There were so many observations of inexplicable luminous creatures and glowing aerial objects recorded throughout the 1700s, that some actually dubbed it the 'Century of Lights'. These apparitions and associated bizarre phenomena were well documented by individuals including the German philosopher Goethe, dutch painter Vermeer and also in publications such as Scottish Magazine, the Annual Register and Gentleman's Magazine.

Goethe, for example, told how as youth in 1768 he had been traveling with others in a horse and carriage destined for Leipzig when he caught sight of a strange and luminous object at ground level. He wrote of it in his autobiography and observes, "Suddenly, in a gully to the right of the road, I saw a sort of amphitheatre marvelously illuminated. In a tubular-shaped space there shone an incalculable number of tiny lights, set like steps, one above the other; and they shone so brightly that the eye was dazzled. But what was the most troubling in this vision was that the lights were not fixed. They leaped from place to place, going up and down and up again, and in all directions. The greatest number of them were, however, stationary and gleamed. It was only with the greatest reluctance that I agreed to go when I was called away from this spectacle, which I would have wished to examine more closely."

On August 15, 1755, a sphere rose up swiftly above Amsterdam shortly after sunset. It emitted a violent, blinding light, and it's "apparent diameter was comparible to that of the full moon." Shortly after it came down close to the earth, gently, like a helicopter.

But perhaps one of the strangest events from this period stands out as almost unique and we are left to wonder if it might actually represent an 18th century account of extraterrestrial contact. In this instance there was no shortage of observers and what apparently transpired shares a striking similarity with contemporary alien encounters.

On June 12, 1790, near Alencon, some French farmers were witnesses to an incredible spectacle. It was so unbelievable that the town authorities ordered an immediate inquiry and placed police inspector Liabœuf in charge. He conducted investigations, interrogated the witnesses and wrote up the following report:

"At five o'clock in the morning, several farmers saw an enormous globe which appeared to be surrounded by flames. They first thought that it was a balloon which had caught fire, but the extreme rapidity with which this body moved and the strident noise comeing from it intrigued them.

"The globe descended slowly, weaving back and forth and fell along the ridge of a hill where it tore up the plants all along the slope. The heat given off was so intense that shortly the grass and the small trees began to burn. The peasants succeeded in getting the fire under control, as it threatened to spread to the surrounding area.

"The sphere was still hot in the evening when something extraordinary occurred. The witnesses were: two mayors, one doctor, and three other personalities who confirm my report, not to mention the dozens of peasants who were present.

"The sphere, which would have been big enough to contain a vehicle, had not been damaged throughout all this hurtling flight. It stirred up so much curiosity that people came from all directions to see it. Then, all of a sudden, a sort of door opened and, interestingly enough, a person like ourselves came out. But this person was dressed in a very strange fashion . He wore a suit which clung to his body, and when he saw all this crowd he said a few words which could not be understood, and ran to take flight in the woods. Instinctively the peasants drew back out of fear and that saved them, because soon thereafter the sphere exploded in silence, hurling pieces everywhere, and these pieces burned until they were reduced to powder.

"A search was undertaken to find the mysterious man, but he appears to have vanished,"

Truly a fascinating historical account, if genuine, and one which cannot be explained in terms of a meteor, fireball or some other such meteorological phenomena. The fact this "enormous" fiery sphere may have entered our planet's atmosphere at speed, prior to effecting a relatively controlled descent and successful touchdown, could be the reason why its entire surface remained hot for so long. It comes as no surprise to learn that both craft and occupant swiftly disappeared shortly thereafter. It's true of similar encounter reports today.

-farshores.org

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -