WATER DIVINING — GREGORY 335 



was engaged in 1893 ; the sites he recommended were not tried, but a 

 well sunk as near them as was practicable yielded no water. Sub- 

 sequently two members of the local board tried dowsing, and seven 

 wells were sunk where they recommended in the lower part of the 

 sands, and into or near the top of the clay. One well yielded up to 

 7,000 and another up to 12,000 gallons a day, the total yield of their 

 seven wells varied from 1,250 to 24,000 gallons a day, whereas the 

 original double well and the Bristow's heading yielded from 9,000 

 to 24,000 gallons a day. Nevertheless, this case is claimed as a great 

 triumph for the dowsers as against the geologists; but the facts are 

 that though four geologists reported, the proposals made by three of 

 them were never tried, and though the heading made at the sugges- 

 tion of the fourth was at too high a level, it was the most productive 

 work of the whole series. The dowsers' wells were put down through 

 the Greensand to the water-bearing layer at the top of the clay, and 

 obtained their supplies from the level previously proved to be water- 

 bearing by the engineer who made the first two wells. 



The happy selection of the sites in these four cases was in accord- 

 ance with common sense and did not require ciyptesthesia, 



Henri Mager in his book (1920, pp, 16-26) describes the test in 

 the Bois de Vincennes near Paris in 1913, which he claims as con- 

 vincing. Thirty diviners came, but only four agreed to take part in 

 the trials. The first test was to map an underground quarry. One 

 diviner marked its borders with approximate accuracy; a second 

 was not very successful because, according to Mager, he held his rod 

 by a glass phial; the third claimed to have found the pillars which 

 supported the roof in the quarry, but there is no evidence as to his 

 accuracy ; and the fourth reported coal. The next test was to find a 

 buried mass of copper and a cast-iron grille. The copper was not 

 found because, according to Mager, it was neutralized by a metallic 

 peg above it, but the two diviners identified the position of the grille. 

 Several diviners were then tested for water in torrents of rain, but 

 no definite information as to the results is given, though Mager 

 claims that they were concordant. Finally, two of the diviners were 

 tested with envelopes containing different metals, and both of them 

 found one containing copper. These results seem to me by no means 

 convincing as the success in some cases was only partial and in others 

 the information given is too indefinite for an opinion. 



IV. INDEPENDENT TESTS OF DIVINING 



Many tests of divining have been made both by geological surveys 

 and individuals. The Government geologist of South Australia, Dr. 

 Keith Ward, reports (November 5, 1914) that in that State an area 

 had been tested and water found alike where, according to the divin- 

 ing rod, there was none, and where it gave indications of water. In 



