ALIEN STARTLES WOMAN MOTORIST IN AUSTRALIA
On Friday, June 10, 2005, at 10 a.m., Catherine R. "was driving on a country road on the outskirts of Bundaberg," a port city on Hervey Bay in Australia's state of Queensland, when she saw a strange figure "standing in a meadow beside the road."
"While driving in a one-and-a-half-hour drive on a country road through mostly bush-land, I saw through my window a large dark figure about 7 or 8 feet (2.1 to 2.4 meters) tall," Catherine reported, "It had the appearance of a man but was far more muscular, with wide shoulders and a torso like a god. It was like nothing I'd ever seen. It was dark and scaley-looking. Its colour was like ash. Its head was insect-like. I was a scared 22- year-old female."
"It was just staring at me. I was extremely uncomfortable. I was shocked and 'floored' it. It stood still. I drove at 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) when I saw it. I sped away from it at 120 kilometers per hour (72 miles per hour). I had never seen anything so strange."
Bundaberg, Qlnd. is located 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Brisbane. (Email Form Report)
(Editor's Comment: And welcome to Odd Doings in Oz Week here at UFO Roundup. There's more to come from Down Under, so read on...)
LUMINOUS ORANGE UFO SEEN IN KNOXFIELD, VIC.
On Saturday, June 25, 2005, at 10:10 p.m., Gavin W. was outdoors at his home in Knoxfield, a suburb of Melbourne in Australia's state of Victoria, when he saw a strange orange light in the sky.
"There was an orange light in the sky moving around," Gavin reported, "It was going straight, then it stopped and moved to the right. Then straight. Then right again. Then it stopped and moved back, going left. Then it stayed still again for about two minutes. Then it moved on at a high speed, up into the sky."
"The object moved in every direction. I know it was moving at high speed because I could see the light trail it left. It was completely round in front, when it was moving towards me. But then, when it moved sideways, it looked disk-shaped. It was well above the clouds. I don't know the speed it was going, maybe the speed of a commercial aircraft when it is very high. But when it left, it went extremely fast." (Email Form Report)
MOBY DICK SPOTTED OFF NEW SOUTH WALES COAST
"Whale watchers off the New South Wales mid-north coast were 'blessed' to catch a glimpse of a rare albino humpback whale" on Thursday, June 9, 2005.
"The whale, known as Migaloo, passed by Port Macquarie (Thursday) morning as it migrated to warmer waters in the Whitsundays, off the north Queensland coast."
"Carol Hunt, who runs a Port Macquarie charter boat company, said it was the first time Migaloo had been sighted off that part of the coast."
"'He was sighted in Sydney at four o'clock on Friday (June 10, 2005) and I've been tracking him since,' Ms. Hunt said."
"'We watched him for about an hour and a half. He was heading north to Coffs Harbour. He had three other whales with him and they were quite active. They were rolling over and slapping their fins.'"
"Ms. Hunt said the whales were about a mile (1.6 kilometers) offshore, delighting those on board with their antics."
"'Everyone on the boat was just beside themselves,' she said."
"'We are blessed to see this. It is just a million to one chance.'"
"'It was just magic--we were very, very lucky.'"
"Ms. Hunt said Migaloo was travelling to the Whitsundays to mate."
"'He had other whales with him, so his mate might be among them,' she said. 'He may very well be taking a mate with him what might be pregnant.'"
"'He'll stay up in the Whitsundays and hopefully, when he comes back, he might come into Port Macquarie again on his southern migration.'"
(Editor's Note: In the language of the Hervey Bay Aborigines, the name Migaloo means white fella.)
"The whale is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world. It is expected to pass the coast off Coffs Harbour" on Saturday, June 11, 2005. (See the Australian newspaper The Advertiser for June 13, 2005, "White whale spotted off coast.")
