102 REMINISCENCES OF 



The second visitor to Manchester was of a different 

 type. He appeared to be a man of some financial 

 position in the world, since he had a gentlemanly 

 demeanour and kept a yacht, of which a lad whom 

 he brought with him to Manchester was said to be 

 cabin-boy. It was affirmed that this lad was a 

 clairvoyant, who could see to read, however much 

 his eyes were plastered up. Some persons were 

 invited out of the audience to apply this plastering, 

 and after they had done so, the lad certainly read as 

 easily as before. I at once expressed myself dissatis- 

 fied with the test, and was requested by some of the 

 audience to undertake the closing of the eyes with 

 these plasters. I tried to do so, but careful watching 

 convinced me that by vigorous movements of the 

 muscles acting upon the eyelids, the lad contrived 

 to loosen a minute fold of the plaster close to his 

 eye; through this fold he managed to read the 

 books. I saw at once this could be stopped, by cutting 

 a long strip of plaster which should cover the eye- 

 brows, and at the same time bind down the 

 edges of all the plasters with which the eyes were 

 closed. In order to prevent any muscular action 

 from disturbing this additional bandage, I stretched 

 it tightly round the temples and fastened the two 

 ends firmly together at the back of his head. I had 

 no sooner done this with one of his eyes, than he 

 prevented me from adopting the same plan with the 

 other ; he began to yell and declared I was killing 

 him with pain. His master instantly turned upon me, 



