of the truth of spirit manifestations, and did not wish to be humbugged. These cases, however, are but a sample of the chain of testimony that has satisfied my mind fully on this question. JOHN M. KENNEDY."

Communication from Wm. West, Esq.

1485. As respects the communication which follows, I have only to say that I consider the author as quite reliable, both as to his capacity to observe accurately, and his disposition to exert that capacity faithfully. I believe him to have one of those minds which, like the scale-beam, allows every thing pro or con to have its due weight.

"PROFESSOR R. HARE:

"PHILADELPHIA, September 6, 1855.

1486. "Dear Sir: At our last interview you wished a few facts from my experience.

1487. "About three years since I lectured in this city against the spiritual agency of the modern manifestations,' and advocated a nerve aura, obedient to the will. At that time I had the power to stop the physical movements. Subsequently, the agents in these phenomena refused to obey me. I have since been informed by the spirits, that they permitted me to control them for a time, in order ultimately to convince me by depriving me of said power.

1488. "Having read your statement of the message transmitted by you, through your spirit sister, from Cape May, in July last, to this city, I have thought that an account of a similar despatch from myself, through my spirit wife, to a circle in this city, might be acceptable.

1489. "On the evening of June 22, 1853, while sitting at the table at Mrs. Long's, (a writing medium, living at No. 9 Thompson St., New York), my deceased wife purported to be communicating with me. At that time I had been appointed, by the spirits, dictator to a circle, which convened every Wednesday evening at the residence of H. C. Gordon, 103 North Fifth St., Philadelphia. I inquired of my wife if she could convey a message to the circle then assembled in Philadelphia. She answered, 'I will try.' I then requested her to take my respects to the circle, and inform them that I was succeeding admirably in my investigation, and becoming stronger in the glorious truth of spirit intercommunion. In the course of seventeen minutes, the spirit again announced her presence, and informed us she had delivered the message. On the next Wednesday even- . ing, I was present at the circle in Philadelphia, and was informed by all the members present that my communication had been duly received. Another spirit, I was informed, had been communicating, when an interruption occurred, and my wife gave her name, and, in substance, the communication, through the hand of Mr. Gordon.

1490. "There were present about twelve persons of high respectability,

among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Laird, Mr. Aaron Comfort, Mr. William Knapp, &c.

1491. "At Mrs. Long's there were three or four persons present, among them, I think, Mr. Ira Davis.

1492. "I am not a medium, therefore the objection of medium sympathy is out of place. W. WEST.

Yours, &c.

"George St., 4th house west of Broad."

Koons's Establishment.

1493. Among the wonders of Spiritualism, none have excited so much astonishment as the manifestations which have occurred at the establishment of Mr. Koons, in Athens county, Ohio. The phenomena are so extraordinary, as to be difficult to be believed, even by Spiritualists; and yet there is far more evidence of their truth than of any of the miracles recorded in Scripture. In no instance has any of these been attested in due form by known spectators, and admitting that, in this respect, there is no deficiency, they were not of a nature to be repeated before a succession of observers. Those at Koons's have been repeated, and are still being repeated. I first heard that there was such an establishment from my spirit brother, at least fifteen months ago. My spirit friends confirm the truth of the account received, and sanction the idea that there is something in the locality which favours mediumship. I subjoin the narratives of several visitors to the establishment in question:

Communication from Joseph Hazard, Esq.

1494. Joseph Hazard, Esq., of Narragansett, R. I., is very well known in Philadelphia, as well as in the vicinity of his residence. Mr. Hazard accompanied me, in some of my investigating visits, to spiritual circles, and was present, as I have mentioned, (139,) on the occasion when I first saw a table move without contact. There is no doubt but that he is a truthful witness. If he has overrated what he heard or saw, it must be from the enthusiasm with which he was inspired.

ATHENS Co., Ohio, May 4, 1855.

1495. My Dear Sir: I have been here these three days, witnessing the wonderful spirit manifestations of which we have heard so much. Allow me to assure you that the published account of them is no more to the reality than shadow is to substance. No pen can describe, and if it could, I believe no mind could believe that had not witnessed them. The spirits. talk audibly through a trumpet, not with good articulation, but as if the process were mechanical. On the accordeon, however, the language is. exquisitely articulated, being some beautiful air or catch, according to the number of words; the harmony being perfect, and every note forming a part or whole word. They frequently move overhead, next the ceiling,.

with a rapidity of motion inconceivably astounding, blowing a trumpet with deafening blasts at times, or beating a tamborine or some other in

strument.

1496. One of the exhibitions represents a spirit hand during this circuit, beating a tamborine, there being a piece of sand-paper with phosphorus on it, which they use for illuminating the hand. I saw them begin the work and complete it. The hand was small and delicate, and flew all over the room with something like the rapidity of light on a broken surface of water, frequently snapping the fingers, and stopping often near to myself and others, that we might see it to full advantage.

1497. Another hand, which I could not see, touched me, but I took hold of it. It seemed as if covered with buckskin.

1498. The spirits are now contriving a plan to exhibit in the light. They say that light destroys the conditions necessary by their present system, even that evolved by the phosphorus rendering the operation very difficult.

1499. It appears evident that spirits to be seen with material eyes are obliged to materialize themselves, or else spiritualize our vision; and these things have been done repeatedly.

1500. I have not yet seen them write. I have heard them talk and play on many instruments by the hour. There is a base and tenor drum on which they perform with such violence, that it is almost deafening at times, and the whole house resounds till it shakes throughout. Some of the music is scraphic, especially when they speak with the harmonicon, when it is more unearthly in its character than I should have been able to imagine.

