421 D. In the following case, the dream conveys information concerning past business transactions, entirely unknown to the dreamer, and which, had the dream been true, might have seriously affected his interests. But the facts are so presented as to be wholly misleading; and in a way in which no other assignable intelligence (unless it were a forgetful dream of the deceased debtor's or of the satisfied creditor's) would have been likely to have presented them. The dream, however, may have conceivably originated in the dreamer's subliminal perception of the amount in the ledger.

From Proceedings S.P.R., vol. xi. p. 403. The account was originally addressed to Professor James.

Law Offices of H. & P., New Orleans, January 8th, 1894.

My dear Sir, - In May 1889 I had purchased the residence property where I now live, and of course had looked into the title, as to conveyances and liens. This work was concluded, when one night I dreamed this dream.

I was walking through the business part of the city, and met our sheriff, who said, "I am going to sell that house and lot, corner of 2nd and Chestnut Streets, for the claim of R. M-----v. J. C------, for 446.50 dols." I was annoyed, of course, thinking that there might have been some mistake in the search for judgment liens - and then I woke up.

J. C------had been a former owner. On my way down to my office next morning I stopped to see his son, W. C-----, - his successor in business, - and as a kind of joke, told him my dream. As I told him his face lengthened visibly, and without saying anything, he went to his ledger, and after looking at it said, "You made a slight mistake in figures - it was 444.50 dols." - and then, with a sort of awe, continued, "But with the interest, figured here in pencil, it was just 446.50 dols.:' I should add that J. C------had been embarrassed before his death, but had settled up his debts, so I had no trouble. Now, had the claim been sued on, the sheriff and lien part of my dream had no truth, but the debt and amount were precise. I knew R. M------very well, but never associated him in any way with J. C-----, nor had the slightest reason, that I can recall, to suspect that C------ had ever had any dealings with M------, C-----being "in cotton" and M-----" in sugar." W. W. Howe.

In answer to Professor James' inquiries, the following letter was received: -

No. 54 Union Street, New Orleans, March 14th, 1894.

Professor William James, - Dear Sir, - Your favour of the 10th inst. is at hand, and in reply: The occurrence referred to was certainly quite startling, and it was about as follows: -

The heirs of my father, deceased, had sold a property here to Judge W. W.

H------, and some time after the sale had been passed and completed and purchase price paid, Judge H------called at our office one morning and said that he had had a dream (probably the night before) which had annoyed him a little, although he was not disposed to attach any importance to it, but simply to satisfy a not-understood desire to do so, he had come around to mention it to me, and it was this: -

That his dream was that, notwithstanding his careful research of the title of the property and that all encumbrances found had been removed, there had been presented to him for payment a judgment obtained by Mr. R. M------for an amount which he specified in dollars and cents. I remarked to him that it was very remarkable indeed that that amount would vary very little from what a liability would have been to Mr. M------had it not been paid, and had drawn interest to that date. I referred to data and computed the interest, and was, as said before, quite startled to find that there was no difference between the figures mentioned by him and what I found the liability to Mr. M------would have been, had it not been' paid off. I regret very much that I did not make memorandum of this amount, and the date, so that it might have been given you explicitly and definitely, but did not, and without knowing the date, I cannot give even approximately the amount mentioned.

I told the Judge, however, that there was an inaccuracy in the dream, and that was that Mr. M------'s claim had never gone to judgment, nor had there been any legal contention or contest about it, but that it was a liability that had been settled in the regular course of business at the proper time.

Wm. H. Chaffe.

421 E. The next case is again explicable on the supposition that the subliminal self of the dreamer perceived the positions of the vessels and gave the warning. Mr. Brighten is known to Mr. Podmore, - who concurs in what appears to be the estimate generally formed of that gentleman, namely, that he is a shrewd, unimaginative, practical man. The account is taken from Proceedings S.P.R., vol. viii. p. 400. Mr. Brighten writes: -

Argyle House, Southend-on-Sea, December 6th, 1884.

I owned a 35-ton schooner, and in August 1876, in very calm weather, I dropped anchor in the Thames at the North shore, opposite Gravesend, as it was impossible to get to the other side, there being no wind.

The current being exceedingly swift at that part we let out plenty of chain cable before going to bed. I had captain and crew of three men on board, besides visitors. Towards morning I found myself awake in my (owner's) cabin with the words ringing in my ears, " Wake, awake, you'll be run down." I waited a few moments, then dropped off to sleep, but was again awakened by the same words ringing in my ears. Upon this I leisurely put on some clothes and went on deck and found the tide rushing past very swiftly, and that we were enveloped in a dense fog, and all was calm and quiet in the early morning, and there was already some daylight. I paced the deck once or twice, then went below, undressed, got into my berth, and fell asleep, only to be again awakened by the same words. I then somewhat more hastily dressed, went on deck, and climbed some way up the rigging to get above the fog, and was soon in a bright, clear atmosphere, with the fog like a sea at my feet, when looking round I saw a large vessel bearing down directly upon us.

I fell, rather than scrambled, out of the rigging, rushed to the forecastle, shouted to the captain, who rushed on deck, explained all in a word or two; he ran to the tiller, unlashed it, put it hard aport: the swift current acting upon the rudder caused the boat to slew across and upward in the current, when on came the large vessel passing our side, and it would have cleared us, but her anchor which she was carrying (having lifted it in consequence of having heaved anchor at low tide with very little cable) caught in our chain, when she swung round and came alongside, fortunately, however, doing us very little damage. I at once jumped on her deck and woke up some men who appeared on deck in various stages of intoxication, who stupidly wanted to remain as they were, but by dint of coaxing and threatening in turn I induced them to take some turns at their capstan, which had the effect of freeing their anchor from my chain, and she soon left us and dropped her anchor a little lower down. I at once narrated the above facts to the captain, and next day informed my visitors of the voice to which we all owed our preservation.

I cannot think that it was really a human voice, as in consequence of the fog no one could have seen the relative position of the vessels, and no other vessels were near us within half a mile or more. My visitors at once desired me to return to Greenhithe, and discontinued their trip.

Wm. E. Brighten.

I was one of the visitors on the occasion above referred to, and Mr. Brighten related the occurrence to us on the following day. Robert Parker.