A few days ago
I visited John Thomas, of St. Just, in Cornwall.
He is about sixty-two years of age, and has been
a notorious drunkard the greatest part of his
life. He told me that on Sunday, 21st December
1783, about 7 o'clock in the evening, he left San
Crete (now spelt Sancreed) in order to go to St.
Just.
As it was dark
he missed his way, and about midnight fell into a
pit about five fathoms deep. On being missing his
friends made diligent search for him, but to no
purpose. The next Sabbath day, as one of his
neighbors was going to seek his sheep, he saw, at
some distance, the appearance of a man sitting on
the bank which had been thrown up in digging the
pit.
On drawing near
he saw the apparition go round to the other side
of the bank. When he came to the place he could
see no one; but heard a human voice in the bottom
of the pit. Thinking that some smugglers had got
down to hide their liquors, he went on; but
comming back the same way again he heard the
voice. He now listened more attentively, and as
he could hear one voice he concluded it was John
Thomas who was missing, and on calling to him, he
found that he was not mistaken.
In this he went
and got help, and soon got him out of the pit.
But as he had been there near eight days he was
very low when he was got out; but is now in a
fair way to do well. In the bottom of the pit he
found a small current of water; which he drank
freely of. This, in all likelihood, was the means
of keeping him alive.
It is said that
several other persons saw the apparition, but
took no notice of it As I am not fond of
crediting stories of this kind on common report,
I resolved to get the account from his own mouth.
-WILLIAM
MOORE"