(Editor's Comment: And aboard the ghost ship Pequod, a mad gleam comes into the eye of Captain Ahab. "Coffs Harbour--so that's where he's hiding. Avast, ye lubbers! Lay in a course for Australia!)
UFO FLOTILLA SIGHTED OVER JALAPA, MEXICO
"A massive UFO sighting took place on Friday, June 24, 2005, in Jalapa," a city in Mexico's state of Veracruz, and was "witnessed by Jalapa's governor Fidel Herrera Beltran, members of his staff, the Jalapa police department, newspaper and television reporters and many people gathered at the Casa Veracruz during an official ceremony in which the new patrol units (police cruisers-- J.T.) were delivered to the police department."
"The surprising incident took place at 10:30 a.m., causing commotion, excitement and a certain alarm among the people and officials."
"Just after Gov. Fidel Herrera Beltran made a speech inaugurating the new vehicles, and during an inspection of his new patrol car, his attention was called by officials to the sky where a strange spectacle had occurred."
"A spectacular UFO fleet of at least 14 unidentified flying objects captured the attention of all the people gathered at Casa Veracruz, who, pointing at the sky, screamed, 'OVNIs! OVNIs!' in a state of excitement."
(Editor's Note: OVNI is the Spanish acronym for UFO.)
"The police officers also pointed to the sky, wondering what these strange objects could be."
"Different reactions were heard" from the gathering, ranging from amazement to consternation, "and even some laughs from among the people, who continuted to shout, 'OVNIs!'"
"The newspaper reporters were taking photos and the television crews were recording the unusual spectacle."
"Gov. Fidel Herrera Beltran took the microphone and said jokingly, 'It seems the Martians have arrived.'"
"The people wondered if the strange objects could be balloons of some kind or in fact real UFOs like those so many times reported in Mexico. However, the enigmatic flying objects remained almost stationary in the sky in formation, described as a triangular pattern in perfect alignment, for almost 30 minutes. This was time enough for the strange event to be videotaped by the media and some of the spectators in the audience."
"On Friday night," June 24, 2005, "Television Azteca" in Mexico City, the national TV network, "presented the report with video footage, giving a full account of the unprecedented incident."
"On Saturday," June 25, 2005, "the newspaper Diario de Jalapa, as well as others, published on page one--with major headlines--the unusual event."
Jalapa is in the western part of the state, about 264 kilometers (180 miles) northwest of Veracruz and 320 kilometers (200 miles) east of Mexico City. (See the Mexican newspaper Diario de Jalapa for June 25, 2005. Muchas gracias a Santiago Yturra Garza y Arturo del Moral por este articulo de diario.)
MYSTERY METEOR CHASED BY BLACK HELICOPTERS
On Thursday, June 23, 2005, at 11:47 p.m., Carl Farrington was driving on a mountain road near Canton, North Carolina (population 4,029) when he saw a most unusual spectacle in the night sky.
"I took (Route) 110 out of Canton and turned left onto (Highway) 276. I went straight up to the Blue Ridge Parkway," Carl reported, "Then I turned left and turned into the famous overlook on the left. Facing a bright orange moon that day after the full moon."
"What at first appeared to be a shooting star but brighter than I have ever seen plummeted towards the ground and impacted in the Smokies approximately six to nine miles (10 to 14 kilometers) straight ahead. Struck a mountain top. As it got closer to the point of impact, I noticed bright matter dripping off of it, streaming behind the main mass of the object."
"It could've been a meteor, fallen satellite or space debris."
"However, on the way to the house in this rural setting, three dark helicopters flew over my car. I would not have noticed them except for the fact that my car's moon roof was open, because they had no lights on whatsoever. They were flying at a high rate of speed approximately 300 to 400 feet (90 to 120 meters) off the ground, and hugging the terrain is very dangerous in this (mountainous) area."
"The object was bright white and almost teardrop- shaped. It definitely impacted the ground. If it was a meteor, it was a big chunk. Broke the atmosphere and came straight down like a missile. Impacted the ground without an explosion. I was too far away to hear anything as I was six to nine miles away. I saw it at a higher elevation than the impact zone and was looking down at a distance."
