WCP4338

[1]

Rosehill, Dorking

Nov[ember] 30 th. 1877

My dear Sir

As you asked me to let you know if I had any good results at seánces, I will tell of you of two tests that I have witnessed this week.

At a seánce at Miss Douglas' in South Audley St[reet] on Monday last, the medium a young man named Haxby¹ was in the back drawing room, doors locked &c. We [were] sitting in a subdued light in the front drawing room. A fine tall figure comes out draped in white from head to foot with bare arms and feet, a fine turban with jewels & ornaments. He comes close to us, allows us to feel his dress which is, apparently, thick but very fine calico, he has a thick black beard & professes to be a Persian. [2] A lady friend of mine at my suggestion asked to be allowed to measure his foot. He at once complied, put it up on the edge of the chair showing a leg bare to the knee, the foot was carefully measured with a handkerchief a pin being inserted to mark the exact length. When the seánce was over the medium was asked to take off his boot & allow us to measure his foot. He at once complied, & the same handkerchief was applied by the same lady, & showed a foot a full 11/4 inch shorter. This agrees with the height of the figure which is about a head taller than the medium. The foot (which at this time we had all touched) was an unmistakeable[sic] human foot. It was over 11 inches long. The figure walks all over the room, & exhibits feats of strength beyond the power of the medium or of any one in the room. But the foot was the test.

[3] Last night I had another seánce, with Mr. W. Eglinton² — A friend accompanied me. There were about 12 persons present in an ordinary drawing room. A curtain of black calico across one corner formed the "cabinet" & offered no possible place of concealment. It was carefully examined. While the medium was within, three or four distinct figures came out. One stood by the side of a gentleman who is taller than the medium & was nearly a head taller than he. This figure was something like our Persian, but had an enormous moustache, he put his head close to me & I could see his features distinctly, they resembled those of an Afghan or other native of N[orth]. India. He had a turban, his dress was glittering white & trailed on the ground. Immediately after the seánce I and two friends took the medium into an adjoining room, (first seeing that he had left nothing concealed behind the curtains) [4] and in our presence he stripped to the skin and we examined each article of his dress — Nothing whatever was found to account for the mass of white drapery & the figures bearded & otherwise. The medium was not[?] in his own house.

Now here are two tests, which I see no escape from. Do you? I cannot understand how it can be that Mr Sidgwick³ & L[or]^d.Rayleigh⁴ with mediums who have stood equally severe tests, got nothing. Or would they call these tests nothing, if, afterwards any thing suspicious occurred? To me one good test experienced cannot be upset by any number of failures or any number of suspicious circumstances on other occasions, but other minds may be constituted differently. Do you know Mr. Myers⁵ one of Mr. Sidgwick's party? He may give a different account.

Believe me | Yours faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

D^r. Ingleby⁶