[Notes to “Medusa’s Coil”]

(1.) Son kills wife with hastily seized machete, hacks off hair in savage rage since he deems this the cause of Marsh’s attraction & also connects it with her hideous nature & malignly magical affiliations—also, with her newly discovered racial identity. But the hair* slithers out of the room of its own volition, as if transformed to some monstrous black snake. At this sight son goes half mad. Follows hair up to studio, & sees it coil itself around the slowly recovering form of Marsh. Hair strangles Marsh—the evil voodoo sorceress having recognised M. as an enemy when she saw the manner in which he had painted her. Son, witnessing this, goes wholly mad. Cowers & mutters around room till father enters. Then the shrieking explanation & the struggle. Son either kills himself or is killed by father. (Attempts to kill both father & self because he thinks family blood contaminated by his marriage to negress.) Father left alone with portrait & bodies & hair. Buries victims of tragedy in cellar & settles down to live as hermit. Picture affects him strangely—he cannot break away from it. He fears hair will emerge vampirically from Marsh’s grave. Sophonisba is sullen—continually wanders into cellar & haunts Marsh’s secret grave, though the servants are not supposed to know that anyone has died there. Marsh, son, & wife supposed to have gone away. Later freed hands servants & chauffeur all changed, money wanes, Sophonisba refuses to leave. Finally dies on Marsh’s cellar grave, muttering.

let it be emphasised in every possible place that Marsh has seen some specific horror in Marceline which son (up to unveiling of picture) has been unable to see.

Manner of Narration

I. Father finds Marceline’s body as described in text. Trail of blood & line of bloody footprints leading upstairs.

II. In attic studio finds son armed & cowering. Gibbered explanation**—struggle—son’s death

III. Marsh’s body—strangled by demoniacally animated coil of very slighty kinky hair. It clings to the body, as if with a kind of morbid affection. Then the portrait—sight of which nearly unhinges old man’s mind. He cannot bear to describe it. Picture holds old man by kind of hypnotism. Fear of what buried hair (twined around Marsh’s body) will do if pictured hair is violated. Must guard picture. Conceals tragedy—explains absences—but place seen to be haunted. Curious forms hover in cellar where bodies are buried. Queer black snake (hair) seen gliding about at times—frightens servants. Tales of the indestructibility of dead hair. A wailing from old Sophonisba’s distant cabin.

IV. Visitor is now shewn the fateful painting. It is badly mildewed, but enough is discernible to send visitor into fit of trembling. Not quite finished. Symbols of horror—voodoo—black mass—Cthulhu-cult—&c. &c.—Hair alive with independent life—woman revealed as vampire, lamia, &c. &c.—& unmistakably (surprise to reader as in original text) a negress.

V. Aftermath? Portrait, disturbed by visitor, crumbles—causing panic & flight? Suspicion of pursuing coil of hair? At any rate—conversation lasts till dawn.

* after attacking Denis but being beaten off by his machete

** son tells how he returned & sent servants away

[Notes to At the Mountains of Madness]

Find poss. artifacts / 9 p.m. / soapstone or steatite—greenish / stone of cliff. strat / Point-cluster markings / shaped by water? / 5-point (do not reveal nature) / marking like Nec. symbol / Dogs uneasy / come on Thing / animal or vegetable? / partly damaged / 10 p.m. / not identified yet / Dogs frantic—thing removed for inspection / Come on cluster of 13 / Compares with Cthulhu & other myth—myth of Cosmic Thing in Nec. which created earth life as joke / 8 intact / older than stalagmites I many artifacts / 11 p.m. / Bring to surface / no more near / Transport to camp by man-drawn sledges leaving dogs, / all 3 sledges as used for apparatus / 14 bodies 8 intact / Report description / effect of sunlight odd—thawing-out motions / Meanwhile snow corral prepared / Dogs brought near camp for feeding convenience. Sullen. / 12:30 a.m. Jan 24 / Dissection attempted on perfect specimen—material tough—impossible problem how to cut material without violent means that would damage specimen. / 1:30 a.m. / Narrator requests transportation—told that wind is too high. Nobody thinks of resting or retiring. Buoyed up by excitement / 2 a m / Sawing on damaged specimen reveals strange leathery organs (dry) in remarkable state of preservation. Type of tissue curiously non-deteriorative / certain inner sacs reveal moist material—queer bad odour—nearby dogs frantic / Sap—not blood / Decide rest / 2:30 p.m.—Jan 24. / Lake signs off. Narrator gives Arkham final messages (as head of exp.) for relaying. / congratulatory talk with Pabodie—his device unearthed Things / All rest 3 a.m. / decide to resume 10 a.m. Jan. 24. / Very high wind.

