1925
July 3 - Oct 8
"It was implanted by his faithful nurse that cards were the devil' s device; she taught him to pray for his father and mother that they may not be damned for playing cards ... He passed in his 45th year."
First trance vision:
Sees R. L. Stevenson as a little child in bed, nurse attending him. Then the medium she sees him, a grown man, lying on his back. She thinks he is sleeping.
Verification:
(For Cummie and playing cards, see Balfour, volume I, page 36.)
R. L. Stevenson died in his 45th year.
Comment:
Why the steady growth of R. L. Stevenson's power to transmit memories and ideas through the E.M. sleep?
At the beginning, only one trance period; then two; then combined themes in a second trance sleep - themes which could be either closely related, or totally separate and, depending on his choice.
Script and vision could relate or be separate also. Looking back, as we observe this faculty steadily increasing in strength and ingenuity, we have strong reason to conclude that it was purposive - a deliberate improvement of E.M.'s responses so that Trance II could be given over to another Scot - David Livingstone. David Livingstone made his first effort by speech and vision on July 5, 1925.
Second trance vision:
"Then I saw R. L. Stevenson and he took me into a house. I saw a form there, a ghost. I did not want to go in. Then we left there and walked until we came to the shore and I saw a wreck there. This picture was awful! I did not like it."
Comment:
In her trance state E.M. started suddenly, as if frightened, and nearly came out of trance. Her fear of the ghost was very real. This surely is a near-perfect demonstration of a psycho-hypnotic impact.
Verification:
Literary A.
"Gratitude is but a lame sentiment; thanks, when they are expressed, are often more embarrassing than welcome." (See "Dedication to Underwoods.")
B.
"Of all my verse like not a single line; but like my title for it is not mine; That title from a better man I stole; Ah, how much better had I stole the whole!" ("Underwoods", Title verse.)
C.
"Certain old houses demand to be haunted; certain coasts are set aside for shipwreck." (From the essay "A Gossip on Romance.")
Comment:
The "gift" is the "Dedication to Underwoods", to doctors who had attended R. L. Stevenson in his near-death illnesses. He is glad to be able to acknowledge his indebtedness. (See gift to Cummie of "Dedication to Underwoods" CGV #3).
The "ghost" and the "wreck" match ideas found in the essay "A Gossip on Romance." R. L. Stevenson was quite aware that the picture of the ghost and the shipwreck had really frightened E.M. He made this clear a week later.
July 5, 1925.
First trance script:
"About three they moved into a roomier house on the other side of the street."
First trance vision:
R. L. Stevenson seen as a little child, carried by his nurse into a new house.
Verification:
See Balfour. See introduction to "A Child's Garden of Verse."
Medium passes into second trance state; sleeps quietly for several minutes. Then jumps up and walks in a mannish way about the room. She speaks in a hoarse, mannish voice:
"David Livingstone from Blantyre."
Becomes normal, describes her second trance vision:
"I don't mind the talk. I was at Blantyre the night. I was once through Blantyre on the train. Mind you, I saw Livingstone. It was Livingstone that talked. Was he lost? Well, somebody found him; some young lad. He was white; He was British anyway. I was in South Africa."
Table levitated and inverted high into the cabinet. Blow on cabinet as if made by a fist.
At the sitting of July 9, 1925,
the sitters were Mrs. Poole, Doris McBean and Dr. T.G. Hamilton. (Lillian Hamilton at
Victoria Beach)
9:35 Visualized clairvoyantly letters and figures.
9:40 First Trance.
9:45 Trance writing.
9:48 Second interval, first Trance.
9:50 Indecipherable.
9:58 Indecipherable.
9:57 Relates trance visions.
10:05 Vision of men in blue light. Sees R. L. Stevenson and David Livingstone.
10:10 Second Trance.
10:12 Active stage - walking and talking.
10:16 Recovery to Consciousness.
10:18 Relates trance vision.
10:20 Clairvoyance - indecipherable.
10:25 Sitting terminates.
About five minutes after commencing, the medium reported seeing figures and letters appearing in the air in front of her.
1813 ARCH L3
"I lost some of them", she said.
First trance:
R. L. Stevenson. Reference to "solid Scotch walls", stuffy nursery. (True. See Introduction to CGV). (At the seashore .CGV III.)
(a) R. L. Stevenson shows a stuffy nursery. (See Balfour, Introduction to "A Child's Garden of Verse.").
Automatic Writing:
"In the solid scotch walls behind closed doors and windows down beside the sea shore a wooden spade they..."
Vision associated:
"I was away in the old town. I went up two or three steps. There was a knocker on the door. I went upstairs and turned to the left and I went into a room - but oh, the closeness. He was on the bed, and I came out of there with them and we went down the three of us to the sea and he was shoveling in the sand. He was a child about six or seven years - I saw no one except his nurse.
Medium now reports:
"I see a great bunch of men now standing right in front of me; I can tell two of them. There is R. L. Stevenson and David - That man I gave you on Sunday night, the dark fellow. And there is another one here, he is a stout man ... dark hair and side whiskers. Oh, what a pretty place and bright. The light is bluish bright ... bright. There are about four or five men, four anyway. Their faces are shining as if a light were standing in front of them."
"There is that other one coming."
Later, in answer to questions:
"I saw nothing but them - no trees or grass. They were not in this world. Not in such bright light as that.
