trSE OF THE DIVINING ROB. 67 



" Our friend, the farmer — holding the stick — traversed the 

 court-yard in which the well had been dug with much gravity. 

 So long as he kept aloof from the well there was no motion 

 whatever in the stick : as we approached the water I thought I 

 fancied a slight depression in the stem, but when held immediately 

 over the well, the stem obviously declined, bent down, till it 

 pointed to the ground, and the apparent attraction was so great 

 that it turned quite round and was nearly broken from the fork. 

 All this time the branches of the fork were firmly grasped, and 

 the hands did not move in the smallest perceptible degree. IS'ow 

 let one take hold of a stick, as I have described, and he will find 

 it impossible to move the stem without also moving his hands. 

 Here there is a most singular mystery, for I cannot account for 

 it on any supposition of peculiar -muscular power or of sleight-of- 

 hand. 



"We afterwards got him to exhibit many proofs of his art, one 

 of which I will mention. We placed three hats on the ground, 

 and under one of them (not allowing him of course to know which) 

 we put a watch. He held the stick as before over each of them, 

 and when he came to that which contained the watch, the sudden 

 downward movement of the stem was amazingly palpable : it 

 looked like magic. 



I must now state a circumstance that tells against our faith in 

 the Divining- Rod, it is, that the stick was wholly inert and 

 passive when used by us, although we rigidly followed the 

 instructions of the professor. This objection was got rid of by 

 the assertion that there are few in whose hands the stick has any 

 power. But this savours so much of mockery, that did not the 

 man's character forbid the supposition, and had I not seen what 

 I have detailed, I should at once set him down as an impostor, 

 or at least the dupe of his own craft. Other objections will of 

 course occur to your ingenious readers. My present business is 

 with facts, and I should be glad to see from others a satisfactory 

 theory on the subject." 



There are several letters about its prevalence throughout 



