Last Possessor of Second Sight In Cape Breton An Interesting Account of the late Malcolm Johnson, of Lake Ainslie, Cape Breton This article appeared in the Sydney Cape Breton Daily Post circa 1900 Brian Johnson of Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada sent us this article, which appeared in the Sydney, Cape Breton Daily Post circa 1900 Sir Walter Scott's book on Demonology and Second Sight, is exceedingly interesting, but in attempting to give a natural cause of this wonderful phenomenon, he has failed to satisfy a host of eminent men who believe in the supernatural in all ages. Alex. Smith, late Librarian and Essayist of Edinburgh, Scotland, has given us a chapter on Ghosts and Second Sight, in that admirable work of his "A Summer of Skye," well worth the perusal of the sceptics in such matters. But as such visions are getting few and far between like angels' visits, I would like to tell the readers of this Sydney POST what I know of the old "Seer," who lived on the verge of the spiritual world in this Island of Cape Breton. Malcolm Johnson was a native of the Island of Coll, west of Scotland, who emigrated to this country early in the last century, I think in 1826. He was a devout and pious man. He settled in the east side of Lake Ainslie, and late in life removed to a near settlement, now called River Johnson. Well do I remember, as a boy, listening to his wonderful stories of what he saw in the Old Country. With the strong taint of Highland superstition running through my young blood, how I took in Malcolm's wonderful rehearsals with more faith and awe than I did my father's readings of the Minor Prophets in the Bible at morning and evening family worship. But as I have neither space nor time to write the thrilling sights and visions, I will confine myself to the one or two instances of this wonderful gift which happened in this country. Malcolm, when a very old man, was employed by me to underpin one of my outhouses. When, after his day's work and sitting round the kitchen stove, I said, "Malcolm, I would feel obliged if you would tell me one more story of your gift in second sight." "Well," said he, "a year or two after I came to this country I was hired by a Smith family in Port Hood Island, now called after them, Smith Island. The principal man on that island was a Captain Smith who owned and saled a schooner trading between there and Halifax. Some weeks before I came to the island, it was reported that the schooner and all hands were lost, but there was no certainty of it,and the family with that hope deferred, and maketh the heart sick, would gaze toward the Strait of Canso till the sun sank into the sea on the horizon. "One of these evenings about dusk, I was coming through a grove of woods not far from the family home, when I saw to my horror a man without a head approaching me. I closed my eyes and stood where I was. When I opened my eyes there he still stood. I cried out, "In God's name, what do you want with me?" He at once spoke: "I am Captain Smith. Tell my family that I and all on board were lost on such a day. Tell my family that my coprse came ashore on the estern coast; that a man found me on the sthore, took my watch and whatever money I had on my person and pushed my body back to the see. The family will find what money I had in a certain press or drawer. All is well with me; let them not mourn like those without hope." The phantom then vanished. "I there and then prayed to God to take away the gift of second sight, or to close my eyes forever, and thank God, I never saw any vision since." "But Malcolm," said I, "Have you not seen a vision of the drowning of Charles McKenzie, who was lost crossing the mouth of Margaree River, since then?" "No, no," he said, "It was not the ghost of McKenzie I saw. I saw that vision prior to the last named. It has not yet come to pass, but it will as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow." Malcolm is now gone to his rest. During his long life he was considered by all who knew him to be the soul of honour and truth. Are we to believe with Scott that all such visions are caused by the nervous system overpowering the optical nerve? I would rather believe in some such theory if I could explain away the connection of this gift with the fortelling of future events. by C. Alexander This article appeared in the Sydney Daily Post, circa 1900. It was brought to our attention by Brian Johnston, of Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Links: Celtic Spirituality and the Gift of Second Sight by Andrew Morrison on GOTC Sir Walter Scott Famous Scot on GOTC A Summer in Skye, the book by Alexander Smith