April 24. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 47 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
Weathkrnear London in 1853. 
ATV 
Moon’s 
Age. 
APRIL 24-30, 1855, 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
R. & S. 
bf. 
Sun. 
Year, j 
24 
Tu 
Hvdroporus fluviatilis. 
30.416—30.299 
51—18 
N.E. 
_ 
48 a 4 
8 a .7 
2 
33 
3 
1 
52 
114 
25 
W 
St. Mark. Prs. Alice b. 1843. 
30.427—30.374 
51—39 
N. 
— 
46 
10 
2 
58 
9 
2 
3 
115 
26 
Th 
[Ds. Glo. b., 17/6. 
30.391—30.302 
56—35 
N.E. 
— 
44 
n 
3 
17 
10 
2 
14 
116 
V 
F 
Colymbetes striatus. 
30.002-29.802 
54—36 
N.W. 
13 
42 
13 
3 
32 
11 
2 
24 
117 
28 
s 
Hydaticus transversalis. 
29-913—29.840 
53—37 
N. 
— 
40 
15 
3 
45 
12 
2 
34 
118 
29 
Son 
3 Sunday after Easter. 
29.699—29.637 
: 53—29 
N. 
04 
38 
16 
3 
513 
13 
2 
43 
119 
1 30 
M 
Elater murinus. 
29.528—29.295 
52—46 
S.W. 
04 
36 
18 
4 
9 
14 
2 
52 
120 
Meteorology of tiie Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest tern- 
j peratures of these days are 60 . 2 °, and 37 .8°, respectively. The greatest heat, 81°, occurred on the 28th, in 1840 ; 
| on the 26 th, in 1653. During the period 115 days were fine, and on 81 rain fell. 
and the lowest cold, 25°, 
The communication we published at page 243 of our 
last .volume relative to the “ Finding of Water with 
Hazel Rods,” has not only brought to us many com¬ 
munications upon the subject, but also a pamphlet, 
entitled “A Narrative of Practical Experiments” re¬ 
lative to Water finding.* So that if the practice were not 
of itself interesting we have it so forced upon our 
attention that we must ask our readers’ attention to 
alleged facts sustaining what may be true, and if true is 
valuable. 
We are quite as sceptical as to the truth of this mode 
of discovering the treasures of the earth as any of our 
readers can be; but our scepticism is founded upon 
that unstable consideration that we cannot explain why 
the “ Dowsing Fork ” is influenced as is alleged. Such 
consideration is unstable, because the world must be 
universally sceptical about everything if nothing was 
to be believed the causes of which could not be 
explained. Why the magnet points to the north, who 
can say? Why sealing-wax becomes electric by friction, 
who can explain ? Why one Rose is scentless and 
another perfumed, who can tell? 
Ehabdomancy, or divination by a rod, is no modern 
invention ; for obscure allusions to it are found even 
| in the Old Testament, and its efficacy in discovering 
J springs of water and veins of metal has had believers 
I among those whose names are favourably known in the 
annals of science. 
George Agricola, the German Metallurgist of the 16th 
century; John Sperling and Theodore Kirchmaier; 
Richelet, and Morhoff, the well-known chemist, were all 
believers in the power of the Divining Rod. M. 
: Thouvenot and the Marquis le Gendre published works 
; in which they explained the power on magnetic or 
electric principles; whilst our own countryman Pryce, 
in his “ Mineralogia Cornubiensis,” in 1778, records 
many instances of the Rod’s successful employment. 
Even Linnaeus bears testimony to the same fact, for he 
relates that hearing his secretary extolling the virtues of 
his Divining Rod, he concealed a purse containing one 
i hundred ducats under one of the plants of Crowfoot, or 
Buttercup, growing in a meadow. The company with 
Linnaeus so trampled over the meadow that Linnaeus 
could not detect whme he had hidden his ducats. 
His Secretary’s wand pointed out the place, and 
* A Narrative of Practical Experiments, proving to demonstration the 
Discovery of Water, Coal, and Minerals in the Earth by means of the 
Dowsing Fork, or Divining Rod. By Francis Phippen. London: 
Robert Hardwicke, Carey Street, Lincoln’s Inn, 1353. 
Linnaeus winds up his statement with the observa¬ 
tion :—“ Another such experiment would suffice to make 
me a proselyte.” 
Mr. Phippen relates the following as facts within his 
own knowledge:— 
“The next fact we shall mention took place on the 
premises of Arthur Phippen, Esq., the well-known surgeon, 
who resides at Wedmore, near Wells, in Somersetshire. On 
Tuesday, the 10th of September, in the present year, a 
person named Charles Adams, was brought from Rowberrow, 
near Shipham, to ‘ Dowse ’ for water. Adams is forty-three 
years of age, and has practiced Dowsing since he was thirteen, 
in the course of which time lie has been accessory'to the 
sinking of upwards of 100 wells. To prepare for his ex¬ 
periment, he went to a hedge, accompanied by our cor¬ 
respondent, and cut from it a forked white thorn twig of this 
year’s growth, about eighteen inches long in each stem. He 
then entered the garden, and walked about, with his appa¬ 
ratus projected in the usual way, to search for water. He 
had walked but a few paces over the soil, when the fork was 
repelled, and the position of the spring discovered. This 
spring lie traced west and east to a considerable distance, 
until he arrived over a covered well, of the existence of 
which he was totally ignorant, and there the instrument 
became so much agitated, that it required a strong pressure 
to keep it down. All the spectators, including a reverend 
divine and our correspondent, successively held one of 
the branches or stems, and every one of them was con¬ 
vinced by the resistance made to his effort that the 
ceremony was no delusion. The next experiment was 
made in the kitchen, the floor of which is covered with 
stone, and under which there are no springs. In the 
absence of Adams, three hats were placed, crown upwards, 
on the floor at equal distances, and under the centre 
hat were placed three silver spoons. Adams was then 
called on to exhibit. To the two empty hats the Dowsing 
Fork was immovable, but when held over the centre hat, 
which covered the spoons, it was driven back towards the 
breast of the operator, just as when the presence of water 
was indicated. There was still another experiment on the 
same occasion. The three hats were placed again on the 
floor, the first covering a small diamond pin, the second three 
silver spoons, and the third a gold watch, chain, and seals. 
The first and second hats produced a powerful effect on the 
Dowsing Fork, that which covered the diamond pin being by 
far the more powerful, while that which covered the watch, 
chain, and seals was but slight, being hardly perceptible to 
the different witnesses of the exhibition. Adams, who is a 
very sober, industrious man, can produce testimonials of his 
ability and success in the extraordinary process from many 
persons of the highest respectability in the county of 
Somerset. 
“We will add but one fact more to those which we 
have already stated. The experiment took place on the 
premises of John Barrow, Esq., one of the magistrates <f 
the district, a gentleman in every way superior to the 
influence of vulgar prejudice, but at the same time too en¬ 
lightened to shut his eyes with obstinate incredulity against 
anything capable of experimental proof. On Monday, the 
Otli of September last, in the presence of Mr. Barrow 
himself, of our correspondent, and of several other gentle¬ 
men, Thomas Tyler,, of Latcliem, a village near Weilmon , 
No. CCCXLlrt, to t Nit. 
