224 A PEEP AT 



which a portion of mankind manifest a strong affinity 

 for, to entitle them to serious consideration. 



My attention has recently been called to this mat- 

 ter by witnessing experiments of a character anala- 

 gous to those alluded to above, and I am free to 

 confess that they have interested me much, and 

 shaken somewhat my previous incredulity in this 

 matter. 



It has been ascertained that several kinds of 

 wood, of dense, compact fibre, answers the purpose 

 equally as well as hazel, and that rods of whalebone 

 are still better than vegetable substances. 



A few weeks since a highly intelligent and scien- 

 tific friend remarked that he had been very much 

 surprised and interested in observing the movements 

 of the whalebone in the hands of a guest of his, a 

 minister of high standing, from a distant town in our 

 State. His knowledge of the phenomenon was alto- 

 gether accidental, and when we consider his un- 

 doubted integrity of character, the suspicion of trick 

 or deception on his part is dispelled entirely. 



He first observed the attraction of the rods down- 

 wards while workmen were engaged in excavating for 

 a well upon his premises, and directed the excavation 

 in accordance with the direction of the rods. Com- 



