Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-02-17
s4rAass vssions os Young G4rlA-

SAN SALVADOR, BAHAMAS, Nor. 3
A remarkable outbreak or religious
hsllucinsfion occurred Cd tins island
tins year About January last q report
was out that young giri had seen
yisi0ns and WAS under some inA1ence
nDt belonging TO tins world Her eK-
citement soon communicated 1fseH to
Others ard IN The course Of q few weeks
some twenty young girls were affected
They then Organized religious meetings,
and much excitement was caused
/ went once 10 see what took place
a these meetings About fifty people
sat around ~ room singing. olapting
hands and STAMPING their feet. keeping
time 70 a kipd of monotone chant
The girls who saw visions were stand
ing In the center, sometimes walking
up and down They had vacant kind
Of stare Gradually The singing quick
ened, until al last II became fas and
furious Then The girls would dance,
shout and bark like dogs
Afer twenty minutes Of this they
would fall down with . shrek Their
struggles, cries, and foarning at the
mouth were dreadful to see. and In
many cases Il took four Or i've men to
bold them still After The ht was over
they would lie exhausted for about one
ho1rs then, when they came To- tbey
gave very detailed accounts Of the
visions they had seen A great deal oi
these visions was, Of course, nonsense,
but one thing was remzrksble-fbey
spoke Of people doing things many
miles away from the place Upon IN
ouiry Il was found IN some cases that
what fhey had seen conesponded
exactly with the events
One most remarkable feature In this
outbreak was that II was not confined
TO one spot Almost simultaneously,
IN every settlement on the island (the
island is fortY-fye miles long and twelve
broad in places. similar outbreaks
occurred Girls living at distances 81
FIVE en- miles from the scene Of The
4isbor ing meetings" as they were
called, would be seized Being seized
with kind Of frenzy, fhey would run,
az If by inspiration, to the spot where
the rest were assembled, no matter how
far
Most Of those attacked with the 6ts
were people who belonged to the Bap
list society. Consequently their visions
were not Of the Madonna, but Of the
distinctive pedestination doctrines d
their sect Very glowing accounts were
given Of the various punishmenfs and
fOrtDres reserved for the wicked in he'll
and they were most liberal in dispensing
these punishments among their friends
Up and down the island about 400
0r 900 people were seized, and il wa.
at first thought il was a kind Of epidem
c Of hysteria- In few cases girls d
highly respectable character we're seized
and, although they did not see visions
yet 6or weeks they would have fits daily
and such WAS their superhuman strength
that have seen young gih Of II
struggle cut Of the grasp Of four stronl
men The outbreak lasted from Janu
ary 10 July, and 1t one time ii wa
feared that il would lead 10 serioui
consequences, sor all the people whc
gave credeDce 10 the visions neglected
work and abandoned themselves tC
holding meetings day and night fol
singing, shouting, barking and listening
10 accounts Of the visions seen
In the daytime. and especially or
Sundays, they had professions wit
bsnners. This led 70 some bad feeling
and in fen cases the law had to b
appealed 70 In the interests Of peace
il WAS singular thing that, although
they Organized themselves into a sect
and al who beiieYtd in the vision
where Sberst5cs," yet they showed tb'
utmost cOurteey and good viii toward
4fbe church, bit toward their owD par
ficslas deDonpinafion and The ysTion
otSer sects tbey displayed great an
iraoslty The excitement has died On
nos, and fhey have ceased 20 exist a
P. BARRoy MATTHEWS,
Rector, San Salvador, Nussan Diocese