(236) "In the June of 1880, I went to a situation as governess. On the first day of my going there, after retiring for the night, I heard a noise which was like the ticking of a watch. I took no particular notice of it, but I noticed that every time I was alone I heard it, more especially at night. I even went so far as to search, thinking there must be a watch concealed somewhere in the room. This continued until I grow quite accustomed to it. It was on the 12th of July, when I was coming from the dining-room with a tray of glasses that I saw what appeared to me to be a dark figure standing just outside the door, with outstretched arms. It startled me, and when I turned to look again it was gone.

"On the 23rd September I received news that my brother was drowned on the 12th of July. I heard the ticking up to the time I had the letter, but never once afterwards. "F. A. Bale".

Writing again, Miss Bale says: -

"I enclose the letter informing us of my brother's death, also one from the captain of the ship, for your perusal.

"I made no entry in my diary of the apparition I saw on the 12th of July, but I distinctly remember the time. I sat down a little while to recover my fright, and then I looked at the time; it was 20 minutes past 6. I enclose the address of a friend who I am sure remembers it as well as I do. You will see by enclosed where my brother was when he met with his death.

"The apparition did remind me of my brother, as I last saw him in a long dark ulster, and it was about his height, but that was all I could discover, for when I looked a second time it was gone. What made me mention the ticking was the peculiarity of its following me everywhere, providing I was alone".

The enclosed letter, written by the Rev. W. A. Purey-Cust on board the ship "Melbourne," announced that Mr. William Bale's death occurred at 6 p.m. on July 12, 1880, about 150 miles south of Tristan d'Acunha, longitude 12o 30" W. Mr. Purey-Cust has since told us that on that day - and on that day only - the position of the ship had to be found by dead reckoning, the sun not being visible. The error in time arising in this way could not, however, have amounted to more than a minute or two, and Mr. Purey-Cust gives particulars which make it almost impossible that he can be mistaken in stating that the accident occurred at 6 p.m. by the ship's clock.

Mrs. Hart, of Baker Street, Gorleston, writes to us: -

"September 28th, 1885.

"On the night of the 12th of July, 1880, Miss Bale came to my house to supper, and she told me that she was coming from the drawing-room and she saw a dark figure standing just outside the door; she appeared very nervous. She said it reminded her of her brother, and remarked to me then that she knew something must have happened to him. I asked her if she noticed the time she saw it, and she told me that the apparition had startled her very much, and she had sat down a little time to recover the fright it gave her, and then she looked at the time; it was 6.20. She had previously told me of a ticking she heard everywhere she went, so long as she was alone, but directly anyone joined her it ceased; and she told me she heard it up to the day she received the news of her brother's death, but not afterwards. "H. Hart".

Miss Bale adds: -

'" September 24th, 1885.

"There was one incident I did not tell you, thinking it too trivial, as I did not notice the date or hour, but I know it was shortly before I heard the news of my brother's death. I had been in bed a short time, and I heard a tremendous crash like the smashing of a lot of china. I felt too nervous to go and see what it was, but nothing was broken or disturbed in the morning, and for three nights in succession I heard the same. I am not inclined to think that it was in any way corresponding with my brother's death. I certainly have never heard imaginary voices nor seen imaginary figures except the apparition I saw the day my brother was drowned".

[There seems to be no reason for connecting the ticking sound with Mr. Bale's death, any more than the crash of china; and it is probable that it was due to a merely physical affection, to which the shock of receiving the news perhaps put an end. It seemed right, however, to mention it; since, if it was a hallucination, it would tend to show that Miss Bale was for some time in a condition favourable to purely subjective hallucinations - which would slightly weaken the force of the coincidence of the visual hallucination with her brother's death. It will be noticed that, allowing for longitude, the death occurred - according to the statements made - about half an hour after the apparition. But as the differ-ance is so small, - it seems more probable that it is due to error in Miss Bale's observation or memory, or in the time of her clock, than that so close a coincidence was purely accidental].

The next few cases, though depending in the first instance on witnesses in a humbler station, are, as far as I can judge, faithfully reported. The narrator of the first of them is Ellen M. Greany, a trusted and valued servant in the family of Miss Porter, at 16, Russell Square, W.C.

"May 20th, 1884.

(237) "I sat one evening reading, when on looking up from my book, I distinctly saw a school-friend of mine, to whom I was very much attached, standing near the door. I was about to exclaim at the strangeness of her visit, when, to my horror, there were no signs of any one in the room but my mother. I related what I had seen to her, knowing she could not have seen, as she was sitting with her back towards the door, nor did she hear anything unusual, and was greatly amused at my scare, suggesting I had read too much or been dreaming.

"A day or so after this strange event, I had news to say my friend was no more. The strange part was I did not even know she was ill, much less in danger, so could not have felt anxious at the time on her account, but may have been thinking of her; that I cannot testify. Her illness was short, and death very unexpected. Her mother told me she spoke of me not long before she died, and wondered I had not been to see her, thinking, of course, I had some knowledge of her illness, which was not the case. It may be as well to mention she left a small box she prized rather, to be given to me in remembrance of her. She died the same evening and about the same time that I saw her vision, which was the end of October, 1874. " ELLEN M.Greany".

In answer to an inquiry, Ellen Greany adds that this hallucination is the only one she has ever experienced. She tells Miss Porter that she went to see her dead friend before the funeral, which accords with her statement that she heard the news of the death very soon after it occurred; and there is no reason to doubt that, at the time when she heard the news, she was able correctly to identify the day of her vision.

Her mother corroborates as follows: - "Acton, July 1884.

"I can well remember the instance my daughter speaks of. I know she was not anxious at the time, not knowing her friend was ill. I took no notice of it at the time, as I do not believe in ghosts, but thought it strange the next day, when we heard she was dead, and died about the same time that my daughter saw her. "Margaret Greany".

[I have seen Ellen Greany, who is a superior and intelligent person. She went over her story without prompting, giving an entirely clear and consistent account, and standing cross-examination perfectly. But the favourable effect of such an interview on one's own mind cannot, of course, be conveyed to others].

The following account was first published in The Englishman, on May 13th, 1876.