Ir Divining Rod, ^3 ' 



tues, 5 ' it has been concluded that there is no real efficacy in 

 the rod. It muft, he fays, be particularly obferved, that as 

 our animal fpirits are neceflary to this procefs, fo a man 

 ought to hold the rod with the fame indifference and inatten- 

 tion to, and reafoning about it, or its effects, as he holds 

 a iifhing-rod, or a walking- (lick ; for, If the mind be occupied 

 by doubts, reafoning, or any other operation that engages the 

 animal fpirits, it will diveft their powers from being exerted 

 in the procefs, in which their inftrumentality is abfolutely 

 necetfary: hence, he obferves, it is that the rod conftantly 

 anfwers in the hands of peafants, women, and children, who 

 hold it (imply, without puzzling their minds with doubts 

 or reafonings. Whatever, adds he, may be thought of this 

 obfervation, it is a very juft one, and of great confequence' 

 in the practice of the divining rod. 



Equipped as has been delcribed, and duly obferving the 

 foregoing directions, the perfon in fearch of a metallic lode 

 is to walk fteadily and (lowly forward ; and when he ap- 

 proaches a lode fo nearly as its femi-diameter, the rod, it is 

 laid, will feel loofe in his hands, and be fenfibly repelled to- 

 wards his face : if it be thrown back fo far as to touch his 

 hat, it mud be brought forward to its ufual elevation, when 

 it will continue to be repelled till his foremoft fo*bt is over the 

 edge of the lode : and when this is the cafe, if the rod be held 

 well, there will be firft a fmall repulfion towards the face ; but 

 this is momentary, and the rod will be immediately drawn ir- 

 refiftibly down, it is faid, and will continue to be fo during 

 the whole paflage over the lode : but as foon as the foremoft 

 foot is beyond its limits (Pryce's Minerahgia Cornubievjis) , 

 the attraction from the hindmoft foot, which is dill on the 

 lode, orelfe the repulfion on the other fide, or both, throw the 

 rod back towards the face. When the rod has been drawn 

 down, the hands muft be opened, the rod raifed by the 

 middle fingers, a fre(h grafp muft be taken, and the rod held 

 again as before ; for, if it be railed again without opening the 

 hands, it will not work. 



Pryce, at p. 123 of his Minerahgia Cornubien/is , informs 

 us that many mines have been difcovertd by means of the 

 rod, and quotes feveral ; but it muft be obferved that, by his 

 own account of the adventures, not one of them turned out 

 a profitable concern ; and hence he takes occafion to obferve, 

 that it is by no means a disadvantage that the rod dips equally 

 to a poor as to a rich lode, which he allows to be the cafe; 

 otherwife the great prizes in the mining lottery would foon 

 be drawn, and future adventurers be difcouraged. 



£ut though the rod is faid to dip equally to a poor as to a 

 X % ricrt 