Canton, N.C. is in the Pisgah National Forest about 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Asheville and 262 miles (419 kilometers) west of Raleigh. (Email Form Report)
COLUMBUS UFO SURPRISES TOURIST FROM SWEDEN
On Sunday, June 19, 2005, at 11:30 p.m., Swedish tourist Jonas Larsson spotted a UFO over Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, the state capital.
"I live in Sweden, but I am currently visiting a friend in Cleveland. I really believe in UFOs and have long been interested in such things," Jonas reported, "My friend and I were driving on Highway 270 West in Columbus, very near Dublin, My friend spotted a lightning ball in the middle of the air. I mean, it was like far away and looked like one of the street lamps along the highway."
"My friend asked what it could be, I mean, we had not seen it move at all at first. And it could not be an airplane because we saw a lot of airplanes, and they have these blinking (navigation) lights, right?"
"Imagine just a roadlamp high in the sky--this is how we saw it. We chatted for about 30 seconds and suddenly it was above us. And it was not an airplane, not a luftbalone (Swedish for hot-air balloon--J.T.). The craft had an oblong first part, and the middle as well, and a big back part. I could say it was 100 meters (330 feet) above me."
"I was trying to find a word for what it looked like- -I would say that, if you think about it, the object looked a bit like an arrow. The craft was white; the first part was big, and the big back part had three such lamps. It seemed like it flew from side to side. Very strange."
"The whole craft was lighted up, but it was nowhere near as strong a light that we should have seen from that distance. Yellow-orange color. And the craft never seemed to move at all. But it was moving very fast, anyway, and by that I mean it was not an airplane."
"When I saw it, it was over us, and we were still driving south. We could not stop on the highway, of course. I am like a slack at where I am. My friend saw the dart" the UFO fired, and "my friend was doing the driving."
"When I saw it, it was above me, and we were still driving south. We could not stay long on the highway, I guess. Of course, people may say it was an airplane, I was dressed like a slick at where I am. My friend was the driver. Of course, my colleagues say it may be an airplane, but what I saw wasn't an airplane."
"Well, I needed to tell them. I mean, what else can I do? I'm leaving for Sweden tonight. I hope I get some answers about this when I get back home." (Email Form Report)
LUMINOUS UFO SEEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
On Monday, June 20, 2005, at 9:30 p.m., Hank Ironwood was outdoors at his rural home in Westmoreland, New Hampshire, 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of the state border with Massachusetts, when he spotted a strange gleam in the sky.
"The object flew from west to east," Hank reported, "I thought it might have been a plane, but it moved at around the speed of an airplane. Now, there were two passenger planes in the area, and their (navigation) lights were much smaller and dimmer than the lights on this object. I couldn't really make out the shape of it, but it appeared to be round."
"I have no idea if this was a UFO, but I think that if it was, others here in southern New Hampshire should have certainly seen it. I would sure like to hear from them." (Email Form Report)
FAST UFO FLYBY IN LEOMINSTER, UK
On Saturday, June 11, 2005, at 3 a.m., eyewitness Jason S. and a few of his mates were walking home from their favorite pub in Leominster, Herefordshire, UK when they saw a strange object approaching from the north.
"Me and some of my friends were walking home from the pub at around 3 a.m.," Jason reported, "None of us were really drunk or anything. We got to the crossroads and saw this green light speed across the sky. It didn't look too far away, and it sort of looked as if it were flying low. There wasn't any sound, either. The object was bright green, circular and flying very fast." (Email Form Report)
(Editor's Note: This is the UK community for which Leominster, Mass. was named. Located in the heart of the mysterious "Montachusett" region, Leominster has had UFO sightings dating back to June 1909. And no wonder--its neighbor 5 miles (8 kilometers) to the north is Fitchburg, the "UFO capital of Massachusetts.")
