At their first sitting, finding that the instrument would write, he proposed, silently, in writing, six questions, three the answers to which might be known to Mrs. Newnham, and three relating to his own private affairs, and of which the answers could not have been known to her. All six were immediately answered in a manner denoting complete intelligence, both of the question and the proper answer. He then wrote: "Write down the lowest temperature here this winter." Answer: "8." The actual lowest temperature had been 7.6 degrees, so 8 was the nearest whole degree, but Mrs. Newnham remarked at once that had she been asked the question she should have written 7, and not 8, because she did not remember the fraction, but did remember that the figure was 7 something. Again it was asked, "Is it the operator's brain, or an immaterial spirit that moves Planchette? Answer 'brain' or 'force.'" "Will." "Is it the will of a living person or of an immaterial spirit? Answer 'force' or 'spirit.'" "Wife." "Give, first, the wife's Christian name, and then my favorite name for her." This was accurately done. "What is your own name?" "Only wife." "We are not quite sure of the meaning of your answer. Explain." "Wife." "Who are you that writes?" "Wife." "Does no one tell wife what to write? If so, who?" "Spirit." "Whose spirit?" "Wife's brain." "But how does wife's brain know certain secrets?" "Wife's spirit unconsciously guides." "Can you foresee the future?" "No." On another occasion it was asked: "Write out the prayer used at the advancement of a Mark Master Mason." "Answer: Almighty Ruler of the Universe and Architect of all Worlds, we beseech Thee to accept this, our brother, whom we have this day received into our most honorable company of Mark Master Masons. Grant him to be a worthy member of our brotherhood, and may he be in his own person a perfect mirror of all Masonic virtues. Grant that all our doings may be to Thy honor and glory and to the welfare of all mankind." Mr. Newnham adds: "This prayer was written off instantaneously and very rapidly. I must say that no prayer in the slightest degree resembling it is made use of in the ritual of any Masonic degree, and yet it contains more than one strictly accurate technicality connected with the degree of Mark Master Mason. My wife has never seen any Masonic prayers, whether in 'Carlile,' or any other real or spurious ritual of the Masonic Order." The whole report shows the same instantaneous appreciation of the written questions, by the intelligence and appropriateness with which the answer was framed, though Mrs. Newnham never had any idea what the question was until after the answer was written and read, and the answers very often were entirely contrary to the prejudices and expectations of both the persons engaged in the experiments.