Boston, Mass.: Luminous figures — 18 January 1644
Three men coming to Boston saw two “man-shaped lights” come out of the sea. About 8
P.M. several inhabitants of an area of Boston located near the sea saw a light the size of the full moon rise in the northeast. Shortly thereafter, another light appeared in the east. The witnesses observed a curious game of hide-and-seek between the two objects. During this celestial ballet, several persons known to be sober and pious, who were aboard a boat between Dorchester and Boston, claimed they heard a voice in the sky uttering the following words in a most terrible voice: “Boy, boy, come away…” These calls were repeated about 20 times, coming from various directions.
Source: John Winthrop, Winthrop’s Journal, “History of New England” (1630-1649) (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1959). Case: W195