Jany 24 / violent gale of wind at S. Base / 11 a m—Nary. & Pabodie awaked by wireless clicking. Think it must be Lake / excited, but is Arkham. They have tried in vain to get Lake (since he did not send message at appointed 10 a.m.) & cannot raise him. Efforts continue. / The horror occurr’d 8 a.m. / No wind at McMurdo but heavy at S. Base. Fresh burst about noon with after effects 2 p.m. / All hands fancy gale at Lake’s location interrupts radio thro’ some static condition. Plane radio damaged? How when all 4 have sets? Worry grows. Freq. calls to Lake. Wind at base abates. By 6 p.m. decide to investigate. Fifth plane at barrier cache ordered to S. Base. Arrives with pilot & 2 sailors midnight Jan 24-5. Discussion & brief rest. / 5 a.m. Jan. 25. Vain calls to Lake. Load plane with fuel, food, sledge, 7 dogs, 10 men, radio, &c. set out for Lake. / 7:15 a.m. / winds, snow-41/2 hrs / puffballs of snow rolling / See nits—awe—note block effect— / majesty / horror / Mirage of terrible & fantastick city in zenith / See dark blue of camp— / table-land on lower foothills / planes—derrick off to-right / descend to camp / Dog enclosure tumbled

Everything windswept— / (5 or 6 m. from base of higher foothills) / Dogs disturbed / landing—confusion & horror / cut bodies, all dogs & men / rummaged provi-sions—salt, sugar, bacon, & other uncanned staples missing. All 3 sledges gone also tents fur clothing found disordered & oddly slashed / 10 or so suits missing / charts, books, notes, & data missing / Simple camp tools gone—also navigation photo. / dogs frantic at objects touched by Things / Snow bloodstained in lee of remaining tents (2) queer prints? but all terrain wind lashed / Effects on camp. No trail away. / soapstone gone. Hacked bones curious / 6 broad GRAVES over 9 feet long. One opened—a Thing (defective) within. ugh!! recall aspect / groups of dots in snow / suggest voice / DOGS FRANTIC—ATTACK / All machinery—aeroplanes & derricks—curiously & specifically meddled with—beyond power of wind to harm. / Inf. someone went mad? / wind carry’d off sledges? / utter mystery & horror / noon-4 pm / no clue / guarded radios to outside / rest 12 midnight / in morning narrator & Sherman lighten plane & try flight over mts. Delay due to wind. / 7—noon. / Jan 26 / Hard ascent. Blocks, ramparts, & caves noted. Crumpled strata. Curious disparity of blocks &c. Fly over mts—see hideous dead city on plateau 20,000 ft high / Is it such—or only fantastic stone formations? Circle over. / foothills between. / See wreck of sledge down a crevasse. Returning—see nearby folded tent (fallen off sledge) / on high barren slope of mountain 30,000 ft up—above snow line amidst ramparts near mouth of cave. 6 p m. back to camp & plan for foot climb of mts.—exploration—with dogs & all men—torches

Latest Version / Morning Jan 26 / Narr. & Danforth try flight over mts. in lightened plane. Delay 7—noon due to wind. Hard ascent. Blocks, ramparts & caves noted. / remark region honeycombed / Crumpled strata. Curious disparity of blocks; Sugg. of artif. / rem. possible volcanism / Decide land passage would have been possible. / Fly over mts.—see hideous dead city imbedded in lake of glare ice—on plateau 20,000 ft high. newest rocks must be older than Pleistocene. Suggest older parts carved from solid rock / Like mirage, but less complete. A few towers projecting above ice, tops open revealing vast yawning hole down. / rest grotesquely refracted / Wind frees region of snow. Look down through ice. All windows shuttered as if to exclude water. / Some cracked inward / Land on foothills. Proceed to explore on foot. In one opening see top of line of projections that may be ladders, tho’ not well adapted to human feet & hands. What is this region? No ordinary glaciation. Inhabited valley flooded suddenly by bursting of glacier dam in mountains, or is this a lake formed after desertion of city? A few vast rifts. Descend—see marks of water presence on stone walls—connecting passages. Odd proportions. Whole city penetrable like labyrinth. Air good except at rifts—current faintly warm / Seems to rise from below. Rooms shew signs of deliberate desertion. To prevent loss of direction, tear up pocket notebook & scatter as in hare & hounds. / carv’d pylons where river hits barrier range / Air current not too strong to disturb. Work downward as far as possible—across bridges & down steep & curious ribbed inclined planes or ramps corresponding to staircases. Many five-pointed rooms. Principle of arch known and used. Tiling here and there— / Recesses of unknown put. pose— / Everything on vast scale—stone blocks of huge size / cracks from freezing—but massive blocks resist / Of various local rocks, none later than Comanchian except small movables. A few inscriptions—groups of dots in cartouches—certain bas-reliefs of conventional art tradition shew various antient animals including the things. Conclusion—wounds on beasts & soapstone artifacts due to inhabitants. No human beings, [tho’ certain degraded mammals suggest them.] Presence of fishes &. marine radiata in juxtaposition with buildings suggests enigma. Art indicates mature culture. Geometrical design. Finally no more ramps down—rooms more spacious & decorated. Ground floor? Paper runs low. / PIPING SOUND / Find well leading far down underground. Air warmer. Plan to descend later. Explore more of gr. floor. / sound in distance? clatter of metal / See light-shaft reaching clear to top—dizzy ht. In centre of floor terrifying sight. [smashed sledges & tents &c.] sound? Hasty retreat—plane—camp—find men buried. ODOUR—remember that of buried diss. spec. / Prepare to brk. camp in morn. Sleep. Dream of piping num. notes. Back to old S. base & then to outside world. Piping over mountains. Puffs of smoke? / designs like maps—Wegener—cont. Debris on sea-bottom indifferently.