The vision fades. Medium now passing into another deep trance sits quiet for about two minutes, then rises from her chair, stamps her foot very vigorously on the floor, and walks about a little in a very determined manner.
E.M. slept about five minutes.
Second trance:
T. G. H.: "Who is this?"
Medium speaks: "David."
T. G. H.: "David who?"
Medium speaks: "David Livingstone"
T. G. H.: "Who else?"
Medium speaks: "Stanley".
T. G. H.: "What Stanley?"
Medium speaks: "Horton".
T. G. H.: "Spell it."
Medium speaks: "HORTON"
(Encyclopedia Britannica gives name as Henry Morton Stanley)
T. G. H.: "What else?"
E.M.: "1872 ... 53 years ago I was sick ..."
T. G. H.: "I was sick?"
Medium speaks: "Yes. Abbey England"
Medium suddenly regains consciousness and finds to her surprise she is standing beside Dr. Hamilton and asks "Where am I? What am I doing here?"
E.M.:(normal):
Report of second trance:
"I saw too much. I saw Livingstone ... he has got a sore arm ... bitten his left arm he showed it to me. He took his coat sleeve up and showed it to me. Some beast bit it. He said what bit it I don't know now I saw the blood he was sick I saw him. There was a lot of men with him they were all dark men. I don't mind any whites. The black men were good to him. I saw a lot of figures I can't remember all I saw. I did not see the beast that bit him. It is his left arm. It was between the elbow and the wrist. There were still blood on it.
"Livingstone was not in his bed at first. He talked to me I can't remember all I saw. I did not see the beast that bit him. It is his left arm. It was between the elbow and wrist on the back but may be on the front, too. There was still blood on it."
"I don't know where I was at start. Too many things happened and too many places. It was not steady. It's not like Stevenson's work."
"I crossed the ocean with Livingstone. I did not cross it in the boat. I was first away in a real thick bush with just a footpath in it. It was there I got him holding his arm. He was alone except for some other body and these dark men flocked around after. Then I got close up to him, but he does not look well. He's awful white, sick-ish looking. After he showed me the arm I can't tell what happened. Some others came with us over the ocean. The ocean looked natural. But he came to a great big city; he did not go to Scotland. I think in England. I lost him there. I seemed to walk across the ocean as over a floor. He did not say much as we went."
"Some others came with us over the ocean. We came to a big city in England ... I lost him there."
On inquiry the day after this sitting, I found the medium knew practically nothing of Livingstone. She was aware of his being a missionary to Africa. She never knew of the injury to his arm ... nor how the accident happened. Of Stanley she knew absolutely nothing. The name to her was entirely new.
Comment:
E.M., of course knew a little about Livingstone, but very little. Her own naïve description of the lion attack at once reveals her very limited knowledge. Here the new communicator makes his first attempt to have the imagery conform to the message, with the brief notes of England. Not wholly successful.
Verification:
David Livingstone was found by Stanley in October, 1871. David Livingstone ill in 1872. Died May 1, 1873 ... Buried in Westminster Abbey, April 18, 1874. Bitten in the left arm. Correct.
July 12, 1925.
Raps. W. T. Stead.
David Livingstone, medical missionary to Baksuai at Koloberg (1843-49) (Trance 2). More references to lion's attack
July 16, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson determined to be an author (Trance 1).
David Livingstone, Across the Kalahari Desert with Powell (Trance 2).
July 19, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson in school. (Trance 1).
Livingstone and Stead appear.
Raps, W. T. Stead. Photo plate exposed, in darkness, for Stead.
Dr. Hamilton:
"From your point of view, what is the purpose of the
Stevenson and Livingstone visions and messages?"
Non-contact raps:
"To enlighten the world. W. T. S."
Except for the first two years, R. L. Stevenson did not work alone: a communicator claiming to be David Livingstone began in July of 1925 to give messages showing memory of his life in the same fashion (by script and illuminating vision)
The story of Mary Marshall's coming to us is already told: she attended a few sittings in 1925 and 1926 and 1927; and then her full attendance began in January of 1928; and her mediumship soon revealed the new control "Walter" and the coming of the bell ringing and the teleplasms.
Query: Did Dawn's precognitive faculty make it possible for Walter to forecast so accurately coming events in connection with the teleplasms? It seems probable.
David Livingstone begins a third journey of exploration (Trance 2). Johanna boys, Nasick, etc.
July 24, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson. Influences of Walt Whitman (Trance 1).
David Livingstone, Arab Slaves, 1869 (Trance 2).
July 26, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson.
First trance script:
"He and his mother ... acquaintance of Europe when I was in my teens."
First trance script:
"Thirteen when he began description of Peebles."
First trance vision:
"I was away beside a big square house; a few children were playing out in front. I saw my friend and his mother, they had a boy and a carpet bag. He was at about 16; they seemed to be going away somewhere. I went away traveling myself. I never saw R. L. Stevenson after that."
Verification: See Biographies.
Vision: "I don't know where I was. I was away in some wilderness. I saw some men. I think they were slaves by the way they were dressed. I saw that man ( David Livingstone). He was in a tent and he came out and talked to me."
Verification:
Probably another reference to Arabs making slaves of the natives. D. L. hated this bitterly.
Raps. W. T. Stead.
July 30, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson writes of Peebles at 13.
