rch, Prof. Barrett undertook, with
considerable reluctance, to make a thorough examination of the subject
of "dowsing" for water and minerals by means of the so-called "divining
rod." At the time he fully believed that a critical inquiry of this kind
would speedily show all the alleged successes of the dowser to be due
either to fraud or a sharp eye for the ground. As the inquiry went on,
to his surprise he found that neither chicanery, nor clever guessing,
nor local knowledge, nor chance coincidence could explain away the
accumulated evidence, but that something new to science was really at
the root of the matter. This result was so startling that Prof. Barrett
had to pursue the investigation for six years before venturing to
publish his first report, which appeared in the _Proceedings_ of the
Society for Psychical Research, Part xxxii., 1897. This was followed by
a second report published some years later, in which he gave a fresh
body of evidence on the criticisms of some eminent geologists to whom he
had submitted the evidence. The reports were reviewed in _Nature_ with
considerable severity, and some erroneous statements were made, to
which Prof. Barrett replied. The editor, Sir Norman Lockyer, at first
declined to publish Prof. Barrett's reply, and to this Wallace refers in
the following letter.

* * * * *

TO PROF. BARRETT

_Parkstone, Dorset. October 30, 1899._

My dear Barrett,-- ... Apropos of _Nature_, they never gave a word of
notice to my book[63]--probably they would say out of kindness to myself
as one of their oldest contributors, since they would have had to
scarify me, especially as regards the huge Vaccination chapter, which is
nevertheless about the most demonstrative bit of work I have done. I
begged Myers--as a personal favour--to read it. He told me he firmly
believed in vaccination, but would do so, and afterwards wrote me that
he could see no answer to it, and if there was none he was converted.
There certainly has been not a tittle of answer except abuse.

I am glad you brought Lockyer up sharp in his attempt to refuse you the
right to reply. I am glad you now have some personal observations to
adduce. I hope persons or corporations who are going to employ a dowser
will now advise you so that you may be present....--Yours very
faithfully,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO PROF. BARRETT

_Parkstone, Dorset. December 24