Jany 27-7 a.m. / prepare to start for mountain where tent was seen. Off 8 a.m. Wind—snow—cold—slow going—uphill—reach really steep slopes 10:30. Tedious climb. Snow slopes—crevasses—In lee of mt. signs of confused track wind has spared. Ramparts & blocks—artificial effect. Cave mouth—fallen tent—effect of sculpture on jambs & lintel—group of points Elder Sign—dogs refuse to enter. We leave them before entrance & go in with torches. / sculptures—bas-reliefs—cony. designs—wonder—passage goes on—sculptures—groups of dots (refer back artifacts—grave markings—lintel &c.) up & down—twists varying size & regularity—artificial circular chamber—centre circular enclosure around shallow pit abt. 5 ft diam 3 ft deep—History sculptured on circular walls—descent to earth—thus planet, creation of terrestrial organic life as joke or accident. Subjugation of result—daily life—cold—withdraw to caves—farther & farther as cold creeps—later sculp. cruder—on—another chamber of shrines—Holy of Holies—in chair frame is body of one of the things— / charts—math. diagrams—Wegener’s theory proved—Zimbabwe—Ur—vast knowledge

age of specimen made Lake whimsically recall primal myths of Great Old Ones which had filtered down from the stars & concocted earth life as a joke or mistake. / King Penguin 4 ft 6 in high—4 ft circumf. wt 60 lb

slaves of submarine Things / Helped build houses / Land Things used wings to raise blocks / Pictures of Things hunting—animals of cretaceous & tertiary, & things at bottom of sea. Massive city below / Eyeless Things stave off hideous giant luminous savagely intelligent protoplasm—masses composed of plastic jet black—reflectively iridescent bubbles & capable of forming temporary organs adaptable to any medium—air, water, aether. Spawn of inner earth. Mimic piping voices. 25 ft diameter as sphere, but viscous like Tsathoggua. Finally conquer Things & learn their language.

odour—X & gasoline / find bodies &c / how sledges down? / copied sculptures—same technique / copied maps—groups of dots / proceed to N. tunnel / find spiral ramp leading to outer air. on way / very ancient (route of tunnel mouth sledges) / eyeless albino penguins / current of warmer air advance through. / terrible strange sculptures / vapours / 1/4 mile in / pile of curiously slashed furs & tent cloths / large cavern / 3/4 mile in / hellish sight—Old Ones killed—headless—black slime— / PIPING SOUND / GROUPS OF DOTS like subway train. / flight up spiral & to plane—rise— / cliff. in altitude / Danf. screams at what he sees in sky—over mts—PIPING? VAPOURS? End

Party of 12

Lake*

Gedney%+

Carroll + %

Moulton% + #

Fowler% +

Mills% +

Atwood*

Orrendorf

Watkins%

Brenffan%#

Aiello

Boudreau%

Party of Seven

Prof. Dyer*

Pabodie*

Allen

Danforth+

Williamson

McTighe%#

Ropes#%+

Relief Plane

Sherman%#

Gunnarsson

Larsen

The students (Lake’s party)

Gedney

Carroll

Moulton

Fowler

Mills

(Dyer’s party)

Danforth

Ropes

Qualify’d Pilots

Gedney

Sherman

Carroll

Danforth

Moulton

McTighe

Fowler Ropes

Mills

Brennan

Watkins (non op)

Boudreau (non op)

* Professor

+ Student

% Pilot

# wireless op.

[Notes to “The Shadow over Innsmouth”]

