Thomas Heaphy

“ Suddenly the Pythoness bounded from her chair, uttering shriek upon shriek, till the whole house rang with the fearful noise, and in a moment more she lay screaming and raving on the floor.
It was apparent to every one that something unusual, and not at all to be spiritually accounted for, had occurred. Two or three ladies fainted away instanter, while the others ran for candles. In the meantime the hideous reptile-like form stood erect over his fallen victim, and the coming lights showed it to be transformed into an Italian gentleman, who had left the room at the commencement of the séance. ”

“ The present writer was evidently the most dull, the most clod-like, the least spiritual (if not something much worse) , of the whole party, as he looked above and around him where the others were gazing, but he could see nothing; “not on him was the tongue of flame,” but something infinitely less desirable; for, casting his eyes on a distant corner of the gallery, the glimmering light just enabled him to perceive, squatted on the ground, a hideous, crawling, reptile-like form, apparently gigantic in size, and distinguishable from the light colour of the carpet by its sooty blackness. ”

“ She had, unseen by the assembly, contended with a whole troup of demons, and unaided had conquered, but the terrible conflict had exhausted her. She fell powerless and insensible, with her head on the shoulder of the person seated next to her. In a few moments she revived; she had been visited and comforted by her own guardian spirit, who had a message for the unfortunate writer, which was to be delivered through raps on the table, and confirmed by divers graspings, clutchings, and touchings from spirit hands on such parts of his person as might be placed under the piece of furniture. ”