First trance vision:
"I saw R. L. Stevenson; he was just a little boy. I saw his mother and his nurse. I was in an old town. I saw the name at the station; it had "P." in it. R. L. Stevenson had on a tweed kilt suit and a little coat. He was about 11 years."
Trance II. E.M. sleeps, then gets up from her chair, walks excitedly around the room, then speaks as D.L.:
T. G. H.: "Who are you?"
DL/E.M.: "Livingstone."
T. G. H.: "What have you to tell us?"
DL/E.M.:"Chamalla (phonetic) Luluama. Lolo. 1873. April 29."
Second trance vision:
"I saw a man in his bed. He was Livingstone. There was a young man beside him ... he went for water. There were other red men. They seemed real kind to the one who was in bed. The tent was on something for they were carrying it to near where there was water.
Verification:
April 29, 1873, Livingstone was very ill. He was carried by his men across the river Neo-liamo. He asked for water. His man brought him water. (See "Last Journals", page 509, 516. Illustrations 403, 406,7,-8.) "David Livingstone on April 29, 1873, crossed the river Lulimale and proceeded to the village of the Chief Chitambo. He was very ill and carried by his servants, one of whom was named Chuma. He became very thirsty and asked for water. Some of his servants went on ahead to find some and met them returning from the village with the water he so much desired ..." ("Last Journals", page 408.)
Comment: Excellent correspondence between message-ideas and statements in the book.
In July, 1925, David Livingstone joined forces with R. L. Stevenson, employing the same method of deep-trance scripts and visions to give evidence for his survival.
And when we recall the persistence with which the Stevenson personality had manifested through Elizabeth M. in the early 1920's, and the hundreds of facts he put through the two channels of trance-vision and trance-writing, it is no great surprise to find him seeking to use the line of communication opened by the Dawn deep-trance writings in 1942.
As he had done in the earlier period with the older medium, so now by way of Dawn's (Mary Marshall's) hand he recalls some of his own writings as a means of identification, although they are now few in number. His first effort is a condensed version of the Stevenson poem "A CAMP" which had been brilliantly and cleverly illustrated by vision-imagery through Elizabeth in 1925 and 1926; and just as he used terse condensed phrases then, so now he gives in telegram-like form the first part of a letter written to Sir Sidney Colvin from the schooner "Equator" shortly before the ship 'dropped anchor in the harbor of Apia' for the first time. He also mentions the war between rival chieftains in Samoa in which he was deeply interested; he recalls by name his body-servant "Sosimo'; recalls too the first name given to the Samoan islands, namely, the 'Navigator Islands'.
August 2, 1925.
Trance I: R. L. Stevenson.
First trance script:
"In his own words, in after years."
First trance vision:
"I don't know where I was. I saw my friend. He was a little boy. He was sitting behind a fence out in the country. He was writing. He would be in his teens. He talked to me. He said something about preparing. He was writing in the books. He left the fence corner and went away up among the flowers with me. I could see the flowers distinct."
Trance II. David Livingstone, Wife, Mary Moffat, children ill with fever.
DL/E.M.:
"English tourists. Kalawon. My wife and family have gone away home. Mary Moffat. The children sick with fever. Oswald Murray."
Second trance vision:
"I don't know where I was. I saw two men ... they were in white clothes, and so was the woman; there were three or four kiddies, and natives carrying bundles and grips. I saw that man Livingstone. He is not as tall as Stevenson. He did not talk to me."
Verification:
"Having returned to Kolobeng I remained there until April, 1850 ... in company with Mrs. Livingstone and our three children, and Chief Secheles ... in order to cross the Zonga at its lower end. I took Mrs. Livingstone about 6 miles from the town so that she might have a peep at the broad part of the lake (Lake Ngami). Next morning we had other work to do, for my little boy and girls were seized with fever ... all our servants were down with the same complaint." ("Missionary Travels", page 64-5).
Comments:
Mr. Oswald, an English traveler, joined Livingstone later on the Zorga River (page 66). Failing to meet Chief Sebituana, the party returned to Livingstone's home at Kolobeng. Mrs. Livingstone is Mary Moffat, daughter of the African missionary, Reverend Moffat. Mr. Oswald and Mr. Murray were two English travelers.
David Livingstone's vision is simple in construction, and there is limited agreement in the evidence given in the vision compared to that in his book.
August 9, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson. Trance I.
First trance script:
"I was away in a University and there were two men there with R. L. Stevenson. They seemed to be his teachers. R. L. Stevenson was in his teens, not 20. He was setting himself reading books."
Verification:
Fleming Jenkin, noted for his work in engineering and applied electricity, was one of R. L. Stevenson's closest friends in his early days. When Jenkins, then 35, became Professor of Engineering at Edinburgh University, R. L. Stevenson was supposed to be studying to qualify himself for his father's calling. Actually Jenkin's first relation with R. L. Stevenson was to remonstrate on his persistent absence from classes. From this unpromising beginning developed an intimacy of which R. L .Stevenson long afterward wrote in a letter to Sir Sidney Colvin: "I owe you and Fleming Jenkins, the two older men who took the trouble and knew how to make a friend of me, everything that I have or own." ("A Capital Book of R. L. Stevenson", by George E. Brown, page 132-133).
R. L. Stevenson's reference to Fleming Jenkins as teacher. His "Confessor". See "A capital book of R. L. Stevenson", by George E. Brown, pages 132-33 (Trance 1).
