166 WANDERINGS AND MEMORIES 



neither did this friend herself know that she had 

 appeared in the chapel to Noomi. Who then 

 shall judge of these things, or even deny that we 

 possess a spirit, as well as a material body ? 



The whole facts of this case were laid before 

 the Society of Psychical Research, and published 

 in their Journal, May 1908. Miss Noomi Jackson 

 was present at this meeting, and submitted to 

 cross-examination by members. In this report 

 Miss Jackson is referred to as " Miss Wilson," 

 Arthur Neumann as " Captain Oldham " and Mere 

 Paul as " Mere Columba." Professor Barrett 

 remarked that it was the most interesting 

 and impressive case that had come under his 

 notice. 



In this age of celebrated mediocrities England 

 always ignores her best men, and gives them no 

 help at the time when they most need it. Our 

 pioneers succeed in doing great things, not with 

 her help, but in spite of it, for the British Foreign 

 and Colonial Offices are both the most colossally 

 ignorant as well as unimaginative bodies in existence, 

 and would rather place a ban on individual explora- 

 tion than assist it. 1 Great things have been done 

 in Africa by quiet, unpretentious men like Selous, 

 Livingstone, Speke, Grant, Thomson, Burton and 



1 As an instance of this the following may be cited : Prior 

 to 1914 the Indian Government, whilst placing a veto on all 

 English explorers, gave every assistance to such foreigners 

 as Sven Hedin, a Swede, who did everything to foster German 

 propaganda and vilify England in the Great War, and another 

 person of German extraction. These men explored and mapped 

 the Hinterland of Thibet, the Pamirs and the route to Mongolia, 

 and received honours and distinctions from our Geographical 

 Society. We seem to have a perfect genius for nursing vipers 

 in our bosom. 



