From Dr. Ashburner in Reichenbach's Dynamics of Magnetism.
However vulgar and absurd, because, perhaps, not severely exact to habitually erroneous thinkers themselves, may appear much of the knowledge floating among boors and peasants, a very remarkable proof of the importance of some of it is seen in a singular, though rude anticipation of a part of the most brilliant of Professor Faraday's discoveries on magnetism and diamagnetism by means of an instrument, the name of which has been sufficient to excite the contempt of some so-styled savans of repute. If knowledge be not in the range of the thoughts of certain severe cogitators, it is then forsooth, no knowledge at all. The unmerciful contempt which has been cast on the divining rod—virgula divina or baguette divinatoire—by certain cultivators of science may be estimated by a reference to the earlier editions of a translation by Dr. Hutton, of Montucla's improvement of Ozanam's Mathematical Recreations, a book full of most interesting matter.—In the last edition of that work, however, Dr. Hutton proved himself to be, what he always was, a sincere lover of truth. Led into error at an earlier period, he was open to inquiry, and became, subsequently, convinced of facts, the existence of which he had at one time doubted. My friend, Mr. Charles Hutton Gregory, lent me a copy of the Speculum Anni for the year, 1828, in which he pointed out some passages relating to this matter which I cannot avoid extracting here, and premising a few observations on the instrument called the divining rod, virgula divina, baculus divinatorius, baguette divinatoire. This has been supposed to be a branch of a tree or shrub, necessarily of a forked or letter V shape, by the assistance of which, certain gifted persons were enabled to discover mines, springs of water underground, hidden treasures, and to practice other occult doings. This, with regard to shape, is just as vulgar an error as that which supposes that a stick of any kind of wood, held in the hand, serves as well as the hazel or white thorn, for the production of the phenomena. In the counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, the facts on this subject are well known, and the practice of "dowsing," as it is called, has been cultivated time out of mind. In France, the men of scientific pursuit have for the most part ridiculed the use of the baguette, notwithstanding abundant evidence in various parts of the country being extant of the success which has attended the practice of the sourciers. The Baron Von Reichenbach has established facts regarding the emanation of lights from graves which are quite as remarkable as the proofs of emanations taking place from metals or from running water. Now that the Baron's researches and the concurrent testimony of the cultivators of mesmeric science have established that certain individuals are more susceptible of magnetic impressions than others, it will not be pronounced impossible that subterraneous running water may influence some persons and not others. In different classes the sensitive powers are known to vary greatly as they do indeed among those of the same species. "But," it has been asked, "granting that emanations from subterraneous waters may powerfully effect certain persons, what connection is there between this impression and the motion or rotation of the hazel rod which is held in the person's hand or laid over his fingers?" What! is it fact that the hazel rod or white thorn moves or rotates in the hands of a person of a certain impressionability, when that person passes over any ground underneath his footsteps on which there happens to be a metallic lode or a subterraneous stream of water which we call a spring? I have been informed by highly respectable persons, who have in the West of England, witnessed the facts, that under these circumstances a hazel or a white thorn rod does rotate and does move and occasionally dips with so energetic a force that on one occasion the bark of a fresh hazel rod was stripped from the stick and left in the grasp of the operator's hand.
The following extracts will further illustrate the subject: "Although the effects or motion of the divining rod, when in the proximity of springs, has been and is to this day considered by most philosophers a mere illusion, yet I think the following brief observations relating to the subject, and which was communicated to Dr. Hutton by a lady of rank, with the account of her subsequent experiments performed before him, his family and a number of friends, (as given in the Doctor's translation of Montucla's edition of Ozanam's Recreations), must convince the most incredulous that in the hands of some persons in certain situations the baguette is forcibly acted on by some unknown, invisible cause. Notwithstanding the incredulity expressed by Montucla relative to the indication of springs by the baguette or divining rod, there appears to exist such evidences of the reality of that motion as it seems next to be impossible to be questioned. This evidence was brought about in the following manner. Soon after the publication of the former edition of the Recreations, the editor received by the post the following well written pseudonymous letter on the subject of this problem. The letter in question is dated Feb. 10, 1805, and, as with the whole correspondence it would be too long for our limits, I shall select such parts only as are immediately essential to a right understanding of the subject.