Trance II.
David speaks: "Tanganyika ...Ujiji, 1869".
Second trance vision:
"I saw some men with things rolled about their heads. (Arabs?) I saw some awfully deep boats. I saw some houses near a shore. I did not speak to anyone."
Verification:
"At last he reached the great Arab settlement at Ujiji on the Eastern shore of (Lake) Tanganyika." ("Last Journals", page 21.)
David Livingstone "Ujiji and Tanganyika, 1869" (Trance 2)
Verification:
D. L. reached the settlement of Ujiji in March, 1869; Ujiji is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. (See "Last Journals", page 217.)
August 13, 1925.
Table levitation.
R. L. Stevenson bound for California. The Amateur Emigrant wears a cloak.
First trance script:
"His fate - bound for California - entreated by his father."
First trance vision:
"I saw R. L. Stevenson with his carpet bag and his big Highland cloak on, and a soft hat on his head ... no shape. I went off in the same train. (See "The Amateur Emigrant", page 50, 51, 141). I don't know how far I went. I got off at a station with flowers. His carpet bag was well packed. Then I think I was in Edinburgh and I saw R. L. Stevenson speaking to an older man (the father?) And then I was away and I saw a marriage. It was R. L. Stevenson's marriage! He could have been better dressed! She is medium sized, I only saw her back."
Verification:
The story of R. L. Stevenson's journey to California to meet the woman he loved, is here continued. The marriage took place May, 1880. (See Balfour). Did R. L. Stevenson wear a Highland cloak on this memorable journey?
Comment: Lillian Hamilton's search through all available biographies failed to supply an answer.
In July, 1926, while visiting her parents in Los Angeles, California, Lillian wrote to Mrs. Salisbury Field in Santa Barbara, requesting the favor of a meeting with her. She was R. L. Stevenson's stepdaughter (formerly Isobel Strong, nee Isobel Osbourne.)
There were several questions to be asked.
One was - "Did R. L. Stevenson arrive in California in 1879 wearing this type of garment?" She assured Lillian Hamilton that he did. She vividly recalled his strange (to them) appearance, wearing this cloak - a type of outer garment never seen in the West.
At the time of his arrival she was about 19 years old, and recalled his strange dress clearly. She could not recall what his hat was like. Lillian Hamilton found Mrs. Field to be dark complexioned, worldly wise, shrewd, cultivated, small in stature, but attractive. She was totally disinterested in the evidence for R. L. Stevenson's survival, but very gracious nonetheless. Her home was crowded with R. L. Stevenson mementos.
Second trance script:
Poor transmission. Something about a region on Lake Tanganyika.
Second trance vision:
Unclear.
David Livingstone. Tanganyika - caring for sick.
August 17, 1925.
9:30 p.m. Table comes out on cabinet, non-contact.
9:40 p.m. Table thrown about 3 feet up, feet foremost.
9:42 p.m. Even levitation of about 2 feet. Raps - W. T. Stead.
R. L. Stevenson.
Trance I. The Amateur Emigrant, on a ship.
First trance script:
"Salon... rough tables..."
First trance vision:
"I saw R. L. Stevenson on a boat ... he was just going about talking to people. I do not remember what he said. He had on his Highland cloak; he took it off on the boat. I was with him in the second class cabin. He had that old carpet bag with him. We came off at a big city and it was just pouring with rain." (See previous scripts dealing with "The Amateur Emigrant".)
Trance II.
D. L. speaks through the medium:
"Livingstone - David. Arab slaves -1871 - 54 years. March 14. Lost all ... Lualaba ... slaves ... canoe ... wanted to borrow one ... would not lend me ..."
Second trance vision:
"I was away in a wild place. I saw some men and went down to the water. I saw Livingstone talking to some Arabs. I saw men that looked like slaves. I was talking to both groups at the water. Livingstone was talking cross to them."
David Livingstone talking to men who looked like slaves, beside the water.
Verification:
"On 11th of March, 1871, Livingstone was "forced to bargain with the Kasonga for a canoe for use on the river Lualaba." (See "Last Journals", page 276-7. Re looting, see page 274 and 276.)
"March 11, 1871. The traders from Ujiji are simply marauders ... I am forced to bargain with Kasonga for a canoe." ("Last Journals", page 276-7. For Arab slavers looting natives, see "Last Journal", page 234-236.) "Both groups". Here Livingstone is referring to free natives, not those classed as slaves.
Comment:
David Livingstone's purpose was to travel up the Lualaba River and so continue his exploration of the interior of Africa, particularly the sources of the Nile. Repeatedly the natives refused to lend him a canoe, or sell him one. Their minds were poisoned against him by slanders directed against him by the Arab slave traders, who did not want him in their midst as a reputable witness of their terrible deeds. Delayed by lack of canoes for three months, he finally began his retreat to Ujiji, July 20, 1871, where he was found by Stanley in October, 1871. Sick, weary, and among enemies, this was a terrible time for Livingstone. No entry for March 14, only for March 11, 1871. 54 years is correct.
August 23, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson alone.
First trance script:
"All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice; Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell; Come ye before him and rejoice!"