CROP CIRCLES REPORTED IN POLAND AND CANADA
On Sunday, June 19, 2005, Polish cerealogist Leszek Owsiany investigated three crop circles in the village of Papros, located 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Inowroclaw in central Poland. "The three circles were joined together in a field of rye," Owsiany reported, "The first circle was 20.8 meters by 20.5 meters (69 by 67 feet); the second was 7.7 meters (25.4 feet) in diameter; and the third was 6 meters by 5.7 meters (20 feet by 18.8 feet). In all three circles, the rye was lying on the ground on the right side."
"We noted that the joints of the rye stalks were thickened and bent."
Assisting Owsiany in the investigation were fellow cerealogists Jacek Koslowski and Wojtek Budny of Independent Research Group Torun.
While at the scene, the team learned of another pair of crop circles nearby. They interviewed farmer Zbiginew Wasilewski, who told them that on Thursday, June 16, 2005, he "had discovered two circles in his field of wheat, located one kilometer (0.6 miles) from Papros. The first circle measured 12.3 meters (40.5 feet) in diameter, with a lay to the right side. The second circle was approximately 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) away and 14.8 meters (48.8 feet) in diameter, again with a rightward lay. In this circle, the (surrounding) wheat was standing straight up."
Inowroclaw is located 225 kilometers (140 miles) west-northwest of Warsaw, Poland's capital.
In Canada, a crop circle was found Thursday, June 2, 2005, at the Sandy Bay Reserve near Lake Manitoba. The formation "was approximately 8 metres (26 feet) long-- grass missing, not flattened--with 1/4-inch (0.63- centimeter) deep 'grooves' in the soil. The formation is similar to the early 1990s dumbbell-type formations in England, with three sets of concentric rings connected by straight pathways. The grass and the soil in the area became pretty waterlogged due to excessive rain. The formation was aligned north-south."
"Also worth noting," reported Paul Anderson of Canadian Crop Circles Research Network, "Three circles were found at the site, made of fist-sized rocks, with curving lines between the circles. Ground photos can be found at CCCRN's Web site." (Many thanks to Robert Fischer and Paul Anderson for these reports.)
SPANISH FAMILY STUNNED BY PHONE CALLS FROM THE DEAD
"A family has requested district judge Number 6 in Granada," a city in southern Spain, "to issue a court order authorizing the exhumation of their mother, claiming that an electronic voice phenomenon (EVP) recorded on a cell phone indicated that the deceased is requesting the removal of a cross placed on her chest during burial."
"The judge ordered them to consult with a priest."
"According to the deceased woman's daughter, the woman has been contacting them from beyond the grave via cell phone. She explained that she has no idea where her mother's messages are coming from, adding that when any member of her family records anything on her cell phone, 'what is played back is my mother's voice, saying, 'Come, come, the cross!'""
"Furthermore, her grandfather and uncle, buried in the same tomb as her mother, are also sending audible (EVP) messages through family cell phones."
"The judge, who met with the family members for three minutes and managed to hear the spirit voice recordings, explained that they should take their claim to a priest or to the Higher Council for Scientific Research."
The source of the alleged EVP messages, the family's mother, "Filomena Gomez died two years ago (in 2003) at age 55 from liver cancer." (See the Spanish publication Mundo Misterioso for June 17, 2005. Muchas gracias a Scott Corrales y Rafael Ballester para estas noticias.)
ARE THE DHOLES TUNNELING UNDER CLAUDE, TEXAS?
"A massive crack in the earth last week appeared in Claude, Texas (population 1,313) and is creating a stir among geologists."
"Geologists said Tuesday," June 21, 2005, "the crack was a joint in the earth's crust."
"They believe the opening is the result of a weak point in the joint where one fault slips away from the other. Some pits were more than 30 feet (9 meters) deep and drained what used to be a pond."
"Some geologists say earth cracks are common, but the size of the one in Claude is not."
