, and the cries ofthe wounded and
dying were heard. On the 9th of
December Ottery, near Exeter, had Wis
itation of the same kind, when at five
IN the evening two armies fought in the
air till six o'clock. This was seen
by reverend minister and several 9th
ers, to their great amazement.n On
the I'd of the same month the people
in Shrophire were, according to an
other sheet, sorely pleased by the sud
den appearance of two suns in the
armament, and it was duly remember
ed that "such a sign was seen before
the death of that tempestuous fire
brand of Rome here in England, Thomas
Beckett, Archbishop eff Canterbury,
and when Queen Mary began her
bloody reign. >
Then follow the death Of the the