First trance vision:
"I was away in the old town (Edinburgh). I was at church, my friend was there and his father and mother. I saw horses with wagons when I was going to church; one was a milk cart. I saw the milk carts when I was going to church. They sang an old familiar hymn, but I can't remember it. There was a choir. I stayed the whole service. It was a psalm they sang."
Comment: None-evidential; merely a fitting R. L. Stevenson memory.
No Livingstone.
August 27, 1925.
Time sequences of trances stages noted with a stopwatch by Dr. T. G. H..
9: 12 p.m. Start of trance - some haziness.
9: 19 p.m. Excitement stage begins - puffing, blowing, waving arms.
9: 20 p.m. Catalepsy in arm-muscles.
9: 21 p.m. Muscular relaxation. Quiet sleep.
9: 24 p.m. Writing begins. Body still completely relaxed. No visible signs of normal consciousness.
9: 26 1/2 p.m. Out of trance. Return to normal. Describes vision; her words recorded verbatim by Dr. T. G. H.. She has NO memory of writing or its contents.
R. L. Stevenson.
First trance script:
"Amateur Emigrant... Thoreau... essay. Where he became lonely and spent ... Nursed by wife when she had obtained her divorce ..."
First trance vision:
"I was away in a house and Stevenson was lying in bed. He was real sickly looking. A woman came - I think his wife - and she was looking after him. Everything was very poor."
Verification:
Mrs. Osbourne obtained her divorce early in 1880, and moved to Oakland, California, to live with her sister. R. L. Stevenson lived in lodgings in San Francisco. There, in March and April, 1880, he became dangerously ill with tuberculosis and general collapse. He was nursed back to health by the doctor who attended him, and by Mrs. Osbourne.
His lodging was very poor, for as yet he had little money, and Mrs. Osbourne herself had little to go on." (See "Life of R. L. Stevenson" by Rosalie Masson.)
R. L. Stevenson and Mrs. Osbourne were married in May, 1880, so the script is not quite accurate in referring to R. L. Stevenson's "wife".
Just prior to this breakdown R. L. Stevenson had read Thoreau's "Essays" for the first time. He later published His Essay on Thoreau.
R. L. S. Trance II.
Script: "Pity the bird that has wandered, Pity the sailor ashore."
Vision: repeated. A new feature added, R. L .Stevenson speaks to his wife and to E.M.
Verification:
"Pity the bird that has wandered!
Pity the sailor ashore!
Hurry him home to the ocean!
Let him come here no more!" ("Underwoods", VI).
Comment:
Note the use of the same trance to show a link between the two messages, as in March 27, 1925. Another reference to R. L. Stevenson's illness and search for health, and his terrible bouts of homesickness. (See "R. L. Stevenson Letters And Poems".)
Trance III.
Speech: "Completely done up. Arrival of Stanley ... Sick ... Bennet a friend of Livingstone ... October, 1871..."
Third trance vision:
"I was in a tent and I was away in Africa. He was on a stretcher and a young man came and he was looking to him. He came and he had a lot of papers. It was real warm. They brought Livingstone food."
Verification:
1. Stanley found Livingstone October 28, 1871.
2. Bennett evidently a reference to James Gordon Bennett, New York, newspaperman who formed the Stanley rescue party in Africa. 3. At that time Stanley was in his late 30s; young compared to D. L., who was 58.
"... October 23, 1871. At dawn off to Ujiji. Welcomed by Arabs. I was now reduced to a skeleton ..." ("Last Journals", p. 316)
"... October 28, 1871. But when my spirits were at their lowest ebb, the good Samaritan was at hand. Susi came running: "An Englishman! I saw him!!" He was Henry Moreland Stanley, the traveling correspondent of the New York Herald, sent by James Gordon Bennett, to obtain accurate information about me - if living; and if dead, to bring home my bones. The news he had to tell me - who had been two years without tidings from Europe - made my whole frame thrill ... and revived emotions that had been dormant ... appetite returned ... I ate four times daily, and in a week began to feel strong ... I was completely overwhelmed ..." ("Last Journals").
Comment:
The vision has David Livingstone in bed; in fact, although very weak and emaciated, he appears to have kept going. He met Stanley on his feet. The imagery used here represents David Livingstone's weak condition.
Comment:
The contents of the scripts were not known to anyone present. The writing was done in complete darkness on sheets of paper numbered and initialed by Dr. Hamilton.
No one read the script after the experiment. Scripts remained unread for several days; without the script the significance of the vision could not be discerned. It was our rule to allow several scripts to accumulate before they were deciphered and the meaning of the whole R. L. Stevenson or David Livingstone output was examined in light of discernible facts. In this way no one, anywhere, knew what the communicators had given. This eliminated the possibility of any mental influence being exerted on the phenomena.
The plan and the nature of the input and the output was solely the responsibility of the communicators.
[Note: "Morton Stanley."; from the first, E.M. appears to have gripped the name incorrectly (Henry). Here we have evidence of the power of the 'fixed idea' in the entranced mind. - L.H.]
August 29, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson alone.
First trance script:
"Professor Blakie - Greek scholar - broad good reasoner ... He traveled like a beggar to wed Mrs. R. L. Stevenson who was Mrs. Van de Grift (Osbourne)."
Verification:
See "College Memories", in "Memoirs And Portraits", page 31.
