Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-11-07

faeu,ty is altogether lost, and that il |, ex-
hausted, also, by long and unremitted efforts
that she considers the hours OF from 10 unth -
o'clock, of each alternate day. the most favo-
rablc for her performance. Her pulse during
the experiments, 10 variedi from ITO TO $50 de-
grees.
One circumstance, which ha, created much
doubt aud suspicion, must not be concealed
which is, that il any substance, for instance, a.
book or a shawl, be inierposed between her
hands and the object she is investigating, she
is much embarrassed, and frequently entirely
batfed. She explains this by saying that IL IS
necessary there should be an uninterrupted
communication between her fingers and her
breath. leave it 10 others 10 draw their own
conclusions upon this point; as my obJect is
not to establish any theory, or give currency
60 any mystery, but to relate the simple facts.
l ana. therefore, compelled 10 express my con
vicuon that she can neither ascertain colors
nor the words oil Il book, i'll total darkneSs; and,
as many persons very naturally will ask, why
has net such test been propoSed1 the reply
must be, that as the young lady is not the sub
lect OF public exhibition, and as an introduce
ton TO her is merely matter OF favor, II might
not be very courteous or delicate, under such
circumstances, to make any proposal which
seemed 20 imply a suspicion that she was an
impostor.
There are persons, however, who, giving her
implicit credit tor Tie reality OF the extraordi-
nary powers 10 which she lays claim, will con-
tend that it is altogether unfair to propose the
test OF total darkness. Proceeding apon their
belief that she actually asCertains color, csc.
by the Finger. that the visual orgin is trans
ferred TO the touch; stiil they say that light is
essentially necessary to produce that effect
upon the surface Of the body telr, which ena-
bles her TO distinguish one shade from another:
they add, that as there is no such thing as CO.
Tor in total darkness, il is perfectly ridiculous
to expect that she should ascertain the various
shades without the presence of that light
which alone produces those shades. 1t is, ac.
cording TO their mode of considering the sub.
loo al
cause.
1t has already been stated, that with he
double bandage over her eyes, she read several
lines in book iDdiscrimina:cly opened; as it
was possible that the letters of printed book
might leave some slight impression sensible to
an exquisite touch, 1 took from my pocket
book an engraved French Assignat, which was
hot pressed aud smooth as glass she read the
smallest lines contained in this with the same
facility as the printed book. A letter received
by that days post WAS produced the direction
and post mark of which she Immediately and
correctly decypherea.
She also named the color of the separate
parts OF :he dresses of the persons in company,
~ well as various shades ofStained glass which
were purpUSey brought.
What had seen AT my first interview was
so extremely astonishing, and 20 far surpassed
any thing had ever known or read of the pow
eTs ascribed TO persons deprived of sight, that
1 could only account for it on the supposition
that she was not blind, and that she had some
standing the bandage, through which myself
could not Distinguish night from day when il
was applied TO my own eyes. l therefore made
the best apology could for visiting her house
again the same evening, having previously
prepared myself with several tests, which /
begged permission 10 submit to her eXam.na-
ton, when the candle was withdrawn. Not
the slightest objection was offered to my pro-
rosal, and the candle was eNtinguished: her
mother stationed herself b. fore the fire, which
was extremely low, and afforded so little light
that could not have read one word OF mode
rate sized print, II IL had been brought almost
Ia contact with the bars of the CRATE. then
took from my pocket small book, the type OF
which was very little larger than that of an or
dnaTy newspaper observing at the time. that
was afraid the print was too minute to which
she replied, that her fingers We're ia excellent
order, and ;liat she laa no doubt but she should
be able to make il ont. The candle, as was be-
fore observed, had been eXtIngushed aud her
mother and myself were so stationed that had
there been any light afforded by the fire, we
must have completely Intercepted it, Miss
NJ Avoy sat in the furthest part of the room
with her back towards the CRATE, in such sill
uation thatI could barely discern even the
leaves of the book which lay open before her;
the title OF which she proceeded to read with
complete success, with the exception of one
very minute word.
then presented TO her small piece of
smooth writing paper, which was ruled with
horizontal FAINT blue lines, between each of
which were traced lines with pen aud black
ink; there were also perpendicular red lines,
between which were scored black lines: all
these, with their direction and order, she de-
termined without any apparent dificulty. She
also told correctly the color OF variety of pie
ceS OF cloth, procared Immediately before at
diapers shop.
All the experiments hitherto described, as
we'll as those which follow were perforated bv
Miss Nj, with tue bandase before her eyess
and as the shawl, which was usually aopIied 10
this purpose, produced considerable warmth
anh Inconvenience, pair OF what, III the opti-
cans shops, are called goggiers, had been pro
vded, which so completely excluded the laht.
mat no person who tried them could discern
tle difference between day and night when
they were htted to the face. As these gogglers
nave been generally used when Miss NJ. has
exhibited her surprising talent, il is necessary
that the reader should have a correct idea Of
them. They are intended to be worn BIS ira.
veilers, To guard the eyes against the wind OF
the dust, and consist oftw glasses, sometimes
green, fitted into bandage Of leather, which
is passed horizontally across the face, and is
tied with ribbons round the back of tile head
The gogglcrs provided for Miss NJ. instead of
glasses, were fitted up with Opaone pastcboard.
lined with paper, and not an aperture was left
through which single ray of light could pene-
trate.
Mr.. Nichol, scientific gentleman, who was
delivering course of PHILOSOPHERS Iectures
in Liverpool, having heard OF this extraordina.
ry property, applied to me TO obtain an intro
duction to Miss MAvoy, and | accompanied
him to her house, along with MIR. James Smith,
printer OF this town. A this interview the ex-
perimentS l have already detailed were re-
peated with complete success, whilst the cog.
glers were applied. One part of the peTfor.
nance was so truly astonishing that should
almost hesitate to relate it, if those two gent
tlemeD had not been present to youch for the
truth had furnished myself with a set of
stained laudscape glasses, usually termed
Gland Lorrain Glasses. They were seven in
number, ontained in "a frame. She ascertain
ed the precise shade of each correctly one
glass, however, appeared to embarrass her,
aud, after considerable scrutiny, she said it
was not black, nor dark blue, nor dark brown;
but she thought it was Il very deep crimson.