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Souther Fell
On Midsummer eve 1735, Wm Lancaster's servant
related that he saw the East side of Souter-fell,
towards the top, covered with a regular marching army for
above an hour together; he said they consisted of distinct
bodies of troops, which appeared to proceed from an eminence
in the North end, and march'd over a nitch in the top,
[mark'd A and B in my drawing] but as no other person in the
neighbourhood had seen the like, he was discredited and
laugh'd at. Two years after on Midsummer eve also,
betwixt the hours of eight and nine, Wm Lancaster
himself imagined that several gentlemen were following their
horses at a distance, as if they had been hunting, and
taking them for such, pay'd no regard to it, till about ten
minutes after, again turning his head towards the place,
they appeared to be mounted, and a vast army following, five
in rank, crowding over at the same place, where the servant
said he saw them two years before. He then call'd his
family, who all agreed in the same opinion; and what was
most extraordinary, he frequently observed that some one of
the five would quit rank, and seem to stand in a fronting
posture, as if he was observing and regulating the order of
their march, or taking account of the numbers, and after
some time appear'd to return full gallop to the station he
had left, which they never fail'd to do as often as they
quitted their lines, and the figure that did so, was
generally one of the middlemost men in the rank. As it grew
later, they seem'd more regardless of discipline, and rather
had the appearance of people riding from a market, than an
army, tho' they continued crowding on, and marching off, as
long as they had light to see them.
This phaenomenon was no more seen 'till the Midsummer
eve, which preceded the rebellion, when they were determined
to call more families to be witness of this sight, and
accordingly went to Wilton-hill and
Souter-fell-side, till they conven'd about 26
persons, who all affirm they then saw the same appearance,
but not conducted with the usual regularity as the preceding
ones, having the likeness of carriages interspersed; however
it did not appear to be less real, for some of the company
were so affected with it as in the morning to climb the
mountain, through an idle expectation of finding
horse-shoes, after so numerous an army, but they saw not the
vestige or print of a foot.
Wm Lancaster, indeed, told me that he never concluded
they were real beings, because of the impracticability of a
march over the precipices, where they seem'd to come on;
that the night was extremely serene; that horse and man upon
strict looking at appear'd to be but one being, rather than
two distinct ones; they were nothing like any clouds or
vapours, which he had ever perceiv'd elsewhere; that their
number was incredible, for they fill'd lengthways near half
a mile, and continued so in a swift march for above an hour,
and much longer he thinks if night had kept off.
This whole story has so much the air of a romance, that it
seem'd fitter for Amadis de Gaul, or Glanville's
system of Witches, than the repository of the learned;
but as the country was full of it, I only give a verbatim
from the original relation of a people, that could have no
end in imposing on their fellow-creatures, and are of good
repute in the place where they live.
It is my real opinion, that they apprehended they saw such
appearances, but how an undulating lambent meteor could
affect the optics of so many people is difficult to say. No
doubt fancy will extend to miraculous heights in persons
dispos'd to indulge it; and whether there might not be a
concurrence of that, to assist the vapour, I will not
dispute, because three difficulties seem to occur, worthy of
solution †
1st, Why a lambent agitated meteor should appear to
stop at certain intervals, and return with augmented
velocity to reassume the forsaken place.
2d, Why it should for a very long time preserve so
regular a system, as to appear still five in a line.
3d. Why one particular evening in the year, only,
exhibited the unusual meteor for three times, at so long
intervals.
As these are at present beyond my philosophy to explain, it
may be an amusement to such as will give themselves the
trouble of enquiry, having neither added nor diminished to
the
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