Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/237

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Phantasms of the Dead
217

seen until news of the event had reached England in the ordinary course of post.

No. 45. From Mr. George King[1]

Mr. George King (November, 1885) on the night of December 2, 1874, after being present at a Conversazione at King's College, London, dreamt that at a brilliant assembly his brother advanced towards him. He was in evening dress, like all the rest, and was the very image of buoyant health. " I was much surprised to see him, and, going forward to meet him, I said: ' Hallo! D., how are you here?' He shook me warmly by the hand and replied: 'Did you not know I have been wrecked again?' At these words a deadly faintness came over me. I seemed to swim away and sink to the ground. After momentary unconsciousness I awoke, and found myself in my bed. I was in a cold perspiration, and had paroxysms of trembling, which would not be controlled. I argued with myself on the absurdity of getting into a panic over a dream, but all to no purpose, and for long I could not sleep."

The newspapers on the following morning contained an account of the foundering of the La Plata, the ship in which Mr. King's brother had sailed, on November 29th.

No. 46. From The Rev. G. M. Tandy, Vicar or West Ward, Cumberland.[2]

Mr. Tandy had called upon a friend in a neighbouring village and carried away with him a newspaper, still in its wrapper. Some hours after returning home he saw a lifelike apparition of his intimate friend Canon Robinson. On subsequently removing the wrapper of the newspaper he found an account of the death of Canon Robinson, of which he had. not previously heard.

  1. Proceedings, S. P. R., vol. v.. p. 455.
  2. Ibid. p. 408.