Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

346 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
eral times and stopt the boat. A cheese was taken out of
the press, and crumbled all over the floor; a piece of iron
stuck into the, wall, and a kettle hung thereon. Several
cocks of hay, mow'd near the house, were taken up and
hung upon the trees, and others made into small whisps, and
scattered about the house. A man was much hurt by some
of the stones. He was a Quaker, and suspected that a
woman, who charged him with injustice in detaining some
land from her did, by witchcraft, occasion these preternatural occurrences. However, at last they came to an end."
Thus wrote the reliable Cotton Mather, one hundred and
sixty-eight years ago. Although be says these things had
an end, yet there have been some reliable witnesses to
events of a similar nature on the Pest Island, in the vicinity
of Newcastle, nearly a century after. When there were
but two men on this island, things were mysteriously
moved about the pest house, and unaccountable noises
heard. Later days have shown as strange things produced
by mesmeric powers, since table-moving has become an
every day occurrence.
A pamphlet published in London in 1698, gives in quaint
style, a detailed account of the strange proceedings by an
eye witness. As the whole account would occupy too
much space, we make only extracts from the work, which
bears every mark of authenticity.
"I have a wonder to relate; for such (I take it) is so to
be termedawhatsoever is Prseternatural, and not assignable
to, or the effect of Natural Causes. It is a Lithobolia, or
stone throwing, which happened by Witchcraft, (as was
supposed,) and maliciously perpetrated by an elderly woman, a neighbor suspected, and (I think) formerly detected
for such kind of diabolical tricks and practices; and the
wicked instigation did, arise upon -the account of some
small quantity of land in her field, which she pretended
was unjustly taken into the land of the person where the