Comment:
Not able to confirm the statement that Blakie was a "broad good reasoner." He was a professor of Greek at Edinburgh University in R. L. Stevenson's time. R. L. Stevenson attended a few of his lectures. He was reputed to be a man of open mind with many varied talents. I have not found "broad good reasoner" in any of R. L. Stevenson. Blakie was a man of open mind and varied talents. He is mentioned in the essay "Some College Memories", from "Memories and Portraits", pages 29, 31. No David Livingstone. (L. H.) (See Biographies).
September 10, 1925.
Table moved violently.
First trance script:
R. L. Stevenson. Dawn of fame. Not verified
Both R. L. Stevenson and David Livingstone appear - results poor.
Second trance:
David Livingstone, non-verifiable.
September 13, 1925.
Impromptu sitting in Minneapolis Hotel. (Lillian Hamilton and Dr. Hamilton, E.M., Margaret L. Hamilton, F. Campbell on motor trip.)
R. L. Stevenson "First meeting with wife of Fleming Jenkins."
First trance script:
"Young Heine - Scotch accent - not to be drunken with pride."
First trance vision:
"I saw R. L. Stevenson among books. I walked the streets to his place. There was another man there and they were in a room. He had whiskers and a bald spot. They seemed to be arguing more than they were writing. R. L .Stevenson was doing most of the talking; the other was older; he was a professional man. He was training R. L. Stevenson."
Trance II.
DL./EM. "Livingstone. Going home, December to England. Went to Africa in 1841. Sixteen years away in Africa - until 1857. Missionary travels ... explore."
Second trance vision:
"I am at a station. Livingstone looks awful funny, such an old-fashioned hat on his head! He seemed to have landed. The cars are smaller than they are here."
Verification:
Livingstone is out one year. He went to Africa in 1840; was in Africa 16 years, returned to England in 1856, arriving in England December 12, 1856. "... We left Milimane on the 12th of July and reached the Mauritians on the 12th of August, 1856 ... and on 12th of December was once more in dear old England." ("Missionary Travels', page 283-4.)
September 17, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson. Memories of Speculative Society of Edinburgh. (See "A College Magazine.").
David Livingstone seen in R. L. Stevenson vision for the first time. He appears dazed, and gives no message.
R. L. Stevenson and David Livingstone use same deep trance sleep.
E.M. passes into trance, remains quiet and relaxed for some time. During this sleep she has her trance vision. Then came the script.
First trance script:
"University of Edinburgh ... in the building ... room ... Robert Emmet."
Verification: (R. L. Stevenson.)
a) "The Speculative Société is a body of some antiquity, and has counted among its members Scott, Robert Emmet ... By an accident of ... it has rooms in the very building of the University of Edinburgh." ("A College Magazine" from "Memories And Portraits", page 62.)
b) R. L. Stevenson was a member of the debating society when a student at University of Edinburgh. (Note: The flag which was placed over R. L. Stevenson's body in the great hall in his home in Samoa now hangs on the wall of this hall in Edinburgh, in memory of the fame which he brought in later days to his old debating society.)
DL/E.M. speaks: "I have wondered where I am."
T. G. H.: "Who are you?"
DL/E.M.: "David Livingstone."
E.M. staggers as she walks about the room.
Second trance vision:
"I saw David Livingstone. He was dazed. He staggered when he walked and looked around. He tried to find out where he was ... I saw R. L. Stevenson in a university building ... it was big ... He was arguing with some men. He spoke to me. Livingstone came there and spoiled his picture ..."
Comment: Note two things:
1. No spoken message from David.
2. The two in one trance appear to give E.M. a sense of confusion. David Livingstone fails to produce a memory item. Does the psycho-hypnotic theory cover all of these matters? Note that the more experienced communicator, R. L. Stevenson was fairly successful in getting his message through, his script giving enough words to identify the literary source; the vision was complementary, therefore, the whole was definitely planned.
But we have another, new problem: was the vision of a dazed, staggering David Livingstone a mental illusion signifying fact, or was the non-physical, spiritual being, actually dazed, as he appeared to be?
This forces us to ask the question - does the psycho-hypnotic hypothesis cover all the facts of this impact? One gets the impression that in his first attempt to enter the Stevenson trance, David was actually mentally upset by his experience. Is this due to too close a contact with the R. L. Stevenson personality?
We cannot answer with any degree of certainty here; but more attempts of this kind were to come.
Comment:
To E.M. there were always two Stevensons and two Livingstones - there was the one who was in the "picture", and whom she recognized as a picture only (a hallucination). Then there was the one who was real, the spiritual entity who had a form like a man, whom she saw, at times, enter the room, come near her, smile at her. She would remark: "This is the real Stevenson, the real Livingstone." E.M. maintained this attitude throughout, and gradually, on fair evidence, we came to believe that her distinction rested on more than only a hallucination which was passed on to her by her communicators. This opens up a vast field for original study. (L. H.)
September 20, 1925.
E.M.'s feet controlled. Table moves. E.M. sees letters of light.
David Livingstone speaks of Kolobang and Grandfather. (Trance 1).
R. L. Stevenson. Trance I; A Second Try at a joint effort.
E.M. in trance, walks about the room.
T. G. H.: "Who is here?"
DL/EM.: "David Livingstone at Colebain (Kolobeng?). Confused.
E.M.: (normal):
"Stevenson and Livingstone were here together. R. L. Stevenson came first and then the other, and then the Indians (meaning natives). I know Stevenson did not get through by my throat."
