The Book of Dreams and Ghosts Part 24

{118} Shchapoff case of "The Dancing Devil" and "The Great Amherst Mystery".

{121} Additional MSS., British Museum, 27,402, f. 132.

{122} Really 1628, unless, indeed, the long-continued appearances began in the year before Buckingham's death; old style.

{127} It may fairly be argued, granting the ghost, his advice and his knowledge of a secret known to the countess, that he was a hallucination unconsciously wired on to old Towse by the mind of the anxious countess herself!

{129a} Hamilton's Memoirs.

{129b} Mrs. Thrale's Diary, 28th November, 1779.

{129c} Diary of Lady Mary c.o.ke, 30th November, 1779.

{130a} See Phantasms, ii., 586.

{130b} The difficulty of knowing whether one is awake or asleep, just about the moment of entering or leaving sleep is notorious. The author, on awaking in a perfectly dark room, has occasionally seen it in a dim light, and has even been aware, or seemed to be aware, of the pattern of the wall paper. In a few moments this effect of light disappears, and all is darkness. This is the confused mental state technically styled "Borderland," a haunt of ghosts, who are really flitting dreams.

{131} Life of Lockhart.

{132} The author has given authorities in Blackwood's Magazine March, 1895. A Mr. Coulton (not Croker as erroneously stated) published in the Quarterly Review, No. 179, an article to prove that Lyttelton committed suicide, and was Junius. See also the author's Life of Lockhart.

{140} A prominent name among the witnesses at the trial.

{141} The report of the trial in the Scots Magazine of June, 1754 (magazines appeared at the end of the month), adds nothing of interest. The trial lasted from 7 a.m. of June 11 till 6 a.m. of June 14. The jury deliberated for two hours before arriving at a verdict.

{142} Sydney, no date.

{144} Phantasms, ii., 586, quoting (apparently) the Buckingham Gazette of the period.

{145a} Oddly enough a Mr. William Soutar, of Blairgowrie, tells a ghost story of his own to the S.P.R.!

{145b} I put them for convenience at the foot.--W. L. L.

{146a} The dogs in all these towns (farms) of Mause are very well accustomed with hunting the fox.

{146b} Blair (Blairgowrie) is the kirk-town of that parish, where there is also a weekly market: it lies about a mile below Middle Mause on the same side of the river.

{146c} Knockhead is within less than half a mile of Middle Mause, and the Hilltown lies betwixt the two. We see both of them from our window of Craighall House.

{148a} This George Soutar died about two or three years ago, and was very well known to William.

{148b} The Isle is a spot of ground in the wood of Rychalzie, about a mile above Middle Mause, on the same side of the river.

{149a} Glasclune is a gentleman of the name of Blair, whose house lies about three-quarters of a mile south-west from Middle Mause.

{149b} He said the voice answered him as if it had been some distance without the door.

{150} Besides the length of time since the murder was committed, there is another reason why all the bones were not found, viz., that there is a little burn or brook which had run for the s.p.a.ce of twenty years, at least, across upon the place when the bones were found, and would have carried them all away had it not been that the bush, at the side of which they were buried, had turned the force of the stream a little from off that place where they lay, for they were not more than a foot, or at most a foot and a half, under ground, and it is only within these three years that a water-spate has altered the course of the burn.

{151} The course of the river (the Ericht) is from north to south.

Middle Mause lies on the west side of it, and Craighall on the east.

{155a} With reference to the last statement in Mr. Newton's notes see the Journal of Sir Walter Scott (edit., 1891, p. 210) under date 13th June, 1826.

{155b} L'Homme Posthume.

{155c} Denny's Folklore of China.

{156} Story received in a letter from Lieutenant --- of H.M.S gunboat ---.

{157} He fought at Culloden, of course for King George, and was appealed to for protection by old Glengarry.

{158a} Fox's hole.

{158b} How did Inverawe get leave to wear the Highland dress?

{160} In every version of the story that I have heard or read Ticonderoga is called St. Louis, and Inverawe was ignorant of its other name. Yet in all the histories of the war that I have seen, the only name given to the place is Ticonderoga. There is no mention of its having a French name. Even if Inverawe knew the fort they were to storm was called Ticonderoga, he cannot have known it when the ghost appeared to him in Scotland. At that time there was not even a fort at Ticonderoga, as the French only erected it in 1756. Inverawe had told his story to friends in Scotland before the war broke out in America, so even if in 1758 he did know the real name of the fort that the expedition was directed against, I don't see that it lessens the interest of the story.--E. A. C.

The French really called the place Fort Carillon, which disguised the native name Ticonderoga. See Memoirs of the Chevalier Johnstone.--A.

L.

{162} Abercromby's force consisted of the 27th, 42nd, 44th, 46th, 55th, and battalions of the 60th Royal Americans, with about 9000 Provincials and a train of artillery. The a.s.sault, however, took place before the guns could come up, matters having been hastened by the information that M. de Levy was approaching with 3000 French troops to relieve Ticonderoga garrison.

{177a} I know one inveterate ghost produced in an ancient Scottish house by these appliances.--A. L.

{177b} Such events are common enough in old tales of haunted houses.

{177c} This lady was well known to my friends and to Dr. Ferrier. I also have had the honour to make her acquaintance.

{179} Apparently on Thursday morning really.

{182} She gave, not for publication, the other real names, here altered to pseudonyms.

{186} Phantasms, ii., 202.

{188a} Maspero, Etudes Egyptiennes, i., fascic. 2.

{188b} Examples cited in Cla.s.sical Review, December, 1896, pp. 411, 413.

{188c} Proceedings, S.P.R., vol. xii., p. 45-116.

{189} See "Lord St. Vincent's Story".

{190} Anecdote received from the lady.

{191} Story at second-hand.

{192} See The Standard for summer, 1896.