"This is the second time recently that a giant crack has opened in the earth and drained a body of water," UFO Roundup editor Joseph Trainor commented. "It first happened on Thursday, May 19, 2005 at the village of Bolotnikovo in Russia's Nizhegorodskaya region. Are the 'dreadful Dholes of eons-forgotten Aklo' up to their old tricks again?"
"The Dholes were mentioned in Kitab al-Azif, the book
of black magic written in Arabic by the Iraqi sorcerer
Abdul Majid Al-Hazrad (640-738 A.D.) He devotes a whole
chapter to the lost city of Aklo and 'they that burroweth
beneath the sands.'
Claude is on Highway 287 in the Texas Panhandle about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Amarillo. (See the Walker, Minn. Pilot-Independent for June 24, 2005, "Massive crack opens in earth in Texas.")
CRAZY CROCS INVADE THE ISLAND OF CYPRUS
"Wildlife workers in Cyprus are trying to verify reports that crocodiles may be on the loose at a popular tourist nature spot after they became too dangerous for their owner to handle."
"The reptiles are believed to have been smuggled in to the eastern Mediterranean island, where crocodiles do not breed and the closest nature cousin is the innocuous chameleon."
This is the fourth report in three weeks about out- of-place crocodiles or alligators turning up in areas far from their natural habitat. This phenomenon is known in Forteana as "the crazy croc syndrome" or "the crazy crocs."
In recent weeks, the crazy crocs have appeared at three locations in the USA: Somers, Wisconsin; South Bend, Indiana; and Napa, California.
"'The information we are trying to verify is that someone imported baby crocodiles as pets, and when he realized they were growing...they were too much for him to handle, so he let them loose,' a Veterinary Department official said."
"However, police appeared to doubt the accuracy of the report of the crocodiles' release and suggested that the story that made headlines" on Cyprus "Thursday (June 23, 2005) might have been a prank."
"'It is impossible for us to verify this information based on the investigations so far,' a police source said."
"The crocodiles, believed to number between two and four, are said to be small in size and are thought to be less than a year old. Adults can grow to be about 3 meters (10 feet) in length."
"Wildlife wardens are scouring a region on the southeastern side of the island," between Larnax and Yermasoyia, which has a lake "which is popular with tourists and anglers, whose only catch is freshwater African bass." (See Agence France Presse for June 26, 2005, "Cypriots get teeth into case of missing crocodiles." Many thanks to Mary Lou Jones-Drown, UFO Roundup's crazy croc expert, for this news report.)
PHANTOM PANTHER SEEN IN THE NETHERLANDS
"Ede Municipal Council has hired the Pantera Big Cat Foundation to help catch a puma (known as a cougar or mountain lion here in the USA--J.T.) that is roaming free in the Veluwe forest.
"The council opted for the Pantera Foundation after its staff claimed they could catch the big cat alive. The foundation has been given from Friday," June 10, 2005, "to Tuesday," June 14, 2005, "to capture the animal."
"A mass search by (Netherlands) police over recent days has discovered tell-tale signs of the cat, and some people have caught fleeting glimpses of it. But attempts to catch it have failed so far."
"The police had indicated that the puma would be shot dead if it could not be caught quickly."
"Pantera is based in the town of Nijeberkoop and claims to be the only 'real' big cat reception center in Europe. The foundation was chosen by the town council following consultations with animal welfare groups."
"The public has been warned to avoid the Veluwe woods near Ede as the search continues."
"It is unclear how a puma came to be in the Veluwe, a 60-kilometer (36-mile) wooded area that includes the Hoge Veluwe National Park. The police have not received reports of anyone losing their big cat pet, nor have any pumas escaped from a zoo in the Netherlands."
"But police have warned cyclists and ramblers to avoid the woods near Ede because experts say a puma on the loose could be very dangerous."
