the dowsers themselves, is too well known to be noticed here. The only instance that I know of its having been used in Devonshire was at Stickelpath, near Oakhampton, about six years ago; where a dowser was brought up, at a considerable expense, from the west of Cornwall, by a set of adventurers, who, notwithstanding the favourable predictions of the dowser, have found their speculation an unprofitable adventure.' This letter was written so late as 1835.

Recent circumstances have tended to give a new interest to the divining-rod. It is known that Faraday in England, and Plücker in Germany, have made several remarkable discoveries in magnetism and dia-magnetism; by which it is shewn, that magnetic properties of a decided kind are possessed by almost all kinds of substances, wet and dry, organised and mineral, animal and vegetable, living and dead. During the same period, Reichenbach has been promulgating his strange theories and demonstrations respecting the Od force; and Mr Colquhon and Dr Gregory have been writing largely in relation to that debated ground-whether called mesmerism or by any other name—which at present lies beyond the admitted domain of science. Herbert Mayo has written a remarkable book, of which the third edition was published by Messrs Blackwood in 1851-On the Truths contained in Popular Superstitions. In this book, among other matters, he states his own experiences and his own beliefs respecting the divining-rod. Dr Mayo was, like most other persons, a disbeliever in this occult power; but he saw reason to change his opinions; and the circumstance which led to this change had better be given in his own words :

Dr

'In the summer of 1843, I dwelt under the same roof with a Scottish gentleman, well informed, of a serious turn of mind, fully endowed with the national allowance of shrewdness and caution. I saw a good deal of him; and one day, by chance, this subject of the divining-rod was mentioned. He told me that at one time, his curiosity having been raised upon the subject, he had taken pains to ascertain what there is in it. With this object in view, he had obtained an introduction to Mrs R, sister of Sir G. R- then living at Southampton, whom he had learned to be one of those in whose hands the divining-rod moved. He visited the lady, who was polite enough to shew him in what the performance consists.. Mrs R- then took my friend to a part of the shrubbery where she knew, from former trials, the diviningrod would move in her hands. It did so, to my friend's extreme astonishment; and even continued to move when, availing himself of Mrs R's permission, my friend grasped her hands with sufficient firmness to prevent, as he supposed, any muscular action of her wrists or fingers influencing the result. On a subsequent day, my friend, having thought over what he had seen, repeated his visit to the lady. He provided himself-as substitutes for the hazel-fork which he had seen her employ-with

portions of copper and iron wire, about a foot and a half long, bent something into the form of the letter V: he had made, in fact, divining-forks of wire, wanting only the projecting point. He found that these instruments moved quite as freely in Mrs R's hands as the hazel-fork had done. Then he coated the two handles of one of them with sealing-wax, leaving, however, the extreme ends free and uncovered. When Mrs R- tried the rod so prepared, holding the parts alone which were covered with sealing-wax, and walked on the same piece of ground as in the former experiments, the rod remaining perfectly still. As often, however, as-with no greater change than adjusting her hands, so as to touch the free ends of the wire with her thumbsMrs R- renewed direct contact with the instrument, it again moved; the motion ceased again as often as the direct contact was interrupted.'

So far the proof is all second-hand. Dr Mayo then studied the work of a French writer on this subject—the Comte de Tristanwho, in 1829, published a large body of facts corroborative of the theory. Dr Mayo, being at Weilbach, in Nassau, in the spring of 1847, thought the locality favourable for testing the theory, as there are numerous underground streams and springs; and he chose for his experimenter Edward Seebold, a tall, thin, pale youth, the son of the bath-keeper. The youth was provided, according to the instructions of the Comte de Tristan, with three pieces of silver in one hand, which also held one branch of the fork; while the other hand held the other branch, covered with thin silk. He was told to walk up and down over a particular space of ground, which the doctor knew to have many streams beneath it; and the result is thus told :-'The lad had not made five steps, when the point of the divining-fork began to ascend. He laughed with astonishment at the event, which was totally unexpected by him; and he said that he experienced a tickling or thrilling sensation in his hands. He continued to walk up and down before me. The fork had soon described a complete circle; then it described another; and so it continued to do as long as he walked thus, and as often as, after stopping, he resumed his walk. The experiment was repeated by him, in my presence, with like success, several times during the ensuing month. Then the lad fell into ill-health, and I rarely saw him. However, I one day sent for him, and begged him to do me the favour of making another trial with the divining-fork; he did so, but the instrument moved slowly and sluggishly; and when, having completed a semicircle, it pointed backwards towards the pit of his stomach, it stopped, and would go no further. At the same time, the lad said he felt an uneasy sensation, which quickly increased to pain, at the pit of the stomach, and he became alarmed; when I bade him quit hold of one handle of the divining-rod, and the pain ceased. Ten minutes afterwards, I induced him to make another trial; the results were the same. A few days later, when the lad seemed