In era of declining prosperity, group of Innsmouth men take to worshipping a sea-god of which Capt. Obed Marsh heard in Polynesia. A god who brought rich fishing & precious ornaments to his devotees when offered a human sacrifice. In 1840 they make such a sacrifice off the edge of a reef where the sea-bottom abruptly drops. There appear horrible beings who strike horrible bargain. Moonless nights. Sign & eventually speech languages develop. Disappearances. Trinkets brought & distributed. People not in secret become suspicious. Watch group. Follow & discover something. Riots. Marsh & others imprisoned. (1846) Beings, cut off from supply, swim to shore & start reign of terror. (Outside world hears of epidemic & riots.) All opponents killed off—many women commit suicide or vanish. Things refuse wholly to leave the town. Horrible incidents—hybridisation. Marsh dares not call in outside world—Things threaten to rise in limitless numbers. Compromise reached—secret habitation, since they would prefer to avoid general war. They fear mankind could worst them in the end. All (except passive acquiescers) left alive in village belong to Dagon cult. Things are chary about giving treasures, but drive fish up. Innsmouth fishermen hostile to others who fish on their grounds. Unusual abundance noted. Marsh manages to get trinkets &c which ensure a fair supply of ornaments. Melts them & sells gold, & sells some as they are in distant parts. Strange accounts of jewellery worn by Marshes & sold by them & others. Queer looks of Innsmouth people noticed after Civil War time. Marshes still operate metal refinery. Majority fish. Victims of sacrifice selected at Dagon meetings.

Stock decayed since 1812.

Hybrid generations

halfbreeds 1 b 1847

quarters 2 b 1877

eights 3 b 1907

Narrator excites local curiosity.

Things don’t try to capture those outside cult—whose relatives might tell—except in silencing possible informers.

Old Zadok Allen is a secretly unreconciled survivor—was 15 at time of massacre. Cowed & afraid. Promised not to tell. Has told certain people, but only when drunk. Nobody believes him, anyway. Townsfolk discourage his talking. Loafs around fire station or wanders around town. Narrator gets bootleg whiskey in hope of finding him.

Does so, & leads him down to deserted waterfront beyond breakwater’s end.

Federal agents disappear often.

Capt. Obed Marsh, in Polynesia, finds people with strange ornaments. Learns of trade with undersea people. Discovers source & ritual.

Invokes people from deep & concludes horrible bargain on reef.

People begin to disappear from Innsmouth when moon is dark. At first Marsh abducts & delivers, then Things venture on shore for themselves. Complaint on both sides Trinkets & beads also given. Things like outer air, recalling older phases of their history. Demand a right to live in village. Some seen & killed. Awful isolated happenings. Riots Marsh enlists aid on his side—tells

Obed Marsh in Polynesia discovers temple of evil knowledge & learns of undersea people & their ways. Gets jewellery from priests. Learns hideous price—forgotten history of Ponape. How to get victims? Only communications in Pacific. Incantation that will open vent. Prayer to god of sea. Reef rises. Learns incantation to call them up from the sea. Rows out of harbour to farthermost reef where sea bottom suddenly becomes deep, & drops message. They come. Bargain. Bring things to reef—sacrifices brought to them. Introduce cult of Dagon. Then they wish to enter town—opposition—poison wells, &c., but put antidote in wells only those left who will participate in cult & mingle with Them

Hears story from Zadok. As he talks with Zadok, the latter sees something in the sea which excites & alarms him vastly. He cries out & refuses to continue, perhaps before he tells anything, though narrator has seen nothing. Expresses fear for narrator. Tells him to get out of Innsmouth anyhow as quickly as he can. Narrator is sceptical. Zadok gives him ring? Bus draws up from Newb. but man at curb speaks to driver. Driver then says unable to go farther. Broken machinery. Told bus has had an acci-dent—no trip. Gets room in hotel 3d story facing rear. Cannot sleep. Hears disturbing voices below. Bad vocal timbres. Hotel almost vacant. View of Harbour from window, Sees Devil Reef in moonlight—apparently alive with seals. Lines of swimming forms in sea, moving in both directions between reef & mouth of Manuxet. Lights in factory, also in Order of Dagon Hall. Looks again. Then silence. Decides not to retire. Bolts door & both connecting doors. After light is out, hears creaking floor. Door is softly tried. Pass key tried, but bolt holds. Hears room to N. entered by pass key & connecting door tried with p.k. Repeated for S. room. Fishy odour very strong. Tries to light up again, finds power is cut off. More creaking. Retreat. Now determined to escape from hotel & walk out of town. There is a full moon, & he has flashlight. Softly opens single window & looks out. Sheer drop of 3 stories to yard, but sees lower buildings abutting toward north & south—2 rooms beyond. Heavy creaking & hideous voices on stairs. Fluttering light in hall outside shewn through transom of door. A knock—which becomes more & more insistent. Decides must escape by breaking connecting doors (though pass key work may frustrate) & reaching either N. or S. room—2nd away—which commands lower floors. Heedless of noise, seizes chair & smashes S. door which now shows best flight will be S. toward Arkham, which is nearer than Newburyport. Knocking increases & becomes a real battering. Hideous shouts—confused steps on stairs—renewed attempts to break door—inner door gives, but rattle of pass key in door of newly gained room.