"The lady observes, 'In the year 1772, (I was then nineteen), I passed six months at Aix, in Provence. I there heard the popular story of one of the fountains in that city having been discovered by a boy who always expressed an aversion for passing one particular spot, crying out each time there was water. This was held by myself and by the family I was with, in utter contempt. In the course of the spring the family went to pass a week at the Chateau d'Ansonis, situated a few miles to the north of the Durance, a tract of country very mountainous and where water was ill supplied. We found the Marquis d'Ansonis busied in erecting what may be termed a miniature aqueduct to convey a spring the distance of half a league, or nearly as much, to his chateau, which spring he asserted had been found out by a peasant, who made the discovery of water his occupation in that country, and maintained himself by it, and was known by the appellation of L'Homme a la Baguette. This account was received with unbelief almost amounting to derision. The Marquis, piqued with being discredited, sent for the man and requested we would witness the experiment. A large party of French and English accordingly attended. The man was quite a peasant in manners and appearance: he produced some twigs cut from a hazel, of different sizes and strength, only they were forked branches, and hazel was preferred as forking more equally than most other trees, but it was not requisite that the angle should be of any particular number of degrees. He held the ends of the twigs between each forefinger and thumb, with the vertex pointing downwards. Standing where there was no water, the baguette remained motionless. Walking gradually to the spot where the spring was under ground, the twig was sensibly affected; and, as he approached the spot, began to turn round; that is, the vertex raised itself and turned towards his body, and continued to turn till the point was vertical; it then descended outwards, and continued to turn, describing a circle as long as he remained standing over the spring, or till one or both the branches were broken by the twisting, the ends being firmly grasped by the fingers and thumbs, and the hands kept stationary, so that the rotary motion must, of course, twist them. After seeing him do this repeatedly, the whole party tried the baguette in succession, but without effect. I chanced to be the last. No sooner did I hold the twig as directed than it began to move as with him, which startled me so much, that I dropt it and felt considerably agitated. I was, however, induced to resume the experiment, and the effect was perfect. I was then told it was no very unusual thing, many having that faculty—which, from what has since come to my knowledge, I have reason to believe is true. On my return to England I forbore to let this faculty (or whatever you may term it) be known, fearing to become the topic of conversation or discussion. But two years afterwards, being on a visit to a nobleman's house, Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire, and his lady lamenting that she was disappointed of building a dairy house on a spot she particularly wished, because there was no water to be found—a supply she looked on as essential—under promise of secresy I told her I would endeavor to find a spring. I accordingly procured some hazel twigs, and in the presence of herself and husband, walked over the ground proposed, till the twig turned with considerable force. A stake was immediately driven into the ground to mark the spot, which was not very distant from where they had before sunk. They then took me to another and distant building in the park, and desired me to try there. I found the baguette turn very strong, so that it soon twisted and broke. The gentleman persisted that there was no water there, unless at a great depth, the foundation being very deep (a considerable stone cellar) and that no water appeared when they dug for it. I could only reply that I knew no more than from the baguette turning, and that I had too little experience of its powers or certainty, to answer for the truth of its indications. He then acknowledged that when that building was erected they were obliged to drive piles for the whole foundation, as they met with nothing but a quicksand. This induced him to dig in the spot I first directed. They met with a very fluent spring; the dairy was built and it is at this time supplied by it. I could give a long detail of other trials I have made, all of which have been convincing of the truth, but they would be tedious. For some years past, I have been indifferent about its becoming known, and have consequently been frequently requested to show the experiment, which has often been done to persons of high estimation for understanding and knowledge, and I believe they have all been convinced. Three people I have met with who have, on trying, found themselves possessed of the same faculty. I shall add only one more particular incident. Having once shown it to a party, we returned into the house to a room on the ground floor. I was again asked how I held the twig. Taking one in my hand, I found it turned immediately; on which an old lady, mother to the gentleman of the house, said that room was formed out of an old cloister, in which cloister was a well, simply boarded over when they made the room.
"'L'Homme a la Baguette, from experience, could with tolerable accuracy, tell the depth at which the springs were, and their volume, from the force with which the baguette turned; I can only give a rough guess. In strong frost, I think its powers not so great. On a bridge or in a boat, I think it has no effect—the water must be under ground to affect the baguette, and running through wooden pipes acts the same as a spring. I can neither make the baguette turn where there is no water, nor prevent it from turning where there is any, and I am perfectly ignorant of the cause why it turns. The only sensation I am conscious of, is, an emotion similar to that felt on being startled by sudden noise, or surprise of any kind.
"'I generally use a baguette about six inches from the vertex to the ends of the twigs where they are cut off.
"'I shall most probably be in London next winter, and will (if you wish it) afford you an opportunity of making your own observations on this curious fact.'
"The lady arrived in London, wrote to Dr. Hutton to inform him that she proposed being in Woolwich on Friday, the 30th inst., (May, 1806,) at eleven in the forenoon. 'Accordingly,' says Dr. H., 'at the time appointed, the lady, with all her family, arrived at my house at Woolwich Common, where, after preparing the rods, etc., they walked out to the grounds, accompanied by the individuals of my own family and some friends; when Lady —— showed the experiment several times in different places, holding the rods, etc., in the manner as described in her Ladyship's first letter above given. In the places where I had good reason to know that no water was to be found, the rod was always quiescent; but in other places, where I knew there was water below the surface, the rods turned slowly and regularly, in the manner above described, till the twigs twisted themselves off below the fingers, which were considerably indented by so forcibly holding the rods between them.
"'All the company present stood close around the lady, with all eyes intently fixed on her hands and the rods, to watch if any particular motion might be made by the fingers, but in vain; nothing of the kind was perceived, and all the company could observe no cause or reason why the rods should move in the manner they were seen to do. After the experiments were ended, every one of the company tried the rods in the same manner as they saw the lady had done, but without the least motion from any of them. And, in my family, among ourselves, we have since then several times tried if we could possibly cause the rod to turn by means of any trick, or twisting of the fingers held in the manner the lady did; but in vain; we had no power to accomplish it.'
"The annexed figure represents the form and position of the rod, about six inches in length, cut off just below the joint or junction of the two twigs.