536 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



ferent shape, and some having a 

 pleasing appearance; 



"The longer these phantoms 

 continued to appear, the more fre- 

 quently did they return, while at 

 the same time they increased in 

 number about four weeks after 

 they had first appeared. I also 

 began to hear them talk; the 

 phantoms sometimes conversed 

 among themselves, but more fre- 

 quently addressed their discourse 

 to me ; their speeches were com- 

 monly short and never of an un- 

 pleasant turn. At different times 

 there appeared to me both dear 

 and sensible friends of both sexes, 

 whose addresses tended to ap- 

 pease my grief, which had not yet 

 wholly subsided : these consolatory 

 speeches were in general addressed 

 to me when I was alone ; some 

 times I was accosted by these con- 

 soling friends while in company, 

 frequently while real persons were 

 speaking to me. These consola- 

 tory addresses consisted sometimes 

 of abrupt phrases, and at others, 

 they were regularly connected. 



" Though both my mind and body 

 were in a tolerable state of sanity 

 all this time, and these phantasms 

 became so familiar to me that they 

 did not cause me the slightest un- 

 easiness, and I even sometimes 

 amused myself wiih surveying 

 them, and spoke jocularly of them 

 to my physician and my wife ; I 

 yet did not neglect to use proper 

 medicines, especial y when they 

 began to haunt me the whole 

 day, and even at night as soon as I 

 awaked. 



"At last it was agreed that leech- 

 es should be again applied to me, as 

 formerly; which was actually done, 

 April 20, 1791, at eleven o'clock 

 in the morning. No person was 



with me besides the surgeon ; but 

 during the operation my chamber 

 was crowded with human phan- 

 tasms of all descriptions. This con- 

 tinued uninterruptedly till about 

 half an hour after four o'clock, 

 just when my digestion com- 

 menced. I then perceived that 

 they began to move more slowly. 

 Soon after their colour began 

 to fade, and at seven o'clock 

 they were entirely white ; but they 

 moved very little, though the 

 forms were as distinct as before, 

 growing, however, by degrees 

 more obscure ; yet not fewer in 

 number, as had generally been the 

 case. The phantoms did not with- 

 draw, nor did they vanish ; which 

 previous to that time had fre- 

 quently happened. They now 

 seemed to dissolve in the air ; 

 while fragments of some of them 

 continued visible a considerable 

 time. About eight o'clock the room 

 was entirely cleared of my fantas- 

 tic visitors. 



" Since this time I have felt, twice 

 or three times, a sensation as if 

 these phantasms were going to re- 

 appear; witiiout, however, actually 

 seeing any thing. The same sen- 

 sation surprised me just before I 

 drew up this account, while I was 

 examining some papers relative to 

 these apparitions, which I had 

 drawn up in the year 1791." 



From Forbes' s Orienlal Memoirs. 



SURAT. 



The outer walls of the city arc 

 seven miles in circumference, with 

 twelve gates ; between each gate 

 are irregular towers, mounted with 

 cannon, and the walls are perforat- 

 ed for musketry. The inner town 

 is surrounded by a similar wall and 



