A VISIT FROM THE DEAD.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 187, 7 September 1871, Page 3

A VISIT FROM THE DEAD.

(From the "Ballarat Star.")

Sergeant Lamer has been called upon to act as adviser to the Chinese at Golden Point. A few' days ago Ah Coon, who some years since acted as Chinese interpreter at Ballarat, waited on the sergeant to ask his- advice upon a very serious matter. Ah Coon stated that one night he was asleep in his hut at Golden Point, when he was aroused by a tapping at the door. He got out of bed and looking out, saw vanishing in the darkness a misty row of figures with Chinese countenances, and clothed in long flowing white robes. Ah Coon wondered, but seeing nothing more, returned to his slumbers. In a few moments the knocking commenced again, and this time when Ah Coon went to the door, he says the figures were more distinct, and he saw that the pz'oeession was headed by the shade of an old Chinaman, with a long white beard. Agaiu the procession of ghosts vanished, again Ah Coon returned troubled to bed, again the knocking was resumed. This time Ah Coon pondered before he opened the door. He was sure his visitors were from the other world, and he mentally reviewed his past life to try and remember if he had ever made any promise to the dead and lfffcthem unfulfilled. He suddenly recollected that when the cemetery authorities had, on account of the danger, objected to the burning of paper over the Chinese graves in the cemetery^ he had .promised to have a small fireplace and chimney erected there for purpose of earring out the Chinese custom of burning a certain kind of paper at different times over the graves of the departed. This promise he had not carried out, and he was sure that this accounted for the visits of the ghosts. Having arrived at this conclusion, Ah Coon went to the door, and found the ghosts drawn up in a semicircle before him. He addressed the venerable leader in Chinese, promising to have the chimney erected, and apologising for bringing them out in such weather. Immediately the ghosts vanished. Ah Coon has built the chimney and fire-place, and has since slept undisturbed. The same Chinaman also informed the sergeant of another ghostly adventure, some years before. This time Ah Coon was awakened, by something pulling his shoulder, and when he opened his eyes he saw a larga cat with a white breast standing beside him. He knew from the cat's behaviuor that it was not of this earth, but it did not appear to understand Chinese when he addressed it in that language, and the animal also appeared quite as ignorant of English. Ah Coon then remembered that in China, the land of his birth, it was generally understood that ghosts could not hold pens or pencils. As this cat could not or would not speak, Ah Coon wanted it to write its requests or complaints, but there was a difficulty about holding the pen. Chinese ingenuity, however, soon overcome all difficulties. Ah Coon got an iron tea tray, and having smeared it over with oil, sprinkled it with fine ashea. Tlie white- breasted cat understood at once. With one of its paws ifc wrote in Chinees characters on the tea tray that it was the spirit of a Chinaman, whose body was at that moment lying buried in a drive at Long Gully, near Creswick. It asked Ah Coon to have the body removed fron the claim and decently buried, and begged tKat if such a thing as an inquest was held, the body might not- be mutilated. The cat then melted away in thin air and Ah Coo slept. The next morning he states that he rode to Long G-ully, found the body- as described, and had it buried after an inquest, at which there was no post mortem examination, had been held. Ah Coon wanted the sergeant to advise him as to what he should do in the event of another visit, of the same kind, but Lamer informed him that the thing was "out of hisline."