I have these two great books that relate weird happenings throughout history all over the world. The first is Strange Stories Amazing Facts published by Reader's Digest. The second is Mysteries of the Unexplained, also published by R.D. I love these books, but they simultaneously give me the willies.
The second one, Mysteries of the Unexplained, is broken down by the following sections:
Beyond the Walls of Time - Prophesies - Anomalies - Coincidences
Unearthly Fates - Spontaneous Human Combustion - Inexplicable Crimes and Assaults - Appearances and Disappearances
Monsters and More - Monsters - Spectral Incursions
The Unquiet Sky - Strange Things From Above - UFO's - Atmospheric and Astronomical Oddities
In the Realm of Miracles - Cures and Immunities - Signs and Wonders
Each section offers it's own delights. I may blog later on the Atmospheric Oddities that has a section devoted to the different reports of bizarre things falling from the sky. From rock storms to coins to flesh. *shiver*
But the one I'll discuss today is in the Monsters section. Mysteries of the Unexplained breaks down recorded sightings of monsters by type, area of the world and date. Sightings and encounters with upright ape-like creatures have been reported all over the world, though different countries' creatures vary a little in height and color, there are many similarities. With the North American variety, many times hair and blood samples have been recovered for scientific analysis. Footprint casts have also been taken.
There are lots of reports of sightings, close encounters, and posses trying to round up a Bigfoot. But there are two stories which stand out in this book. Those are of the two times people have been taken by them.
The first happened in 1924 when Albert Ostman, a construction worker and miner, went looking for a lost gold mine in British Columbia opposite Vancouver Island. An Elderly native from the local tribe warned him about the huge hairy creatures that lived near the area of the lost mine, but Albert refused to give any credence to old Indian tales.
He hiked in on foot for about a week, then made camp. Each morning when he woke at the camp, his supplies would be disturbed and food taken. He decided to try and stay awake to see what was doing it. He kept his rifle in his sleeping bag with him to be safe. That night, while still in his sleeping bag, he was scooped up and carried away.
After several hours of being carried, he was laid down. "He heard a strange kind of chatter he couldn't understand." He made his way out of his bag and saw four people, covered in hair and not wearing any clothing. Two adults -a male and female and two younger ones he assumed where their offspring.
The adults, he estimated were over seven feet tall and about 500-600 pounds. They didn't try to hurt him, but seemed intent that he stay with them. After six days with this "family" he decided he'd had enough. He shot his rifle and startled them enough to make a break for it. Ostman didn't tell the story of his capture for years - believing people would think he'd lost his marbles. Can't say that I blame him.
The second one tells of a native of the Nootka tribe in Canada named Muchalat Harry, who gives his version of being taken. The year was 1928. He was "of strapping physique". A fur trapper by trade who would go out for weeks at a time in the wilderness by himself along the Conuma River on the west coast of Vancouver Island. One day he stumbled back to his village after one such trip nearly frozen, uttering wild cries, wearing nothing but torn and soaking wet long underwear.
After being nursed back to health, he told of being snatched up from his camp while he was in his blankets sleeping. He was tossed over something's shoulder and carried for two to three miles.
When he was put down, he found he was surrounded by about "twenty of the big hairy creatures." Both males and females. There were lots of bones scattered around him and he began to think they may want to eat him. He sat motionless while they touched him or pulled at his undergarments. After many hours most of the Bigfeet left him. Harry jumped up and ran for his life. He ran past his camp, ran twelve more miles to the River, found his canoe and paddled 45 miles nonstop back to his village. He never left it again.
I personally can't even begin to imagine being kidnapped by a group of Sasquatch in nothing but my underwear in the middle of winter. Or any season, for that matter.
If I could insert the Supernatural Tall Tales scene about the alien abduction and probing here, I would. But the embedding of that video is disabled.
Here's the link, just for fun.
So there you have it - two Sasquatch abductions. As Jack Palance used to say - Believe it *heavy breathing* or not.
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