"I was in a real sunny land and then it got dark. Stevenson went aside and the darkness covered him."
E.M. always complained of a dry, sore throat after David Livingstone had spoken, although she carried no memory of the message. The voice was hers, but changed to sound deep, hoarse, mannish.
Trance II:
David Livingstone appears again and writes;
Script:
"David: My grandfather - Highland - came to Blantyre, near Glasgow as he had a large family."
Verification:
David Livingstone. "Introduction, Missionary Travels":
"Finding his farm in Ulna insufficient to support a numerous family, my grandfather removed to Blantyre works, a large cotton manufactory, on the Clyde above Glasgow."
After his script, E.M. fell into a quiet deep sleep;
Then she wrote for R. L. Stevenson.
"Here he wrote - incorrigible truant - loaf and defy."
Becoming normal she spoke:
Vision:
"I was away in the old land. I had R. L. Stevenson first and then David Livingstone came. He is determined.
The father was angry at Stevenson; he was laying down the rules to him. They were in an office; the father wanted him to do something."
R. L. Stevenson: Reference to father over choice of profession. See Biographies and Letters.
Comments:
1. Livingstone fails to give complementary facts in vision.
2. Communicators changed places - David Livingstone in Trance I, R. L. Stevenson in Trance II. Confusion still remains.
At this experiment the physical phenomena were very powerful. E.M., on her chair was pulled violently about the room both before and after the D.L. and R. L. S. transmissions.
September 24, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson. "A thousand projects in writing" (Trance 1).
R. L. Stevenson alone.
First trance script:
Script:
"Thousand projects in the future ... unwearying elaboration ... essays ... sketches ... tales. Made personal acquaintance with men in letters - Andrew Lang, Sydney Colvin ..."
First trance vision:
"I was away in a University. R. L. Stevenson was there and he was talking with some men. I don't know what they were talking about. These other men had beards."
Verification:
Balfour, volume II. Chapter V. "Vailima, 1891-94". "... The shoals (?) of Newton French" was the next long work which he planned ... the chief story intended for a South Sea volume; became absorbed in "Sophia Scarlet", and neither of the two projects was ever realized." (Graham Balfour lived at Vailima with R. L. Stevenson for two years. He had wide and intimate knowledge of the facts. L. H.)
"... In January, 1892 ... he received fresh material from Mr. Andrew Lang for a story dealing with a private adventure of the Young Chevalier. Its introduction was written in May, but in the meantime Stevenson took up the story of David Balfour ... finished by the end of September ... In January 1893, "St. Ives" was begun.
He had lately (1893) been reading again Bordy d'Aurevilly, and his mind had turned to Brittany. The new tale dealt with the Choreyans (?) in 1703, and was to be called "The Owl." But it did not prosper ... when one chapter had been written, he gave up the attempt, and took up a half-finished piece of work ... Reading the "Sagas" ... led him to attempt a tale called "The Waif Woman ..."
Beside all of these were the letters to "The Times", as well as his private correspondence. There were endless other schemes, for the most part projected and perhaps not even begun, certainly never brought near to completion.
He wrote to Mrs. Charles Baxter:
"... My schemes are all in the air, and vanish and reappear again like shapes in the clouds."
Likewise to Mrs. Brodie:
"I have a projected, entirely planned love-story... called "Cannonmills" ... And I've got a vague, rosy haze before me, a love-story, too, "The Rising Sun."
Neither of these was ever written. There was also a play showing the adventures of an English tourist in Samoa; and I can remember two more serious schemes which were likewise without result.
In the August of (1894) before he died, he drew up with Mrs. Osbourne the outline of the most striking episode of the Indian Mutiny, to be written for boys, and sent home for the books necessary for its execution.
Another day he sketched the plan for an English Grammar, to be illustrated by examples from the English classics. These are but a few ... the many are unremembered."
Comment:
It would be difficult - finding the facts as stated by Balfour - to devise a telegraphic message that covered the field better than the above R. L. Stevenson script.
David Livingstone alone.
Trance II. Good.
David Livingstone. Boer slavers. Chief Secheles
Second trance script:
DL/E.M.: "David Livingstone ... slaves of native Heather ... the Boers ... Put away English traders ... 1841... Secheles..."
Second trance vision:
Sees little black children with very little on.
Verification:
Boers make slaves of the natives.
"... I have myself been an eyewitness to Boers coming to a village and demanding 20 or 30 women to weed in their gardens; and have seen these women proceed to the scene of unrequited toil, carrying their own food on their backs, and their children - and instruments of labor on their shoulders.
The Boers ... lacked his own humanity and justice in making an equitable regulation ...
'We make the people work for us, in consideration of allowing them to live in our country'. This new species of slavery serves to supply the lack of field labor only." (From "Missionary Travels", page 26)
Comment:
But why is the name Secheles included? Secheles was a noted and powerful Bakwain chief. He was Livingstone's friend, defied the Boers who had demanded that he 'stop English traders from proceeding into the country with fire arms for sale'.
Sechele replied
"I was made an independent chief by God and not by you. The English are my friends." (From "Missionary Travels", page 32).
The Association of these memories is strictly in line with David Livingstone's recorded facts.
September 27, 1925.
Trance I.
R. L. Stevenson and David Livingstone appear.
First trance script:
"Full of a thousand projects ... essays ... sketches ... tales ...
personnel acquaintance ..."