still more out of health, I induced him to repeat the experiment; now, however, the divining-fork would not move at all.'

In respect to the last-described experiment, it appears that different persons have the power-supposing all is as has been stated-much more strongly than others; and that the same person varies greatly in this respect at different times. Dr Mayo states that when, in May 1851, he again tried Edward Seebold, who had grown in health and strength during the intervening period of four years, the result could scarcely be produced at all. There was evidently an impression on the mind of Dr. Mayo, that some of the many persons whom he saw subjected to experiment were not quite free from the practice of a little deception in the matter; but it is equally certain, that he regards the whole matter as far more worthy of steady inquiry than of mere ridicule.

It is well known to scientific men, that when a galvanic current is passing through a wire, a magnetic needle near the wire becomes deflected in a remarkable way. Whether there are any such currents in metallic veins, or in running-streams; and whether, if there be such, these currents affect any light object held in the hands of sensitive and delicate persons-are questions rather of science than of superstition: they cannot be shelved by mere 'pooh-pooh-ing.' If it be asked, whether belief or disbelief in the occult powers of the Cornish miners' dowsing-rod be right, we should say-neither, at present; wait for further experiments; and whenever and wherever they arise, scrutinise them closely, but give them fair play.

rose, existed for a time with great energy, then declined into insignificance. What was exceedingly remarkable, the frenzy never lacked victims: it followed the well-known law of supply and demand. As soon as witches were in request, they made their appearance. Any severe denunciation, followed by a rigorous scrutiny, brought them prominently into notice. Nor, what was still more curious, did the newly-discovered witches in all cases deny the accusations against them. Many acknowledged with a species of pride, that they had entered into a compact with the devil. They seem, on occasions, to have gloried in being the objects of so much interest, and hastened to confess, although death at the stake or on the gallows was the consequence. It must be considered as in some degree explanatory of this selfcondemnation, that torture was always at hand to enforce confession; and as there was little chance, therefore, of escape after accusation, the wish to die on the speediest terms had probably no small share in inducing the alleged witches to boast of their mysterious crimes. In the majority of cases, however, there was stout denial; but this generally served no good purpose, and we are painfully assured, that many thousands of individuals, in almost every country, were sacrificed as victims to the petty spite and vengeance of accusers. At the height of the successive paroxysms, no one, whatever his rank or character, was safe from an accusation of trafficking with evil spirits. If he lived a profligate life, he was of course chargeable with the offence; if he lived quietly and unobtrusively, and was seemingly pious in character, he was only hypocritically concealing his diabolical practices; if he had acquired wealth somewhat rapidly, that was a sure sign of his guilt; and if he was poor, there was the greater reason for believing that he was in league with the devil to become rich. There was only one means of escaping suspicion, and that was to become an accuser. The choice was before every man and woman, of acting the part of accusers, or of being themselves accused. The result may be anticipated. Perceiving the tremendous danger of affecting to disbelieve witchcraft, people readily assumed the proper degree of credulity; and to mark their detes tation of the crime, as well as secure themselves from attack, they hastened to denounce acquaintances and neighbours. Nothing could be more easy than to do so in a manner perfectly satisfactory. Pretending to fall sick, or to go into convulsions, or to have a strange pain in some part of the body or limbs, people were doubtless bewitched! Any sudden storm at sea, causing the wreck of vessels, was another evidence that witches were concerned; and so far did these allegations descend, that even so small a matter as a failure in churning milk for butter, was a sure sign of diabolical agency. On the occasion of every unforeseen catastrophe, therefore, on the occurrence of any unaccountable malady, the question was immediately agitated-Who was the witch? Then was the time for querulous old men or women in the neighbourhood to