On the entering of one, "That is my (_adopted_) Son." said an Indian
seated by me, and called out his name to which he readily answered
besides questions. This young man and a girl, both living, spoke very
plain (you must observe that it is not their bodies, but their
souls or spirits that enter). [There were] children almost at the
instant of birth, dwarfs, giants. But this latter did make a noise
indeed.
We all laughed very heartily when the Horse entered, for it appears he
passed too near the Turtle who called out as the horse was flying
about (in the inside) singing and rattling his rattler, "I wish you
would take care of yourself and _not {59} tread_ on one." in allusion
to his diminutive size in comparison with that of Horse.
It is somewhat surprising that everyone that entered, whether he spoke
[plainly], or was interpreted, their first words were, "Your lands are
distressed. Keep not on the Grand River--sickness, sickness."
"But from amongst _ye here_ I shall select only a few aged ones." said
one of the latter, but in a _voice_ no one but the conjurer could
understand.
As he went out, however, the conjurer paid him a most bawdy
compliment. We all laughed and asked what was the matter.
"Pah! Nothing. I am only afraid of him." said the conjurer
One of them that entered, apparantly the Devil himself for he spoke
and acted _en veritable maitre_, startled us all a great deal and
enquired authoritatively and angrily, "What want ye of me? Speak!"
Upon several hurried enquiries put to him, he said that some things I
saw and heard in my house this winter were by Mr. Frobisher, who
expired so dreadfully in 1819. "He is a skeleton (Pah-kack); and it is
he who built _this_ house. He comes to see."
Though I did certainly both hear and see several times this winter,
and once in particular about two A.M., yet I do not feel much inclined
to add faith to this assertion of Davy's. I must have something more
substantial. But I am much inclined to doubt master Davy's assertions
and consider _this_ and several others of his sayings at former
periods in the same light as those he delivered at many of [the]
Grecian temples, for I have every substantial reason to consider him
as the same identical gentleman. However, a short time hence will
decide.
The Turtle said we should have a good deal of rain, but not a _very
great deal_, and a very high wind, and as soon as the Sun should
appear. "At its setting, an Indian (naming him by a very extraordinary
and bawdy feature in his _person_) should arrive and bring us meat;
_but this you will eat of course, and I shall go without_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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