Guarding against noise, & shielded by noise of knocking, tries to force N. door (which opens outward) by pushing with shoulder. As succeeds, noise heard & pass key sounds. Shoots bolt of second room & starts forcing next side door but finds it was unlocked. Battering now at second outside door, & pass key sounds in third, but bolts in time—also bolting the door of third room. Footprints were seen in second room. Horrible. Takes down ring portiere & hooks to blind catch in sill—descends to slant roof of block. Streets are dark, but moving lights seen. Escape.

As he descends, sees thing leaning out of window in flickering light—doubtful? Ugh—Yog-Sothoth!

Makes for S. part of town (most deserted). Catches glimpse of harbour down South St. as he emerges—alive with swimmers under the moon. Hears hue & cry of chase—motor car—dodges back through suburbs & follows abandoned railway track to Rowley, which they don’t suspect.

Escapes—can’t convince anybody even though cautious about telling. Shews ring (ring somewhat too large for any human finger except thumb) to Prof. Derby of Miska-tonic (cult authority).

Polish settlements on the south fringe have suddenly disappeared.

Escape

1. started down Federal toward Arkham—hears pursuers. Decides to double back Babson & try Ipswich Rd, but sees party following that. Rests in dark doorway till it is past—Decides to try abandoned railway to Rowley.

Stragglers joining main party swimmers. Edges through Lafayette, Bates, Adams & Bank to abandoned station. Follows tracks along gorge bank & across almost decayed railway bridge. Stumbles—hard going. Low brush country. Sort of island in salt marshland. Ry [?] enters low open cut. Weeds & underbrush in ties interferes. Hears pursuers (returning?) along Rowley road—which he recalls from panorama. Crosses track at mouth of cut, & then diverges more to the South. Stops short, hides in brush, & waits for pursuers to cross & go down diverging road. As they cross the track, he sees them in moonlight. . . .

N’thya-lyi—fish-thing—gt.-gt-grandmother b. B.C. 78,000—returned to water 1878 after death of earthly husband.

Obed—gt.-gt.-grandfather b. 1798-1878 Innsmouth

Alice Marsh—gt.-grandmother 1847-1867 Innsmouth. m. Arkham nian Joshua Orne 1840–1904. Aunt of Old Man Marsh—half-sister of his father. Dau. of Capt. Marsh’s son Onesiphorus & Thing.

Eliza Orne, grandmother 1867–19 Arkham d. 1899 m. Cleveland nian James Wmson

Mary Williamson—mother 1885–1922 Cleveland d. 1922 m. Henry Olmstead of Akron

Douglas Orne Williamson b. 1887 in. 1915 1 ch. b. 1917 queer

Walter Williamson—b. 1890 concealed 1900 in Canton sanitarium

Robert [Martin] Olmstead—narrator—b. 1906—? Akron

Obed—1790—d. 1878

son—1830–1902

O M Marsh 1862–

Obed Marsh (1790–1875)

   = 1 —> Ezekiel M. (1830) = It —> Henry M. Old Man b. 1862

   = 2 —> Alice (1847)

Grandmother—(only children of Alice Marsh)—Eliza Orne (1864–1914) disappeared = James Williamson (1863)—m. (2) Helen Crane (1895–)

            —> Mary (1885–1922) strange illness —> Robt. Olmt. narr.

            —> Douglas (1887–) suicide in 1908 in sanit.

            —> Walter b. 1890—m. 1915 getting old 1 ch. b 1917 queer in sanit.

madness, suicides, & disappearances in family

Gt.-grandm—1847 1/2 blood b. Innsmouth

m. Arkham man 1864

Grandm b 1865 1/4 blood b. Arkham

fam. move to Cleveland

Mother b. 1885 1/8 blood b. Cleveland

Narrator b. 1906 1/16 blood b Cleveland

Final Horror-Evidence

1. Record of madness & suicides in maternal line

2. Picture of maternal uncle

3. Jewellery belonging to maternal grandmother in storage

4. Discovery of Marsh descent

5. Own face in mirror

[The Round Tower]

S. of Arkham is cylindrical tower of stone with conical roof—perhaps 12 feet across & 20 ft. high. There has been a great arched opening quarter way up, but it is sealed with masonry. The thing rises from the bottom of a densely wooded ravine once the bed of an extinct tributary of the Miskatonic. Whole region feared & shunned by rustics. Tales of fate of persons climbing into tower before opening was sealed. Indian legends speak of it as existing as long as they could remember—supposed to be older than mankind. Legend that it was built by Old Ones (shapeless & gigantic amphibia) & that it was once under water. Dressed stone masonry shew odd & unknown technique. Geometrical designs on large stone above sealed opening utterly baffling. Supposed to house a treasure or something which Old Ones value highly. Possibly nothing of interest to human beings. Rumours that it connects with hidden caverns where water still exists. Perhaps Old Ones still alive. Base seems to extend indefinitely downward—ground level having somewhat risen. Has not been seen for ages, since everyone shuns the ravine.

