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KEDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



" I once saw his skill," he says, " tried on a horse 

 which could never before be brought to a stand 

 for a smith to shoe him. The day after Sullivan's 

 lecture, I went, not without some incredulity, to 

 the smith's shop, with many other curious spec- 

 tators, who were eye-witnesses of the complete 

 success of his art. This had been a troop-horse ; 

 it was supposed that after regimental discipline 

 had failed, no other could be found availing. I 

 observed that the animal seemed terrified when 

 Sullivan either spoke to or looked at him." 



Were we to recount all the well-authenticated 

 details of the marvellous power of "the Whis- 

 perer," we should far exceed our limits : there are 

 persons in the South of Ireland still living who 

 were witnesses of this power, or who have bene- 

 fited by it. How he obtained this wonderful com- 

 mand over the horse has never yet been ascer- 

 tained. Some fancied that he poured some opiate 

 into the ear of the animal, while others ascribed 

 his success to magic. Crofton Groker observes, 

 that " he seemed to possess an intuitive power of 

 inspiring awe ; the result, perhaps, of natural in- 

 trepidity, in which, I believe, great part of his art 

 consisted, though the circumstance of the tete-a- 

 tete shows that on particular occasions something 

 more must have been added to it. The power of 

 " the Whisperer " is glanced at in " Borrow's Bible 

 in Spain," from which, too, it would appear that 

 he had taken some lessons in his art. In " La- 

 vengro, the Scholar," he enlarges on the subject ; 

 and from what he says, it would appear that the 

 cure of the animal is effected by a word. The 

 smith of whom he speaks, he tells us, " uttered a 

 word which I had never heard before, in a sharp 

 pungent tone ; the effect upon myself was some- 

 what extraordinary, a strange thrill ran through 

 me, but with regard to the cob it was terrible. 

 The animal forthwith became like one mad, and 

 roared and kicked with the utmost desperation. 

 He afterwards uttered another word, in a voice 

 singularly modified, but sweet and almost plain- 

 tive. The effect of it was instantaneous as that of 

 the other, but was different ; the animal lost all 

 its fury, and became at once calm and gentle." 



This extraordinary power, hitherto so inexpli- 

 cable, may now perhaps be traced to mesmerism. 

 Dr. Esdaile, in his " Natural and Mesmeric Clair- 

 voyance," quotes a remarkable passage from 

 Catlin's account of the North Americans, observ- 

 ing, that "it appears that they know the soothing 

 effects of mesmerism upon brutes, and turn it to 

 practical purposes." In describing the capture 

 of buffalo calves after the death of their mothers, 

 he says, "I have often, in concurrence with a 

 known custom of the country, held my hands over 

 the eyes of a calf, and breathed a few strong 

 breaths into his nostrils, after which I have, 

 with my hunting companions, rode several miles 

 into our encampment, with the little prisoner 

 busily following the heels of my horse, the whole 

 way, as closely and as affectionately as its instinct 

 would attach it to the company of its dam. In 

 describing the capture of wild horses by the lasso, 

 he also says, " The hunter gradually advances, 

 until he is able to place his hand on the animal's 

 nose and over its eyes, and at length to breathe 

 into his nostrils, when it becomes docile and 

 conquered, so that he has little else to do than 

 to remove the hobbles from his feet, and lead 



or ride it into camp." No doubt this impulsive 

 power has often been employed by those who 

 have stolen cattle. It is practised in India in 

 luring away children. There are rumors all 

 over that country of persons compelled by charms 

 to follow others. " It has been discovered," 

 says a Malacca Journal, " that there exists a 

 gang of child -stealers. A person when walking 

 in the suburbs of Canton, recognised a child of 

 his employer, who had lately suddenly disap- 

 peared. The child did not know him, but ap- 

 peared stupid. When brought home, the stupi- 

 fying charms could only be dissipated by the 

 priests of Budha (who were probably well ac- 

 quainted with the mysterious practice of mes- 

 merism). Search was made, and the retreat of 

 six men and three women were discovered, who 

 had carried on this trade for several years. Dr. 

 Esdaile saw a boy in India of about ten years 

 old, who had been found two miles from his home, 

 following a man, and appearing in a stupified 

 state. When he came to his recollection, he told 

 that when in a field by his father's house, a man, 

 whom he had never seen before, came up to him, 

 took him by the hand, and began to mutter charms 

 over him; very soon after, the man passed his 

 hands across his eyes, and that thereupon he lost 

 his senses, and felt compelled to follow him." 

 There is nothing in man's nature more astonishing 

 than this compulsory power. We know not to 

 what extent it may have been used, nor can we 

 calculate on the extent to which it may yet be 

 applied. 



"We shall frequently have to recur to this 

 subject; for it involves a very curious and 

 interesting inquiry. We sleep with our eyes 

 open now— and we hardly care to close them. 



Hogg's Instructor. February. Groom- 

 bridge and Sons. 



This popular Miscellany is as interesting 

 as ever, and contains some very readable 

 articles ; inter alia— Glimpses of life among 

 the Spitalfields Weavers, A Month in the 

 Apennines, Norway and its Glaciers, and a 

 well-written paper on the late LudwigTieck, 

 leader of the Romantic School in German 

 literature. 



Among the poetical effusions is one which 

 pleases us vastly; and being in praise of 

 Woman, there requires no apology for its 

 being transplanted into our " pleasant pages." 

 We hardly need observe, that the author, D. 

 Mitchell, is not speaking of the bare-faced, 

 bare-headed, "fashionable" women of the 

 present day. Let not such brainless " dolls " 

 as these, profane the sacred name of 

 woman ! 



All earthly Powers and Principalities ! 

 Human embodiments of every sense 

 That animates our souls ! all living Men, 

 Of varied minds the representatives ! 

 Kneel down before the radiant throne, where sits 

 Woman enshrined, as Mistress of the World ; 

 Then own the mighty power she wields o'er 

 hearts 



