I remember one odd thing, was when very badly to smoke We put pipe hands--he almost poked his eye out with it--and lit it But he couldn't taste anything I've since found it's the same with me--I don't know 's the usual case--that enjoy tobacco at all unless the smoke

But the queerest part vision came when Wade sent him out in Bath-chair fresh air The Davidsons hired chair, and got that deaf and obstinate dependant of theirs, Widgery, to attend Widgery's ideas of healthy expeditions were peculiar My sister, who Dogs' Home, met them in Camden Town, towards King's Cross, Widgery trotting along complacently, and Davidson, evidently most distressed, trying feeble, blind way to attract Widgery's attention

He positively wept when my sister spoke to him "Oh, get me out horrible darkness ! " , feeling for her hand " get out of it, or die " quite incapable of explaining the matter, but my sister decided go home, and presently, went uphill towards Hampstead, the horror seemed to drop good the stars again, though then about noon and blazing day

"It seemed," me afterwards, " being carried irresistibly towards the water not alarmed at first night there--a lovely night "

" ? " I asked, struck me as odd

" ," said he "It's always night there when day here . Well, we went right water, calm and shining under the moonlight--just broad swell that seemed to grow broader and flatter as down The surface glistened just like skin--it empty space underneath for all tell contrary Very slowly, for I rode slanting , the water crept my eyes Then I went under skin seemed to break and heal again eyes The moon gave jump up sky and grew green and dim, and fish, faintly glowing, came darting round me--and things that seemed made of luminous glass; and I passed through tangle of seaweeds that shone with an oily lustre And so I drove down sea, stars went out one by one, moon grew greener and darker, seaweed became luminous purple-red all very faint and mysterious, and everything seemed to quiver And all the while hear the wheels Bath-chair creaking, footsteps of people going by, and man distance selling the special Pall Mall

"I kept sinking down deeper and deeper water It became inky black about me, not ray from above came down into that darkness, phosphorescent things grew brighter and brighter The snaky branches deeper weeds flickered like the flames of spirit-lamps; but, after time, there were no more weeds The fishes came staring and gaping towards me, and into me and through me I never imagined such fishes before They had lines of fire along the sides they outlined with luminous pencil And ghastly thing swimming backwards with lot of twining arms And then , coming very slowly towards me gloom, hazy mass of light that resolved itself as it drew nearer into multitudes of fishes, struggling and darting round something that drifted I drove on straight towards it, and presently midst tumult, and light fish, bit of splintered spar looming over me, and dark hull tilting over, and some glowing phosphorescent forms that were shaken and writhed fish bit at them Then I began to attract Widgery's attention horror came upon me Ugh ! driven right into those half-eaten--things If your sister come ! They had great holes , Bellows, and . Never mind But ghastly ! "

IV

For three weeks Davidson remained singular state, seeing what we imagined was an altogether phantasmal world, and stone blind world around him Then, one Tuesday, when I called I met old Davidson passage "He his thumb ! " the old gentleman said, in perfect transport struggling into his overcoat "He his thumb, Bellows ! " , tears eyes "The lad all right yet "

I rushed in to Davidson holding up little book before his face, and looking at it and laughing in weak kind of way

"It's amazing," said he "There's kind of patch come there " He pointed finger "I'm rocks as usual, penguins are staggering and flapping about as usual, and there's been whale showing every , but it's got too dark now him out But put something there_, and it-- see it It's very dim and broken in places, but it all the same, like faint spectre of itself it out while they were dressing me It's like hole infernal phantom world Just put your hand by mine No--not there Ah ! Yes ! it The base of your thumb and bit of cuff ! It looks like the ghost of bit of your hand sticking darkling sky Just there's group of stars like cross coming out "

Davidson began to mend His account change, like his account vision, was oddly convincing Over patches field of vision, the phantom world grew fainter, grew transparent, as it were, and through these translucent gaps he began dimly the real world about him The patches grew in size and number, ran together and spread until only here and there were blind spots left upon his eyes able up and steer himself about, feed himself once more, read, smoke, and behave like an ordinary citizen again At first very confusing to him these two pictures overlapping like the changing views of lantern, but in little while he began to distinguish the real illusory

At first unfeignedly glad, and seemed only too anxious to complete his cure by taking exercise and tonics But odd island began to fade away , he became queerly interested particularly down deep sea again, and would spend half his time wandering low-lying parts of London, trying the water-logged wreck he had seen drifting The glare of real daylight impressed him so vividly blot out everything shadowy world, but of night-time, in darkened room, still see the white-splashed rocks island, clumsy penguins staggering to and fro But even these grew fainter and fainter, and, at last, soon after he married my sister, them time

V

And now queerest thing of all About two years after his cure I dined Davidsons, and after dinner man named Atkins called in lieutenant Royal Navy, and pleasant, talkative man on friendly terms with my brother-in-law, and was soon on friendly terms with me It came out that engaged to Davidson's cousin, and incidentally out kind of pocket photograph case to show us new rendering fiance "And, by-the-by," said he, "here's the old Fulmar "

Davidson looked at it casually Then suddenly his face lit up "Good heavens ! " said he " almost swear----"

"What ? " said Atkins

"That I had seen that ship before "

"Don't see how She hasn't been South Seas for six years, and before then----"

"But," began Davidson, and then, "Yes--that's the ship I dreamt of; I'm sure that's the ship I dreamt of She was standing off an island that swarmed with penguins, and she fired gun "

"Good Lord ! " said Atkins, who had now heard the particulars seizure "How the deuce could you dream that ? "

And then, bit by bit, it came out that very day Davidson was seized, H M S Fulmar had actually been off little rock south of Antipodes Island boat had landed overnight penguins' eggs, delayed, and thunderstorm drifting up, the boat's crew had waited until the morning before rejoining the ship Atkins , and he corroborated, word for word, the descriptions Davidson had given island boat not the slightest doubt in any minds that Davidson has really seen the place In some unaccountable way, while he moved hither and thither in London, his sight moved hither and thither in manner that corresponded, distant island How is absolutely mystery

That completes the remarkable story of Davidson's eyes It's perhaps the best authenticated case in existence of real vision at distance Explanation none forthcoming, except what Professor Wade has thrown out But his explanation invokes the Fourth Dimension, and dissertation on theoretical kinds of space of there being "a kink in space" seems mere nonsense ; it because no mathematician When that nothing would alter the fact place is eight thousand miles away, he answered that two points yard away on sheet of paper, and yet be brought together by bending the paper round The reader may grasp his argument, but I certainly His idea that Davidson, stooping poles big electro-magnet, had some extraordinary twist given retinal elements sudden change field of force due lightning

He thinks, as consequence , possible to live visually in one part world, while one lives bodily in another He has even made some experiments in support views; but, , he has simply succeeded in blinding few dogs I believe net result work, though seen him for some weeks Latterly so busy with my work in connection Saint Pancras installation that little opportunity of calling him But the whole theory seems fantastic The facts concerning Davidson stand on an altogether different footing, and testify personally accuracy of every detail