First trance vision:
Same as before, but D.L. comes into it with wife and three children. They are going somewhere.
Comment, re trance-vision:
"R. L. Stevenson was in University talking to some men. Livingstone came in with his wife and children. They are going somewhere."
Trance II.
DL's first writing.
David Livingstone script:
"Wife and children ... Secheles ... in wagon of his own ..."
DL/E.M.: speaks:
"Kolobeng ... Chief Sechele ... wife and children ..."
Second trance vision:
"I saw Livingstone and a woman with children. I saw them going away in the wagon. Big oxen attached, and a big chief in the wagon. It was warm and sunny ..."
Comment:
It is interesting to note that Vision I (which belongs to R. L. Stevenson) shows David Livingstone imagery which anticipates the vision of Trance II, dominated by David Livingstone.
Verification:
"Having returned to Kolobeng I remained there until April 19, and then left in company with our three children, Mrs. Livingstone, and Chief Secheles, who had brought a wagon of his own ..." ("Missionary Travels", page 64.)
Comment:
Note the correspondence between fact, and imagery; in both, a chief riding in a wagon. Best so far from David Livingstone. In the vision, the wife and children ride with the chief; in a David Livingstone's narrative this is not suggested or stated, and probably did not take place.
October 1, 1925.
R. L. Stevenson alone. Memories of last illness. Vision shows him ill in the house on an island (Samoa).
White's presentiment. (Trance 1).
No David Livingstone.
David Livingstone, not verified and not understood. (Trance 2).
"I was away in the house on the island ... I saw my friend too ... he was in bed. He seemed to be pretty sick. He was in the nicest bed I've seen him in. He was writing to her, Mrs. Stevenson. There was another lady there now, busy, and a few people besides. I did not know them.
"His bed was one of those wooden ones with a panoply at the top. I never saw him in such a nice room before, I know I was in the house before. Side door and through a hall and up a stair at the left of the hall, and the statue was at the room door ... a large brown woman. At my right, as I was going by the room door, the statue was in the room. It was near the doorway of the room ... you had to pass it to enter the room, but I saw no one in the room.
"There was somebody else around here and Mrs. Young (was not found?)".
October 4, 1925.
"Praise god - from whom - all Blessing"
R. L. Stevenson learning to write.
Trance I:
First trance script:
Script: "Did he read a book? He aped quietly."
First trance vision:
R. L. Stevenson seen writing and copying from a book.
Verification:
See "A College Magazine", from "Memories and Portraits", page 57.)
Trance II.
David Livingstone. Boers is of the Mountain Colony
(Trance 2).
DL/E.M.: speaks of the Boers of the mountain colony, Cashon district, also of Conn or Donner - white troubles.
Vision:
In Africa with 'red' men.
Verification: ("Missionary Travels", page 25.)
The third trance was of this vision, which provides the humor of the series because of the alteration of one point which brings it artistically into line with the setting provided by the script, which had reference to Stevenson's second arrival in New York in September of 1887.
Regarding this incident Balfour writes:
"By this time his reputation had crossed the Atlantic ... the next day Ludgate Hill arrived at New York where Stevenson was met by a crowd of reporters ... He had already contributed to American magazines for several years; in the first instance to the 'Century", and then to the new periodical "Scribner's" for which he now undertook to write a series of twelve articles during the ensuing year.
For this he was to receive 700 pounds, and this bargain was followed shortly afterwards by an offer of 1600 pounds from another firm for the American serial rights of his next story.
The first proposal of all - from the New York World - was 2000 pounds for an article every week for a year; but this he had refused. In February, 1883, he had written to his mother: 'My six books (since 1878) have brought me in upward of 600 pounds, about 400 pounds of which came from magazines". So great was the change in four years.
All these circumstances, and the contrast which they provided with the former entrance to New York, the communicator gathered up in a singularly succinct sentence given by the hand of the sleeping Elizabeth. It reads:
"So greatly had his lot altered since he rode through in an express wagon, he refused a thousands of dollars offer in Little Old New York."
In keeping with this altered station the entity now shows himself to the medium in her vision as riding, not on the straw on the bottom of the box along with the parcels, but up on the box in the wagon - the reporter interviewing him while he is still in the vehicle! The ironic contrast is complete:
"I was in a boat the night. I got to a town and got off the boat. It was a good big landing place."
[Footnote - Graham Balfour, "The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson," (Unabridged edition), Vol. II, p. 27, Methuen & Co., London, 1901.]
Raps - W. T. Stead.
[ Photo ]
October 6, 1925
Letter to the Crandons - first visit to the Crandons - C.M.A. meeting in Montreal, November 2 and 3.
"I might say that we are still continuing our own investigations and have now had an experience of about three hundred trances with our best medium, witnessing a great deal of phenomena - both telekinetic and mental - and also materializations producing wax finger forms. We feel that this work is extremely important, far more so than the general public and many of our best scientists as yet realize, and any opportunity, therefore, of widening our experience, you many be sure, will be greatly appreciated."
The Crandons have met Dr. Kvaran by now and report on the pleasure.
October 8, 1925.
Trance I.
R. L. Stevenson.
First trance script:
Refers to wife's inspiration in work.
First trance vision:
"I was on the island. I know it now - it is not near where his stone is."
