MESMERISM.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 49, 16 January 1869, Page 3

MESMERI SM.

0 BY SAM Jl TES. j. , Looking at the dura im of human life in comparison with the ige of the world, the immensity of the miveisb and the r great and ever-wideni ij field- of knows ledge, how short it s mis. The threeo score i«d ten years s 3ms atf, no thing ; c little, c» the n|at indns-i-k. ,i, r iousv an d the most tale%edi^Kn i- that - I tfuie. jiGreat minds nvj^i»are great, or I what/ seem great dfc^eri®, in some hjtfjta-ticular departinenwf scieice ; but the MraJ3cuvery is-gained afc^expensejof -complete igncrance, orpV?lhjl^Byfaciai n knowledge of many Jmi^^Hjj^B^im-j T portu££*HHow shoHJ|^^^^HHg| sJ the most tpowerfujj^^^^^^^^H c ]>;nany thingfL^Jj^^^^^^^^H / n '>, reason clli^^^^^^^^^^^H

over inert matter.— No mind no matter— •go matter no mind," &c, &c. The professor's advertisement and the love of the marvellous drew a house and the professor was in high glee at such an influx of coin, commenced such a sing song jumble of disjointed sentences and unheard of wordßasJ never before listened to. Such outrages on grammar and the Anglo-Irish 1 hope, never to/ listen to again; but .the/sum ,pf:. it all. was that mesmerism was the science of all sciences -r-the central-pivot round which all human knowledge revolved — the very cream and quintesence of human progress, extracted by the illustrious Mesmer, and doled out by the- unparalleled •Snookes.". After twenty minutes in this strain, any " jentilmau " who wished to be operated on was desired to step forward. There was SL strange, backwardness in coming for- , ward— nobody seemed willing to entrust themseiver-'to 4Ms 'dread .professor of a dark -science. , Qne brawny Aberdonian, j strong in his unbelief , stalked forward, as j he might haye 1 done leading a forlorn hope ; but his proportions frightened the professor. , Would no older gentleman come up? "Sickly subjects were in vainassured that it. " acjualised " the nervous system. Eventually, two others, cast in a slighter mould, but with developments of firmness in their craniuma ' enough to break the heart of any professor, volunteered, and on these three, with a rueful visage, he commenced to operate. Seating them on a bench a little apart from each other, he put into the- left' hand of each a circular piece of zinc with copper in the centre, and instructed them to look at it steadfastly— any " jentilinan" who took his eye from it would be sent down immediately. Now, if any person reading this takes any object whatever, holds it near his eyes, and looks unwinkingly at it for fifteen minutes, he will feel a strange mental torpor stealing over Mm. On this the prof essor ' proceeded to act, causing one of them to raise his eyes until they met his own ; with contorted face and starting eyeballs he glared into the upturned orb 3 of his subject in a manner perfectly horrible ; then, closing the eyes, he manipulated the head as if it had been dough ; squeezed the hands ; clasped them over tho head ; clasped them together ; and a muttering which he had kept up during the whole operation became audible — ''You can't cake them down, sir; do your best, you can't take them down." The subject not seeining to make any effort to take them down, he was commanded to rise up and show himself to the meeting. After various efforts/ crowned* with only half success, to convince him that he could not move from the place he. was standing on and that he could not' draw in his extended arm, he altogether failed in, convincing fhim that he had a bad toothache; and his subject, gliding from his influence, seated himself among the lookers-on. His failure with the other two waa more marked^ Seeing the professor licked, the meeting rose | en masse and marched forward to be mesmerised; but, imploring silence, he explained that as Ms vitality was exhausted he would require time to recruit Mmself. J " Jentilmeli" should have come forward | at first ; but he would give them another night, and charge only one shilling. i Anxious to see' the play played out, next night I not only went but submitted myself 'to be" stared at. and manipulated j byHr. Snookes. - His subjects, six in number, hatl still an alarming deal of vitality about them ; he expostulated, buti likely subjects were immovable— the ' Fates wero against Mm. He planted us | in a semi-circle ; put six die 3 into our six left hands to hold firm, and set ua to study them attentively. The music (on | this occasion he had music) played a lullaby, and he moving mysteriously from one to another^ whiskered,' ■" Do you see a change 1 " Some saw a change, and these he manipulated as I have before described ; some did not see a change, these were advised to go on looking at it. After a very careful perusal, on being asked if I saw a change, I replied I did not see it at all. " Look at me." I looked up, and two glaring patches of j'ellow strejik&C^ifca green met my eyes. A Oh. attttfiSnaicea." " Shi&your eyes." W>hsP ls^-«<Yeul s^-«<Yeu can't qpeit them, do JPPfcr: » i felt perfectly certa^T he

