Dear Sir,--I know nothing of London mediums now. Nine-tenths of the alleged frauds in mediums arise from the ignorance of the sitters. The only way to gain any real knowledge of spiritualistic phenomena is to follow the course pursued in all science--study the elements before going to the higher branches. To expect proof of materialisation before being satisfied of the reality of such simpler phenomena as raps, movements of various objects, etc. etc., is as if a person began chemistry by trying to analyse the more complex vegetable products before he knew the composition of water and the simplest salts. If you want to _know_ anything about Spiritualism you should experiment yourself with a select party of earnest inquirers--personal friends. When you have thus satisfied yourself of the existence of a considerable range of the physical phenomena and of many of the obscurities and difficulties of the inquiry, you may use the services of public mediums, without the certainty of imputing every little apparent suspicious circumstance to trickery, since you will have seen similar suspicious facts in your private circle where you _knew_ there was no trickery. You will find rules for forming private circles in some issues of _Light_. You can get them from the office of _Light_.--Yours very truly, ALFRED R. WALLACE. * * * * * PROF. BARRETT TO A.R. WALLACE _6 De Vesci Terrace, Kingstown, Co. Dublin. November 3, 1905._ My dear Wallace,-- ... Just now I am engaged in a correspondence with the Secretaries of the Society for Psychical Research on the question of the Presidency for next year. I maintain that as a matter of duty to the Society you should be asked to accept the Presidency, though of course it would be impossible for you to be much more than an Honorary President, as we could not expect you often to come to London. I am anxious that in our records for future reference your Presidency should appear.... Podmore, who is proposed as President, represents the attitude of resolute incredulity, and I consider this line of action has been to some extent injurious to the S.P.R. Crookes supported my proposal, and so did Lodge, and so would Myers if he had lived. All this is of course between ourselves.... I have a vast amount of material unpublished on "dowsing" and am convinced the explanation is subconscious clairvoyance....--Yours very sincerely, W.F. BARRETT. * * * * * TO MRS. FISHER _Broadstone, Wimborne. April 20, 1906._ My dear Mrs. Fisher,--If you mean "honest" by "thoroughly reliable," there are plenty of such mediums, but if you mean those who give equally good results always, and to all persons, I should say there are none....