[The Rose Window]

Rumours about nameless evil in the house before legatee’s ancestors bought it in 1758. Nothing definite—villagers dislike to talk of it. Builder probably Edward Crane who lived much in Europe. Mysteriously rich. Disappeared 1723—house long vacant and shunned.

Very ancient house on Central Hill, Kingsport inherited. Thick walls—date circa 1700 (some parts older). Labyrinthine plan. He has often visited it and felt an odd fear, especially in high-oak-panelled library, but ancestors have never shewn fear. Hard to figure what lies beyond library’s N. wall. (Staircase and cupboards.) During repairs, plain wooden front comes off triangular pediment of huge, built-in bookcase in library’s N. wall, revealing strangely carved surface with convex glass circle 7” diameter in centre. This was original surface, later covered over. / House a very early classical specimen / case 9 ft high 8 ft wide small step-ladder used for top shelves / circle 8 ft above floor / legatee Dudley Ropes Glover /

Carving very baffling. Possibly just classical conventional designs, possibly something else. Disquieting resemblance under certain lights to huge octopus-like thing—yet not like anything of earth—of which glass circle is a huge, single central eye. Signs in corners of pediment uncomfortably familiar. Glass itself also baffling. Opaque—evidently convex mirror like many in old houses—but curiously devoid of reflective power. Also too high up to reflect anything but top of room. What one sees in it is generally only cloudy light. This light seems to shift oddly, and one acquires a perverse tendency to keep staring at the thing as if one expected something to appear. Suggestion of self-luminousness at night. Cleaning does no good. Owner decides to let it alone. Moves in.

In back garden, ruins of a brick tower 12 ft in diameter. Rumours of evil annual use—lights—signalling—answered. Doorway now bricked up. Ivy-clad. Windowless—30 ft standing—once 50 with windows and flat railed roof.

Told by father?

Stimulates hereditary memory. Is lens, prism, or mirror reflecting vision from other dimension or dimensions—time or space. Or rather, reflecting obscure rays not of vision but operating on vestigial and forgotten extra senses. Constructed by outside Entities in effort to inspect human world—or rather, const. by elder wizard under their direction.

Outer beings peer through it. Influence humans by opening up other senses and dimension-perceptions possibly including hereditary memory. Explains odd dreams of strange horror. Also works through dreams.

Principal effect, perhaps, to hold the attention and make mind susceptible to outside influence.

Supply details of effect on occupant / hered. mem.? / going for door now closed. / Discovering books in attic / shadowy companion? / wanders around tower / final denouement

In secret room deep black shaft 5 ft. diam. leading down from hole in floor through house and fondations. Swish of the tides heard far below.

Of Evill Sorceries Done in New-England, of Daemons in No Humane Shape

But, not to speak at too great Length upon so horrid a Matter, I will add onlie what is commonly reported concerning an Happening in New Plymouth, fifty Years since, when Mr. Bradford was Governour. Tis said, one Richard Billington, being instructed partly by evill Books, and partly by an antient Wonder-Worker amongst the Indian Salvages, so fell away from good Christian Practice that he not only lay’d claim to Immortality in the Flesh, but sett up in the Woods a Place of Dagon, namely [a] great Ring of Stones, inside which he say’d Prayers to the Divell, and sung certain Rites of Magick abominable by Scripture. This being brought to the Notice of the Magistrates, he deny’d all blasphemous Dealings; but not long after he privately shew’d great fear about some Thing he had call’d out of the Sky at Night. There were in that year seven slayings in the Woods near to Richard Billington’s Stones, those slain being crushed and half-melted in a Fashion outside all Experience. Upon Talk of a Tryall, Billington dropt out of Sight, nor was any clear Word of him ever after heard.

“Two months from then, by Night, there was heard a Band of Wampanaug Salvages howling and singing in the Woods; and it appeared, they took down the Ring of Stones and did much besides. For their head Man Misquamacus, that same antient Wonder-Worker of whom Billington had learnt some of his Sorceries, came shortly into the town and told Mr. Bradford some strange Things: namely, that Billington had done worse Evill than cou’d be well repair’d, and that he was no doubt eat up by what he had call’d out to the Sky. That there was no Way to send back that Thing he had summon’d, so the Wampanaug wise Men had caught and prison’d it where the Ring of Stones had been.

