The native American., 1839-07-06

Germany. ranslatcu ny >. ". NAoITis, anu cuIt-
ed by Professor F. Hall.
These Lectures--if the first number be fair
specimen of those that are to follow--will be
sought for with avidity and read with equal inter-
est and advantage. Reserving our extracts from
the work itself to future number OF our paper,
we quote here an ingenious, amusing note, by the
learned editor on the diuining rod:
1T is believed that very few persons, possessed
of science, or OF common sense, can at the pres
ent day. be found in the United States, who have
the slightest confidence in the pretendedly Won
derful powers Of the dirining rod The period Of
that strange delusion has vanished and gone, new
er, it is hoped, to return. There were, it is true
fifteen years ago, multitude Of individuals, scat
tered throughout the length and breadth Of the
land-men Of talents, of integrity, and even men
Of unquestionable piety, who were, in relation to
this matter deceived and deceivers.' Their rea-
soning faculties were spell-bound by the influence
Of this ancient charm. Seldom, and perhaps new
er, did they, at that period, exercise their skill in
attempting to make known, where there is vein
for the silver or the place for gold' Their labors
had different end in view. They were able, as
many of them honestly thought, tn determine, with
absolute certainty, the location Of subterranean
springs, and what depth the wel=digger must sink
his pit in order to reach the unfailing fountain.
This wonderful agent has, we are aware, been en-
ployed in different ages Of the world, for very diff
ferent purposes-not only for the discovery of un-
derground springs of fresh and salt water-and Of
beds and veins Of the ores of different metas--but
also for the finding of stolen property and, parc-
ularly, for the detection and obtanment of those
chests of money, buried, as report procaims all
over the country, by that notorious gentleman,
Captain Kidd. In searching for the last mention
ed article, it was supposed to be essential, that the
seeker should have some fellowship with spirits Of
the neither world-or sort of co-partnership with
his majesty of the black mt
| But at the time to which we allude no such
Pretensions were made, or entertained. Hundreds
of the practitioners would have been horror-sruck
at the merest intimation, that they were operated
on by an unhallowed, and more especially, by any
satanic influence. They did, indeed, imagine that
they had, without the use of unauthorized MEANS
unlocked Dame Natures portfolio, and taken away
from her ladyship one more of her valuable Sc
crets. 1t was the persuasion of some that, in an
age when the sun Of science was pouring such
flood of light on the world, man had been enabled
to detect principle in philosophy
similar, perhaps, to electricity magnetism, and
who knows, thought they, but it will, when fully
understood, prove as important to mankind as Ell
ther OF those sciences.
Those, Whowere soto fortunate as to possess hands,
IN which the rod would divine-for it would not
in all hands-exercsed their new talent exclu-
sively, we believe, in giving instruction to the un-
initiated, in relation to the proper places for dig.
lglng wells. Some made it their sole business
their Professlon--to mpart information on this SUBJ
lJect, and TOR their services, had regular COM
pensation, as the physician has for his. Among a
certain class of men, it was deemed extremely in
nH nj nf fo ~,
| dig for water, without having first ascerained, by
the owners rod, the precise spot where it could
De obtained most certainly, and with the least ex-
pense: Others impaired their supposed knowledge
10 their neighbors and friends without charge.
worthy clergyman, who was at my house,
many years since, on visit told me that he was
flrm believer in the efficacy of the divining rod
that ne had not the shadow of a doubt, that it was
an lntalllble indicator of water. You are ncred-
uous said ne, but there is, | assure you, nothing
lnexpllcabie in this affair." 1t is only new prin-
c'ple OF electricity. The vapor from the water
mpregnating the rod, causes it to incline towards
the spring, IN the same manner that light bodies
are drawn towards piece of rubbed amber or that
the magnetic needle turns towards soft IRON You
want to dig WELL continued the gentleman, and
will give you practical lesson on the subject
From peach tree, he cut forked branch, and
having prepared it, Secundlm artem, he grasped i
limb Of it in each hand, and walked slowly over
the grounds near the house. After few minutes
the electrical motion commenced, and directed the
carrier of the rod to the desired point. Here,
said the good man, here is water and you will
not be obliged to go down more than fifteen feet
before you will reach it, Through unbeef the
prediction was never tested.
The newspapers and magazines of the day con-
tanned numerous communications on the subject
|of the dvining rod-some in favor and some
against lt-some acknowledging, with admiration
all the virtues it claimed, and some treating the
little magician with great disrespec denying
all its assumed powers. AT length well written
paper, calmly examining the merits of the case
made its appearance in Silliman's Journal of Sci
ence, vol. xi. in which the author explains lucdly
the cause of the movements of the rod, demon
straes its total ineficency to discover the location
OF suberranean springs, or ores. or hidden treas
ures OF any description, and proves, conclusively,
that its pretensions not only unphilosophicaI,
but, IN the highest degree, absurd. The perusal
Of that and other similar papers, at once, opened