UFO Sighting in 1796 - Have you seen a UFO?

A UFO in the US...taken from the internet

Recently I wrote on my blog, about Simeon Perkins recording in his diaries about the sighting of a UFO in the Valley in 1796. It is the earliest known such recording in North America. A lot of readers have messaged me about it and it has stirred up a lot of interest. Here is the recording from his diary.

 

UFOs OVER CANADA

FIFTEEN SHIPS AND A MAN
Wednesday, October 12, 1796
Simeon Perkins

...
The earliest report of the sighting of an "unidentified flying object" in the sky over North America is likely the one that is found in the diary of a Maritime shipbuilder.

This report comes from the diary that was kept by Simeon Perkins (1735-1812), a Loyalist merchant, colonial judge, and prosperous resident of Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

His gracious home, Perkins House, is preserved as a museum, largely through the efforts of the Maritime author Thomas H. Raddall.

Perkin's diary is of great interest to social historians for the light it sheds on social conditions in the province in the 18th Century. The Diary of Simeon Perkins was issued by the Champlain Society of Toronto in three volumes between 1948 and 1961. The third volume, which was edited by C.B. Fergusson, includes the entry for for Wednesday, 12 Oct. 1796, which describes "Fifteen Ships and a Man."

The entry is reprinted here. New Minas is a community near Minas Basin on the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy.

As each age is inclined to depict "unidentified flying objects" or UFOs in the imagery of the day, it is not surprising that in the days of sail there should be a description of an aerial flotilla of fifteen ships following a navigator.

A strange Story is going that Fleet of Ships have been Seen in the Air in Some part of the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Darrow is lately from there by Land. I enquired of him.

He Says they were Said to be Seen in the New Minas, at one Mr. Ratchford's, by a Girl, about Sunrise, & that the Girl being frightened, Called out, & two men that were in the House went out and Saw the Same Sight, being 15 Ships and a Man forwards of them with his hand Stretched out.

The Ships made to the Eastward. They were So Near that the people Saw their Sides and ports.

The Story did not obtain universal Credit, but Some people believed it.

My Own Opinion is that it was only in Imagination, as the Cloud at Sunrise might Make Some Such appearance, which being Improved by Imagination, might be all they Saw.

Exceedingly pleasant day & Evening

One of my face book friends messaged me this morning and had a great idea. She thought it would be a good idea for people to share their sightings. Have you seen a UFO? If you have or know of a story to share please comment.

I personally have a story and here's how it goes. One day when I was still going to Milton School, my cousin and I were walking home and we were walking on Tupper Street, near the woods road we always called the "Fire Road" when we heard a loud noise almost like loud music. We didn't know where it was coming from when suddenly this silver ball came floating over us. If you clasped your hands together and make your arms in a circular shape that's about how big I remember it being. It wasn't going fast just taking it's time and it was where the noise was coming from. I think it had 3 legs on it too. This was in the late 1970s so I don't remember every detail but it just went along it's way and disappeared over the tree tops. For those of you skeptics, I just want you to know I wasn't a teenage alcoholic or a pot head so I can't blame what I saw on drinking or drugs. To this day I don't know what we saw and luckily we didn't get beamed on board but what it was I will never know.