“They had digg’d a Hole three Ells deep and two across, and had thither charmed the Daemon with Spells that they knew; covering it over with Great Rocks and setting on Top a flat Stone carved with what they call’d the Elder Sign. On this they made a Mound of the Earth digg’d from the Pit, sticking on it a tall Stone carv’d with a Warning. The old Salvage affirm’d, this mound must on no Account be disturb’d, lest the Daemon come loose again which it wou’d if the bury’d flatt Stone with the Elder Sign shou’d get out of Place. On being ask’d what the Daemon look’d like, he gave a very curious and circumstantiall Relation, saying it was sometimes small and solid, like a great Toad the Bigness of a ground-Hog, but sometimes big and cloudy, without any Shape at all.

“It had the Name Ossadogowah, which signifys the child of Sadogowah; the last a frightfull Spirit spoke of by old Men as coming down from the Stars and being formerly worshipt in Lands to the North. The Wampanaugs, and Nansets and Nahiggansets, knew how to draw it out of the Sky, but never did so because of the exceeding great Evilness of it. They knew also how to catch and prison it, tho’ they cou’d not send it back whence it came. It was however declar’d, that the old Tribes of Lamah, who dwelt under the Great Bear and were antiently destroy’d for their Wickedness, knew how to manage it in all Ways. Many upstart Men pretended to a knowledge of such antient Secrets, but none in these Parts cou’d give any Proof of truly having it. It was say’d by some, that Ossadogowah often went back to the Sky from choice without any sending, but that he cou’d not come back unless summon’d.

“This much the antient Wizard Misquamacus told to Mr. Bradford, and ever after a great Mound in the Woods near the Pond southwest of New-Plymouth hath been straitly lett alone. The tall Stone is these Twenty years gone, but the Mound is mark’d by the Circumstance, that nothing, neither Grass nor Brush, will grow upon it. Grave Men doubt that the evill Billington was eat up, as the Salvages believe, by what he call’d out of the Sky; notwithstanding certain Reports of the Idle, of his being since seen in divers places, and that no longer ago than the late monstrous Witchcrafts in Essex-County, in the Year 1692.”

* * *

But in respect of generall Infamy, no Report more terrible hath come to Notice, than of what Goodwife Doten, Relict of John Doten of Duxbury in the Old Colonie brought out of the Woods near Candlemas of 1683. She affirmed, and her good neighbours likewise, that it had been borne that which was neither Beast nor Man, but like to a monstrous Bat with humane Face. The which was burnt by Order of the High-Sheriff on the 5th of June in the Year 1684.

[Notes to “The Shadow out of Time”]

Western Australia / S. Latitude 22° 3’ 14” / E. Longitude 125° 0’ 39” / In Great Sandy Desert 100 m. SE of Joanna Spring / West & South of Warburton’s path of 1873 / East of Mt. Macpherson & Gregory’s path of 1861 / N. of Dry Salt Lake & Angas Range / S. of St. George Range, Fitzroy R. & Kimberley Goldfield / E. of De Grey R. (Si. Pilbarra Goldfield / From Broome (on Roebuck Bay) to Joanna Spr. 200 m In climbing out jars stones back

Native legends of BUDDAI, a gigantic old man lying asleep for ages, with his head resting on his arm, which is deep in the sand. He is expected to awake some day & eat up the world.

Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee b. Haverhill 1871 / son of Jonathan & Hannah (Wingate) Peaslee / att. Miskatonic U. 1889–1893. / Harvard 1893–5. / Instructor Fol. Econ. Miskatonic 1895–1898. / Asst. Prof. 1898–1902. Prof. 1902–1908 / m. Alice Keezar of Hay. 1896. Robert K. b. 1898 / Wingate b. 1900 / Hannah b. 1903 / Amnesia Thu. May 14 1908–1913.

            age 37 age 42

Work on Strange Dreams & Amnesia—studies in psychology 1915 onward. / Inst. Psych Miskatonic 1922 † (age 51) / Hear of Australian legends from Perth 1934 / Visit Australia—June (equiv. Dec) 1935 / Climax July 1935. age 64 / Experience night of Wed—Thur., July 17–18, 1935 / [moon] full Jul 16 / wind starts up abt. 3:30 a.m. / lv. camp 11:45 / arr. opening 1:30 / lv. opening 3:30 / arr. camp 4:30 / 20 m. per h. 200 m. day

Writing— […] Design— […] mathematical—curved / A few motifs borrowed from discoveries in time—human & others.

