FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



presence of water, and a strong spring will make 

 my arms ache badly. 



"It is quite true that only ' running water ' 

 affects me, and on one occasion I had a curious 

 example of this. It was on a Saturday evening, 

 and I quite accidentally found the presence of 

 water close to a house where my sister was living. 

 The following day I told her about this spring 

 and tried the spot, when no effect was observable. 

 On inquiry she told me that there was a pipe 

 underneath connected with a ram which was 

 always put out of action on Sundays. 



" I suppose the power must have something to 

 do with the composition of the blood and nerve 

 cells, but I have never yet come across a scientific 

 explanation for this power, which is certainly 

 possessed by many people. 



" I do not pretend to be an expert, but in cal- 

 culating the depth at which water will be found, 

 I assume it to be influenced by the distance from 

 the central point of activity to the end of the 

 radius at which it commences : the further the 

 distance the greater the depth. 



" Some ' dowsers ' merely use their hands and 

 require no twig or other intermediary." 



142 