"Agriculture Minister Cees Veerman said attempts would be made to capture the animal alive, but, if that failed, it would be shot and killed."
"The first signs of the puma were detected near Harskamp at the weekend. Over the following days, more traces were found, and members of the public reported sightings. Game wardens also found half-eaten game."
Ede is in Gunderland province about 64 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. (See the Netherlands newspaper De Telegraaf for June 16, 2005, "Wild cat experts hired to catch elusive puma." Many thanks to Derek terHorst for this newspaper article.)
BEWITCHED STATUE GOES UP IN SALEM, MASS.
"Welcomed by many including the mayor and some city councilors but reviled by others, a statue of 1960s TV icon Samantha Stephens of Bewitched was unveiled amid a puff of smoke in Salem (Massachusetts, population 40,407) on Wednesday," June 15, 2005.
"The statue depicts the late actress Elizabeth Montgomery, who played the nose-wiggling Stephens in the 1960s sitcom (American slang for situation comedy--J.T.), sitting sidesaddle on a bromstick, her skirt flying behind her in the breeze, in front of a crescent moon."
"Even though hundreds turned out to welcome the statue at Lappin Park, including some people who call themselves witches, others continued to protest."
"'I think it's the best thing to happen to Salem in a long time,' self-described witch Linda Monroe told" Channel 5 WHDH-TV in Boston. "'It's a long time coming for something so fun and cheery. She's awesome. She's everybody's idol.'"
"While some Salem officials said the bronze statue, sponsored by the TV Land cable network, is just a bit of fun and will hopefully draw more tourists to the city, others have criticized it, saying it trivializes the real and tragic events that occurred in Salem in 1692, when 20 people were put to death after being accused of witchcraft."
"Those people carried signs at Wednesday's event that said 'Tragedy (does not equal) Whimsy' and 'Is there no limit to the schlock and hype?' They say the statue is nothing but an ad for the Bewitched movie, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, scheduled for release June 24," 2005.
"The ceremony was attended by show director William Asher, who was married to Montgomery, as well as a number of actors who appeared in the original series, icluding Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay), Kasey Rogers (Louise Tate) and Erin Murphy," who portrayed the lead characters' daughter, "Tabitha Stephens" on the show. (See the Kent County Daily Times of West Warwick, R.I. for June 16, 2005. Many thanks to Terry Duckworth for this newspaper article.)
STRANGE SECRETS OF BEWITCHED
The movie version of Bewitched premiered last Friday. The film, which stars Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, is based on the popular American situation comedy show, which ran from 1964 to 1972.
The "father" of lead character "Samantha Stevens" (portrayed by actress Elizabeth Montgomery) was never revealed on the show. But in what we sometimes laughingly call "real life," he was a near-forgotten American humorist and fantasy writer of the early Twentieth Century named Thorne Smith.
In 1925, the same year F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby came out, Smith parlayed his interest in Spiritualism into a novel entitled Topper: An Improbable Adventure. The novel, which was published in 1926, concerned "the misadventures of a man and a ghostly couple who really knew how to 'live' it up. It spawned a sequel, movies and even a television show" in the 1950s, starring Leo G. Carroll as the haunted curmudgeon.
"Another of Smith's novels, Turnabout (1931), also filmed, involved a couple who magically switched identities, a concept used numerous times with slight variations," most recently providing film work for Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Smith was influenced by an 1882 novel by Victorian novelist Thomas Antsey Guthrie entitled Vice Versa, or A Lesson to Fathers, about "a father and son (who) switch places with comical results and appropriate lessons learned on both sides."
Curiously, Guthrie also wrote The Brass Bottle in 1900, about "a genie who, upon release, created all sorts of complications for its new master" and "served as the probable inspiration for the popular television series I Dream of Jeannie," a contemporary of Bewitched which ran from 1965 to 1970.
"Another Thorne Smith fantasy, The Night Life of the Gods brought classical Greco-Roman statues to life for a night on the town in New York and was made into a film in 1935."
