I said no, "your wife's brother".

Another incident at the same sitting showed a curious remembrance.

. . . Ask for my cigar case ... am I dreaming ... I think I know that once I sat in this corner [hand points to other side of the room, to place where Mrs. Piper sat at time when Hart attended his sitting on March 22nd, 1892.] (You mean you sat there?) Yes I did (yes, I remember) I know where I am now.

As I recall this incident, I did not understand what was meant at first when the hand pointed, as it was more than three years since Mrs. Piper had sat there. That position in the room was not associated specially in my mind with Hart, as various other persons whom I had accompanied to sittings had sat in the same position, both before and after Hart's sitting, and it was only after April 29th, 1892 (see Report, p. 292), when I succeeded in getting the hand to write with the block-book on the table instead of on the top of Mrs. Piper's head, that I requested Mrs. Piper to change her position, so that there might be plenty of room for the table and for a sitter on the other side of it. But the occasion was a very memorable one to Hart, and if he was communicating and waking to a consciousness of his surroundings, it was a natural observation for him to make.

In June and July a friend of mine was having a series of sittings, and Hart sent a message to me through him; he was becoming clearer, and wished to communicate. There were no opportunities for any further series of sittings, however, and Mrs. Piper stopped sitting for her summer rest, and I visited England later. Few sittings were given in the winter of 1895-6 owing to Mrs. Piper's ill-health. Hart gave brief messages on several occasions; said that he wanted to follow in "G. P.'s tracks," and seemed somewhat aggrieved, so to speak, because he did not have the same opportunity as had been afforded to G. P. Thus, on January 22nd, 1896:-

. . . What in the world is the reason you never call for me? I am not sleeping. I wish to help you in identifying myself, ... I am a good deal better now. (You were confused at first.) Very, but I did not really understand how confused I was. It is more so, I am more so when I try to speak to you. I understand now why George spelled his words to me. "Several sentences, even of ordinary words, were spelt out by Phinuit from G. P. at his first appearance, to Hart]

He became clearer later on, and purported to take part in an inquiry I was making concerning a person's whereabouts in Mexico. It was during this time that Miss Warner (Report, p. 324) had her two sittings, January 6th and 7th, 1897. She remarked to me during the sitting of January 7th, 1897, that Hart knew one of her brothers, Charlie, and that they went to the Azores together. I asked Phinuit if he or G. P. could get Hart. Shortly afterwards G. P. wrote, and after a short conversation with the sitter came the following:-

Did you have a brother Jack, Hart asks. (Yes).

[For Hart] I am here. George, tell her I see her and I long to ask her brother if he recalls the storm we experienced.

(I know he does. I've heard him speak of it).

Good, and ask him if he still has the stick like mine. Take the pipe, old chap, I do not wish it. Hear you? (R. H.: Yes, it may be the one he gave me) and I have it in my mind. A memento. He ought to have it. [Hart gave me a pipe. It is not clear whether the reference is to this, or to one connected with sitter's brother. - R. H].

We went to a queer little hotel, at a little hotel together. Charlie had a headache from hunger. We were almost starved when we got there, the food was bad, the food was so bad, poor. I am content here, quite. Do you ever see me as I really am? (No. I don't see you at all.) Not at all. I do, H. Hear Hart say have a smoke, anything for relief. Ask him [Charlie] about this for me. Hungry. (R. H.: He's still talking about Charlie and their experiences together?) Yes, H. He is.

(Tell some more.) We went up to the hotel and ask him if he recalls the laugh we had after we got to our room. Give him my love.

(What did you laugh about?) because of the dirt, etc. . . . very amusing. He has not been well but he is going to be. [Disturbance in hand.] Hold on, old man, I cannot hear if you grab me in this way.

Did you ever have a fever?

(R. H.: Who says that?) I, J. H.

(Do you mean me?) Yes. (Yes. I had a fever. Pneumonia, and typhoid fever.) Never have another. Going to be well now. I said it. (Do you mean me?) Yes, Charles too. Give him my love and do not forget about the stick. . . .

Miss Warner wrote:-

I had known that Charley and Hart took a trip in a sailing vessel to the Azores, but absolutely no details, except that the boat was driven on the rocks and they watched her break up.

This was all she could recollect in connection with the statements made by Hart about her brother. I remembered also about the ship-wreck at the Azores, but had no recollections of any sort connecting Hart with Charley Warner, or about any of the other incidents referred to. I think, however, that as Hart himself told me of the shipwreck at the Azores, he probably mentioned Warner in connection with it. He may possibly also have spoken of some of the other incidents. But I am unable to recall the vaguest memory of any sort about them. Charley Warner was then in California, and in reply to inquiries he wrote on February 2nd, 1897:-

J. H. and myself once were hove to on the North Atlantic for about three days during a severe storm. At another time we were at Horta, Fayal Island, and watched our vessel drag ashore and break up on account of a very bad storm, or hurricane. J. H. had a very serviceable stick. As I remember it, a stout little blade dropped out of the ferrule. I never had one like it that I can remember. He thought highly of it and advised me to get one like it. I don't remember anything about a pipe. What he says about the queer little hotel is all true; I don't remember that I had a headache, but we were hungry. J. H. was extremely amused about something at that hotel and we had a hearty laugh. It was connected with dirt.