[Редна Ли]

1864/11/10. Richard Burton to J. B. Ferguson.
London, Nov. 10th.
Dr. J. B. Ferguson.—Dear Sir,—You spoke yesterday about my writing in a few words my opinion of what I have seen done on various occasions by your friends the Messrs. Davenport; you kindly overlooked my confusion of side views, and you permitted me to call the thing “odic force,” or “od force.” The usual terms, “spirit,” “manifestation,” and so forth, will now, with your permission, be used—begging you, however, to understand that whilst I believe everything and anything equally, and nothing more than another thing, faith and unfaith in “od force” and “spirit” remain exactly as before. In case of my becoming a "spirit" I hope not to be summoned for the small sum of £1 15s. into anybody's drawing-room, there to play the guitar and rap people’s heads. This latter state is worse than the first.
As you are aware, I have now witnessed, under advantageous circumstances four of the so-called “dark séances.” These were all in private houses—one of them in my own lodgings. We sedulously rejected all believers, and chose the most sceptical and hard-headed of our friends and acquaintances, some whom had prepared the severest tests. We provided carefully against possibility of “confederates,” bolting the doors, &c., and brought our own cords, sealing wax, tape, diachylon, musical instruments (guitar, harmonicon, whistle, tambourine, bells), and so forth.
The results of the séances were almost invariably the same. After Mr. Ira Davenport and Mr. William Fay, the two strongest “mediums,” had been tied up, hands and feet, by us, you suddenly extinguished the light; we then, the darkness being complete, sat in a semi-circle, fronting the mediums, each holding his neighbour's arm or hand, and each warned not to break the chain.
On occasion I placed my foot on Mr. Fay's, while Mr. Bellamy, the master of the house, did the same to Mr. Davenport, and we measured their distance from the semicircle—10 feet.
Within two seconds, I speak advisedly, after the candle was put out, the musical instruments placed on the table between the two mediums began to shudder and tremble. Presently the guitar strings commenced twanging as if badly played with a single finger, and the instrument went round the semicircle with the velocity of a bird, fanning our cheeks as it passed. The prettiest effect was to hear it buzzing in the distance as a humming bee would sound when flying away. If the guitar happened to be in good humour the instrument patted our heads softly, or lay on our laps, or thrust itself into our hands. If the ‘spirits’ were displeased, the manifestations were decidedly rough. I received once a rather severe contusion with the tip of the guitar, when the heavy bells and the tambourine struck the ground and the table with a noise and force that suggested the kick of a horse on a splashboard. Presently the sounds cease, the candle is relit, we run up to the mediums, we find them in our own cords, taped with our own tape, sealed with our own seals, and perhaps plastered with diachylon strip. Every one enquires how it was done, and no one answers, and not a few are clearly and palpably frightened. The honest declare themselves puzzled.
The most remarkable manifestations that occurred in my presence were the following:—A tumbler of water placed on the table, with a bird whistle in it, was thrown on the carpet at my feet, without noise or breakage; a dry hot and rough hand on one occasion felt my hands, fell on my face, and then pulled my moustaches, and finally, thrust between my lips a cigar, taken from the mantelpiece; my legs have also been twitched, and my head patted. My neighbour in the same séance felt a cold, clammy, and feminine hand screwed up at times like a bird's claw, running over her face, and evidently with a large portion of the arm resting on her head. Sparks of red and pale fire have fallen from the ceiling, sometimes perpendicularly, at other times crossing the room, and coming from a point apparently higher than the ceiling. Mr. William Fay's coat was removed whilst he was securely fastened hand and foot, and a lucifer match was struck at the same instant, showing us the two gentlemen, fast bound, and the coat in the air on its way to the other side of the room. Under precisely similar circumstances the coat of another gentleman present was placed upon him. A gruff voice has repeatedly addressed me and others. There are many other, for which you have not space, of my own “experiences.”