336 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1928 



New South Wales the results of an extensive test were also unfavor- 

 able to divining; the commission for water conservation and irriga- 

 tion reported (June 10, 1920) observations on 142 bores; of 56 bores 

 located by the divining rod 70 per cent were successful, but of the 96 

 bores sunk without it 87 per cent were successful; and as these tests 

 were regarded as utterly discrediting the use of the rod the tests 

 were stopped. Prof. Griffith Taylor, of Sydney (Proc. E.. Soc. Vict., 

 n, s., xxxiii, 1921, pp. 79-86), reports two cases that he carefully in- 

 vestigated near the Australian capital, Canberra. In one case a 

 flowing stream was predicted; the stream was not there, but a well 

 reached the watertable, and thus obtained water. In the other case 

 the divining was a complete failure, and Professor Taylor adds 

 (Ibid., p. 83) that few people know of that case. 



In England the most systematic test was that organized at Guild- 

 ford by the Sanitary Record and Municipal Engineering. (Vol. LI, 

 1913, Jan.-June, pp. 355-358, 391-392, 46^-466.) The tests were 

 supervised by a number of authorities on water supply with the late 

 William Whitaker as chairman. Many diviners attended; seven of 

 them were selected, and were conducted separately over a route of 

 which the water conditions were known to the committee. The indi- 

 cations of each diviner were marked on separate maps, which are 

 published in the official report. They tested three sites. At the first, 

 shallow gravel lay on London Clay; the gravel held water at the 

 depth of 20 feet on the southern side, but none at the swampy north- 

 eastern part of the field. Water could be found in the Chalk at the 

 depth of 150 feet equally well under all parts of the field. The 

 diversity of indications b}' the diviners was very marked (fig. 10) ; 

 one found a small stream across the northern part of the field, and a 

 broader stream a little farther south. Others found springs ir- 

 reg-ularly scattered over the field. Some of the indications were quite 

 isolated, though with so large a number on the small field naturally 

 there were some coincidences. 



Site No. 2 was a reservoir covered by a lawn. On part of the 

 lawn there was an iron pipe which all the diviners saw, and reported 

 water beside it, though the ground there was dr}'-. In the distribu- 

 tion of the water the diviners were utterly at variance, although most 

 of them were sure that there was none in the middle. (Fig. 11.) 

 One found water at the north angle; another found water at two 

 places; a third found it at three places on the margin; a fourth at 

 two places on the margin; a fifth found two streams; and a sixth, 

 one stream about equidistant between the two. 



Site No. 3 was a field on Chalk with water under all parts of the 

 field; a spring had been found on the eastern boundary some years 

 before, and a sewer with running water crosses the field. (Fig. 12.) 