Roads 200 ft wide / Intricate machine of iridescent metal. / Papyrus—metal ink wells / Tables 10 ft high of curious black wood / Bookcases 15 ft tall Shelves 20 in high / Sheets of paper 15 x 20 in thin metal cases. / no clothing / E[…] seed / Books curved at top open upward Kept on shelves 15 x 20 / green ichor for blood / Metal doors curiously wrought / Houses 500 x 1000–1000 ft tall / Rooms 100 x 100 or 200–30 ft tall vaulted / Corridors 30 ft wide–30 ft tall / Windows 5 to 15 ft from floor–10 ft diam. circular / Ramps—no stairs / Doors 15 ft high / Megalithic blocks 3 x 2 x 2 ft / sandstone—granite—concrete—wood / arch common / masonry sometimes convex tops fitted to concave bases / vehicles propelled by atomic energy—boat shaped & wheeled period of dreams—somewhat less than 150,000,000 years ago / of the orthodox economists of that period, Jevons typifies the prevailing Victorian trend for toward scientific correlation. His attempts to link recurrent the commercial cycle of prosperity & depression with the natural cycle of the solar spots forms perhaps the apex of / Frequent tall towers. Other windowless towers. / Earth = (102–18)—74381—55904—21876—(4) 3 (2)—

[Notes to “The Challenge From Beyond”]

On a far orb in a distant galaxy dwell a vastly superior race of semi-material beings who navigate their own galaxy but cannot navigate others. They have extirpated every other form of life which once tenanted their galaxy since in the past a low form once discovered space navigation and menaced this race. They cannot navigate beyond their own galaxy in physical person, but can launch into space certain objects of communication which will enable them to project their minds to any trans-galactic region where these objects may chance to alight. Only a few, of course, ever land anywhere—and when one does land it is useless unless it can be set working by contact with a local living Intelligence—which must reach it by gliding along a beam of light. These objects—inscribed discs enclosed in peculiar crystal—are so arranged as to attract and fascinate intelligences wherever they may fall. When a local intelligence responds and correlates on any of these objects, it is sucked in and projected to the world of the beings—taking up its abode (without senses) in a machine—one of a prodigious number along the walls of a vast edifice. Each machine is attuned to one of the sent-forth objects, and glows with violet light whenever a distant intelligence enters the corresponding object where it has landed. The machines are watched by a special official; and when one glows another official—an investigator—gets into telepathic communication with it and learns all it knows. Meanwhile the body of the questioned being remains on its distant orb in a coma before the object its mind has entered. After the investigator has pumped the mind of its contents, he projects his own mind through space (and through the two machines; one at each end) into the inert body of the distant being—thus landing, as it were, on the far planet. He can also carry the object around and ensnare any number of others—the mind of each being exchanged with that of a member of the mighty race. Machine can hold more than one mind—so that one cube on a distant planet can trap any number of beings rapidly. During the stage of complete exchange, the mind of the captured being remains in the body of the displacer—not in the wall machine—the process consisting of two transfers: (a) distant being to wall machine, (b) investigator exchanging with wall machine, (c) wall machine exchanging with vacant body of distant being. On several occasions planets were completely overrun and subjugated by this means—the advanced race once voluntarily remaining in its new region and bodies after the killing off of the displaced native stock. Return accomplished in corresponding way. Extirpation accomplished by killing of distant body (quasi-suicide) at moment of return. Bodiless distant mind then returns to machine and is annihilated unless some use for it exists. Race has found by experience that certain beings are pestiferous and destructive, hence mean to kill all they find after exhausting their knowledge for historic records. All, that is, who shew any signs of being able to navigate space and thus overrun universe.

Aeons ago, when cone-shaped Great Race inhabited earth, a cube from the outsiders reached the earth. It drew several minds away, but the race were so advanced that they recognised the alienage of the usurping minds in the affected bodies and destroyed them after torture—sacrificing the exiled minds of their own people. Casting back in time and exchanging minds with other-planetarians, they discovered roughly what was occurring, and kept the cube as a relique safely shut away from the public. Occasional lawless or adventurous souls tried to meddle with it, once or twice succeeding—but always found out. If succeeding, were left in exile while bodies with usurping minds killed. Back on outside world, knowledge of the Great Race gained from these exiled captives—they know that their explorers have been killed, and long for revenge, but have no way of getting it. Naturally they keep the earth bombarded with cubes as best they can calculate, but none ever lands again. Those parts of this business which can be known on earth are handed down in the disquieting and debatable Eltdown Shards.

Orb is one of a cluster of a dozen sapphire suns. Always faces its star, but others perpetually lighten dark side. Atmosphere dense with CO₂ and water vapour—lush vegetation—violent storms. Beings inhabit boxlike houses of concrete in clusters—rooms high but doorways low. Every sort of strange fauna and flora present