1501. The spirit houses are distinct buildings of one room, dark as Erebus, and rather lonesome places, in this wilderness. I have, nevertheless, obtained permission to sleep on the floor each night in one: and during two of those nights I have been favoured with faint music on the drums. Last night, from the moment I extinguished the ilght, drumming was continued throughout the night, accompanied by a few notes on the violin.

1502. The spirit said last night, "I can't play a bit," but, nevertheless, he played some things delightfully. This was a new performer, who had sent word he would perform this night, and that he was a German.

1503. One spirit attempted to sing through the trumpet, but could not make music; after each failure he would stop a minute, and then, very good-naturedly, say, "I will try again." This he did several times, when he added "What shall I do for you, if I can't sing?" He at length took up an accordeon, and succeeded better on that; but I presume did not suit himself, as he would exclaim every once in a while, “Oh, dear!" wery despondingly.

1504. The effort the spirits make to manifest themselves is very great,

evidently, and the amiability of their demeanour here is striking. However, I cannot tell you but a small portion of what I have seen, but believing you would be interested in this sketch, I have hastily made it, and hope you will excuse the rudeness of it. If I could not witness again what I have seen during the last seventy-two hours, I would not part with the consciousness of it for the whole State of Ohio.

I am very sincerely your friend,

TO PROF. ROBT. HARE, Philada.

Jos. P. HAZARD.

A VISIT TO THE SPIRITUALISTS OF OHIO.

Letter from John Gage.-The Home of the Mediums and the Haunts of the Spirits. What they did, said, and wrote.

LOCALITY OF JONATHAN KOONS.-A HILLY LAND.

1505. THE house of Mr. Koons is in Milford, Athens county, Ohio, twenty-five miles south-west of McConnelsville, forty-two miles from Lancaster, and sixty-seven miles from Columbus.

1506. Persons going from the West can go to Lancaster, which is the nearest point by railroad, thence down the Hocking River by stage, which runs daily to Chauncey, thence on foot two miles to Koons. From the North persons would take the stage at Columbus, thence to Lancaster by the lines above described. From the East there are steamboats to McConnelsville, on the Muskingum, both from Zanesville and Marietta, but from these private carriages must be got; distance as above, twenty-five miles, but the miles bear no correspondence to the hours, for on every route they think they do well if they accomplish two and a half miles an hour. No man ever travelled over so hilly a country anywhere else, and when you finally get into Koons's vicinity, you find the essence of hills personified; there is no such thing as a level spot large enough to put a house on.

THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITUALIST.-PRESENCE OF ELECTRICITY.

1507. Koons's house is located on the south-east angle of a sharp ridge, some few rods below the edge of the ledge, and where, when the native trees occupied the ground, the lightning was wont to make frolic among them; and where it still likes to sport. The stove-pipe above the spirit room was burst off, and a number of times during the sitting of the mediums, the electric sparks were seen to play over the wires of the spirit table.

reply not agreeing with the question, I told the medium to say to his spirit that he had badly replied. Then the spirit made the medium write as follows: 'If I have not complied with your request, it is because I do not understand that language.'

1426. "As the medium did not understand what had been read to the spirit, which in French would mean, Comment vous appelez-vous? (What is your name?) I perceived that if the spirit did not reply to the Spanish, it was because the medium neither spoke nor understood that tongue; which agreed with what my spirit had told me. Then I requested the medium to ask his spirit to make me write. On the affirmative response of the spirit, I took the pen, and addressing the same question to him: Como te llamos? he replied in Spanish-Benito. Answer me in French— Benoit. In Latin-Benedictus.

1427. "This experiment confirming what my spirit had told me, that the spirits could produce only the language of those with whom they communed, was a new proof for me of the non-intervention of the devil; seeing, according to the ritual, that he is master of all languages, and that mediums only write those they understand, and have previously learnt.* If M. de Mirville desires to make some such experiments with me, it will afford me great pleasure to do so.

1428. "Nota bene: What merits particular regard in the information received from my spirit friend as to the language used by spirits in communing with men is, that the same was said one hundred and five years since by the ecstatic Swedenborg. See No. 236 of his Treatise on Heaven and Hell, by Le Boys des Guays.

1429. "This will suffice for the present for M. de Mirville. It remains for him to explain the facts we have reported, and to reconcile them with his Pneumatology: in expectation I proceed to notice the Supernatural in General of M. de Gasparin.

Second Part.

1430. "All the prodigies of the mesmeric subjects of clairvoyants, the sorcery, haunting spirits, apparitions, visions, &c., owe their origin, according to M. de Gasparin, to nervous excitement, fluidic action, and some

[Our author seems to confound his dramatis persona: he first says it is the language of the communicant, and afterward the language of the medium which the spirit understands. But the simple theory is, according to the experience of the Western hemisphere, that what is communicated depends on the intelligence of the communicating agent, which is the spirit. That spirits, it is true, possess the clairvoyant faculty, and can read our thoughts, but those thoughts must be clothed in a language they understand.-TRANSLATOR.]

[I am under the impression that the power of the spirit to construe our thoughts, varies with the spirit and medium, and with the same medium under different conditions as to health and tranquillity of mind. No invariable rule can, in my opinion, be said to exist as to the powers of spirits to learn our thoughts, whether we speak one language or another.-DR. HARE.]