Smith died in 1941 while working on his final novel, The Passionate Witch. The manuscript was completed by Norman H. Matson. The novel "was filmed as I Married a Witch in 1942 and, like The Brass Bottle, was possibly influential in the conception of another popular television series, Bewitched." (See the book Fantasy of the 20th Century by Randy Broecker, Barnes & Noble Books, New York, N.Y., 2001, page 84.)
(Editor's Comment: The 1942 film also launched a whole slew of Married movies during that period, including I Married a Nazi, I Married a Communist and I Married a Monster from Outer Space. And people around the world actually wonder why the American divorce rate is so high.)
From the UFO Files...
1830: THOUSANDS OF FISH FALL IN BANGLADESH
"There are several well-authenticated reports of falls of fish in India, and this has given rise to the belief that the phenomenon is more frequent there than elsewhere. This may be true on account of the favouring circumstances of extensive river flood plains, numerous shallow water tanks, a fish fauna rich in shoal water forms, and a hot whirlwind-breeding climate. Certainly the description of fish rains in that part of the world are numerous, specific and astonishing as to the magnitude of the phenomena."
"A very valuable account of a shower of fishes is that by J. Prinsep, editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He writes:"
"'The phenomenon of fish falling from the sky in the rainy season, however incredible it may appear, has been attested by such circumstantial evidence that no reasonable doubt can be entertained of the fact. I was as incredulous as my neighbours until I once found a small fish in the brass funnel of my pluviometer (rain gauge-- J.T.) at Banares (now Varanasi, India--J.T.). I have now before me a note of a similar phenomenon, on a considerable scale, which happened at the Nokulhatty factory, Zillah Dacca Jedalpur, in 1830."
"Mr. Cameron, who communicated the fact, took the precaution of having a regular deposition of the evidence of several natives who had witnessed the fall made in Bengalee (now Bangladesh--J.T.) and attested before the magistrate; the statement is well worthy of preservation in a journal of science..."
"'The shower of fish took place on the 19th of February, 1830, in the neighbourhood of the Surbundy factory, Feridpur (modern Faridpur, located on the south side of the Ganges River about 70 kilometers (42 miles) southwest of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh--J.T.).'"
"'There are depositions of nine eyewitnesses, of which I quote two:'"
"Sheikh Chaudari Ahmed Bin Mutiullah, inhabitant of Nagdi, relates in his deposition: 'I had been doing my work at a meadow, when I perceived at the hour of 12 o'clock (noon) the sky gather clouds, and began to rain slightly, then a large fish touching my back by its head fell on the ground. Being surprized, I looked about, and behold a number of fish likewise fell from heaven. They were saul, sale, guzal, mirgal and bodul. I took 10 or 11 fish in number, and I saw many other persons take many.'"
"Sheikh Suduruddin, inhabitant of Nagdi, was called in and declared in his deposition saying: 'On Friday, at 12 o'clock p.m., in the month of Phalgun ...when I was about to work in a field, I perceived the sky darkened by clouds, began to rain a little and a large fish fell from the sky. I was confounded at the sight, and soon entered my cottage, which I had there, but I came out again as soon as the rain had ceased and found every part of my hut scattered with fish; they were bodul, mirgal and nouchi, and amounted to 25 in number.'" (See the book The Unexplained: A Sourcebook of Strange Phenomena by William R. Corliss, Bantam Books, New York, N.Y., 1976, pages 181 and 182. Also Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 3, pages 650 to 652.)
Well, that's it for this week. Join us in seven days for more UFO, Fortean and paranormal news from around the planet Earth, brought to you by "the paper that goes home- -UFO Roundup." See you next time.
UFO ROUNDUP: Copyright 2005 by Masinaigan Productions, all rights reserved. Readers may post news items from UFO Roundup on their Web sites or in news groups provided that they credit the newsletter and its editor by name and list the date of issue in which the item first appeared.