availed myself of an opportunity that presented itself on Saturday of mating another tour in that direction. The road I have already spoken of ; suffice it to say that a pleasant companion made it much less wearisome on this occasipnj than it had- seemed * formerly. 1 Owing to a late I reached the Mouth; and I was unable to do more thansinspect the claim known as J the f Granite City,"- and worked by Messrs, .Hughes, ."Weir, and Eeid. It is situated-about three mile's up the creek, and has been worked for only four months. The wash dirt is found below^'belt of clay, varying in thickness frirn '.six or seven to' twenty feet. There is a false bottom consisting of very rich dirt, .prospects yielding from a grain to a grain, and a-half to the shovel. The proprietors have secured the water in all the adjacent gullies, and have constructed two large dams capable of containing three days' water. Their race -is of considerable length.; and they propose constructing another- in a short time. At present they purpose driving,, .arid have a fine face ready to commence . operations. The whole extent of .ground in their claim is four acres of highly auriferous ground, and as one of the proprietors has fenced lira neat garden-patch they may be looked upon as, permanent settlers. I passed the "night in the^hut' that sheltered! me on my former wander, and found not a few architectural improvements.* Indeed, it -was much more • comfortable, than my residence in the great city of Lawrence. On Sunday it was too hot to walk about much, so -I contented -myself with crossing the creek' and visiting the "Three'Toms^ claimVowned by .Messrs. Bowling and Eankine. This has been worked for about seven months, driving being the method employed. The first drive I entered is not yet very far in, as the proprietors are busy~ cutting a cross drive through the solid rock ; but along the second drive I proceeded 150 feet into the bowels of the earthy - The washdirt thus exposed to view 'has a very promising* look,, and •in some places is eight to nine feet thick. The coolness of the tunnel was very pleasant' after the heat of the sun ; and I thoroughly enjoyed a drink of ice-cold water taken from a spring at the end of. the drive. There is another claim , with a long drive further up the creek, the property of Messrs./W..H.,Ander- ; son and party, who draw their water from Pighunters' Chilly, but I was not ablest? visititonttiis occasion. Emerging from "underground, I proceeded down the' creek, observing jonmy .way that '•'■Mr. ' Mailer 1 • had -started work close to where on.c of the odourdistilling bullocks had been placed. Mr. -Mailer has diverted .the channel of the creek, and purposes washing the bottom, a speculation, I should imagine, likely to turn out well.. At allevents, he deserves thanks for removing the unpleasant nosegay which, so disturbed me on my former visit. On reaching Mr. Andersons, my companion and I mounted our horses for a homeward start. I had my usual moke, but he was unfortunately provided with a most spirited and vicious animal, so much so," indeed, that a number oi persons had to -hold the brute before he could manage to get into the saddle. However, we managed to reach th/ Junction with whole bones, firmly' 8 " solving to revisit the Mouth asa^ ■*? possible. Before concluding m v * ■*• i t j_! r jS-6 uearty express my obligations foc^j band £ hospitality accorded us/;-', fil >i lflr ciate SSvjißbi pleasure, I maj_ mentioiyMEend^Ojy^^^at the^^^JopportuniEy. whole jj^^HmtS is highly auriferous, fl^^^HHj^aid of capitalists could be great advantage, the claims only those best supply. I trust over Breakneck thoroaJ^fe% adieu. return °^^ ftt Bvanl of ttß |^ r il a About mor : th< run.' 30 hea< he said ii< did, bu about them own cattle *T6 broughi the momen' return fc

Henry applied for leave to depasture 100 head of cattle. I recollect Henry coming to pay the assessment. I made out the same for 100 head.' ' Whilst I . was making it out, Mr. Lees came in and had some conversation relative. .10l .cattle, after which Mt= .Henry w.ould only pay me ,Jbf'79jhlHsd: — t-beHeve- - that the conversation witb^Lees wa». jihe cause of his refusing to pay for „', more than 70. The Warden said that he would not give judgment then; but he would suggest to the plaintiff the necessity of, making enquiry whether .a. return? of said 30 head of cattle has been made to the Waste Land Board by Oummings or any one else. People imagined that if their cattle were on.- a -.private run? they escaped payment of assessment.. This, however, was an error ;. and. if hefound that a return had not been made' to the Waste Land "Board, the. fine would materially differ in amount from: that which, he would under other circumstances impose. , The, Government were not to lose the tax by "any sucbl means. -.^ . • - ■ _„