Old Wells 237 



near such a place. Sometimes they had luck, just 

 like a fellow prophesying." 



WHAT LEABKED MEN SAY ABOUT IT 



This divining-rod business is no modern affair 

 let me state. That great book of knowledge, the 

 Britannica, devotes a page to the subject and gives 

 out that it is apparently of immemorial antiquity. 

 It wasn't started by our farmers in the bush, oh, 

 no, and it is of more than mythological or super- 

 stitious interest. 



From the Britannica I quote the following: 

 ' ' Prof. W. F. Barrett, F. R. S., the chief modern in- 

 vestigator of his subject, regards its employment, 

 dating as it does from the revival of learning, as 

 based on the medieval doctrine of * sympathy,' the 

 drooping of trees and character of vegetation being 

 considered to give indications of matters beneath 

 the earth's surface, by means of a sort of atfrac- 

 tion." *' Making a liberal allowance for failures 

 of which I have not heard," writes Prof. Barrett, 

 **I have no hesitation in saying that where fissure 

 of water exists and the discovery of underground 

 water sufficient for a domestic supply is a mat- 

 ter of the utmost difficulty, the chances of success 

 with a good dowser far exceeds mere lucky hits, 

 on the success obtained by the most skilful ob- 

 server, even with a full knowledge of the local 

 geology." 



The Encyclopedia editor adds: **Is this due 



