UPon the 19 day of August, 1653. upon the Borders of the Highlands, where that part of our Army) then comman­ded by Col. Morgan) lay encamped; It was my turn to watch the night fol­lowing, with my Company, and about eight of the clock, I having been at my Tent, was returning to my Guard on the West side of the Camp, where I found divers of my Sousdiers stand looking at a light place in the Skye Eastward, saying one to another, It was a Shoale of Herrings in the Sea that caused the same; whereupon I cast mine eye that way, and saw a more then ordinary light arising, as it were out of the East-Sea, streaming upward into the Air, and en­creasing greater and greater; and looking about, I saw another in the same form arising in the West, op­posite to the former, and in a short space they grew so high, that they met at the top, and were in form like a Rain-bow, only higher; Also there were sudden strange fleshings of lights up and down towards the North-East and North-West; The former Light [Page 6]began to move towards the North, and to sink down lower: And as they moved, they divided in the midst, one part to the North-East, the other to the North-West, and were like two great bright Clouds. The Air being clear and star-light, and not an ordinary Cloud appeared all the night, these two Lights that divided, became on a sudden like streaks of blackand white, pointing directly up and down, or like groves of straight Trees without any boughs, or like multitudes of ships masts; and pre­sently they began to move in opposition, and grew very swift in their motion, and appeared in this mo­tion like a great Body of Pikes, swiftly counter­marching, and so continued for about half an hour. The Air all this while towards the North parts see­med strangely to roll to and fro with smaller Lights, darting or flashing up and down.

So this first motion of the Trees began to cease, and the Trees to retire one part from the other; and as they divided, the form of Trees vanished, and be­came again like Clouds, as before, one towards the North-East, the other towards the North-West; and all this while it was very light, that a man might see to read in a Book, small lights flashing still up and down; and anon began the great bright Clouds to move in opposition, and the Trees appeared again in their former shape, and began to encounter each Party with other, as before, and grew very swift and furious in their motion, in the manner of a Counter­march, which motion continued near half an hour, and then began to cease and divide again, as before; And as they retired, the form of the Trees or Masts [Page 7]vanished and only the bright clouds appeared, which moved towards the North-East and North West as before; The Air still seemed to be in a strange mo­tion of sudden opening and shutting, and small clouds darting up and down; and within three quar­ters of an hour began the Trees the third time to ap­pear, and to advance one Party toward the other, till they met, and encountered more swiftly and fu­riously then before, and at the bottom of the North-East Party there appeared the likenesse of Blood or Fire, very dreadfull to behold, but very little of it appeared on the North-West; This third encoun­ter continued rather longer then the two former, and at last began to cease and to divide the one part from the other, and still as they divided, the form of Trees or black and white strakes vanished as before: And one Part moved Eastward, the o­ther Westward, untill at length they came to their first station and to their first form; the appearance of Blood or Fire also vanished: there were still small Lights flashing up and down, & these two first Lights began to stream upward as at the first, till at length they met again at the top, and became the second time like unto a Bow, and then moved Northwards, and then all the other motions and flashings ceased, and this Light sunk down lower and lower towards the North till it came to the likenesse of a great Arch of a Bridge, supported as it were at either end with a short Pillar, one fixed towards the North-East, and the other towards the North-West; It was by this time two of the clock in the morning, [...]nd this form of the Bridge continued firm without [Page 8]any other motion untill day light expelled the same; Many other circumstances might have been noted concerning thi [...] thing, which could my memory have retained them, yet I should have wan [...]ed fit words to have expressed, they being of so strange a nature, therefore I forbear, having given you the sum thereof: only, I may not omit the gr [...]at [...]errour and amazement which did accompany the beholders, for many men of resolute pi [...]i [...]s in other cases, were now like Belshazer ready to sm [...]te their knees one against the other for [...]ear, and went trem­bling and fighing up and down like men astonished, fearing that the great day of Account had now been beginning, as by the expressions of some d d appear. I did set my self diligently to observe every passage hereof, expecting also, what would b [...] the event; About mid-night I went to Collonel Morgans Tent to acquaint him with this strange sight; he told me, he was but newly gone in from looking upon it, and said, It was a wonderfull strange thing, and that certainly it did betoken some great Se [...]-Fight, because there was the appearance of the Masts of Ships, which Interpretation ha [...]h been since suffici­ently ma [...]e good, although the lat [...]er part did seem to signifie something further, which is left to con­sideration untill the event of things in time do fur­ther manifest same.