Dr. Frederick Willis, a very intelligent contributor to the Banner, says, "Never since the first days of the Rochester rappings has there been a more profound interest felt in the great subject of Spiritualism than is everywhere manifest to-day. It pervades all classes, and meets one at every turn."

This is the same gentleman of whom I made mention in my American Notes, published in 1861, as the Reverend Mr. Willis, of Harvard University. Mr. Willis relinquished the church, I believe, by compulsion, and adopted the medical profession, and though but little heard of as a medium during an interregnum of several years his personal experiences are perhaps amongst the most remarkable upon record. With him occurred the first manifestation of natural flowers. Mrs. Kennison, of Quincey, near Boston, told me that during a severe illness, brought on by the persecution which Mr. Willis suffered from the professors and students of Harvard College on account of his spiritualistic mediumship, his bed upon one occasion was covered with natural flowers by the spirits, which were by the same agency gathered up into a bouquet and presented to him by spirit hands. Since that time the manifestations with him have been, it is said, of the most marvellous character, and at a lecture recently delivered by him at the music hall, Boston, he recounted publicly, for the first time, some of the facts attending his early struggles against the ignorance and bigotry with which he was assailed by the learned professors of Harvard, who have doubtless since found the same agencies at work in their own households. 1 had hoped to have given some particulars of Dr. Willis's lecture, which was listened to by a crowded audience with great attention, but the Banner, with a very proper consideration for Dr. Willis (who is about As to publish the history of his life), has not reported it. Dr. Willis is the solitary exception, as far as I know, of a well-educated physical medium, his book will doubtless be an interesting and valuable addition to the literature of Spiritualism.

The names and addresses of public lecturers and mediums. advertised in the Banner, number, on an average, nearly 300.

The mediums exhibit every phase of spiritual phenomena; and some of these exceed in wonder anything of the same character which has been previously recorded.

The Eddy Brothers obtain manifestations similar to the Davenports, but with this difference: they have sat in the light in full view of the audience, before the cabinet; whilst from within it, musical instruments were played, and hands, arms, and, on some occasions, even faces were shown through the aperture.

Laura V. Ellis, a girl, 14 years of age, exhibits publicly her mediumistic powers, which are also of the Davenport character.

Musical instruments are played by the invisibles, and some of the spirits talk in a loud and distinct voice.

Mr. and Mrs. Crandal, of Newport, are mediums for obtaining musical manifestations of a novel and very curious nature. The room being darkened, but not totally so, a performer takes his seat at the piano, and the members of the circle, including the mediums, sit round the room, holding each other's hands. The pianist commences, and is presently joined by a number of invisible performers playing in harmonious concert upon various instruments, or at least apparently so to the sense of hearing, there being, in reality, no musical instruments but the piano in the room; yet the sounds of powerful instruments, such as a big drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, &c. are heard, producing the effect of a regimental band. When the room is made quite dark, brilliant lights are seen, several at a time, expanding from the size of a candle flame to the size and shape of a fan.

Mrs. Annie Lord Chamberlain, a well-known medium for the best class of physical manifestations, has been for some time in a very delicate state of health. Whilst on a recent visit with the family of Colonel Cushman, at Hyannis, Massachusetts, she had for the first time manifestations of spirit-voices, speaking and singing. Miss Cushman says that on one occasion four spirit-voices were heard singing in concert, accompanied by the sound of a spirit-harp; the sweetness of this spirit-music, Miss Cushman adds, was indescribably beautiful. One of the spirits, calling herself Belle, talked in a pleasant cheerful way for an hour at a time; her voice was as loud and firm, and her laugh as hearty as any mortal's.

A lady who was present, said she thought Belle must be an evil spirit. She quickly retorted, "If I am, you attracted me here. Like, you know, attracts like!"

There are instances given where uneducated mediums under spirit influence are mentally illuminated in a very surprising manner. Mr. J. L. Potter, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, makes the following statement :-In the town of Hampton, Wisconsin, there lived a young man by the name of Martin Carey, who could neither read nor write. He became a medium both for speaking and healing. He was controlled by the spirit of one Elder Fredericks, a Baptist minister, known when in life to several of the circle. The medium, when under the control of this spirit, would read and expound entire chapters of the Bible, and give other proofs by which the minister might be identified. The medium would also diagnose disease, and draw charts or diagrams of the human body, placing the organs correctly, and giving at the same time the scientific names of them.

Healing mediums, or at least those professing to have the

power of healing by "the laying on of hands," are very numerous throughout the States; but very few are vouched for. Dr. J. R. Newton is still the most renowned. In every city where he has visited there are numerous well attested cases of instantaneous cures of almost every description of disease and deformity.

The testimony as to the miraculous cures performed by Dr. Newton is overwhelming, and admits of no doubt that he is endowed in an eminent degree with this, perhaps the greatest of all spiritual gifts.

Dr. Newton has written to me to say that he has built himself a large establishment at Newport, Rhode Island, his native town, which he describes as the most beautiful and most healthy spot on the American continent. At this establishment he has settled, and there he continues his practice. He also informs me that a reverend friend of mine, who bore a letter of introduction from me, was present and witnessed a very remarkable case of cure performed in a few minutes, the particulars of which I shall doubtless learn from my friend on his return home. Dr. Newton says that he has a strong desire to visit England, and he hopes to do so at no distant day; in that event he will bring his family with him, and remain in London for a year.

I have ventured to assure him that he will be heartily welcomed here by many who have perfect faith in his sincerity and benevolent character.

Public lecturers and inspirational speakers of both sexes are numbered by hundreds; but, as in the case of healers, few are distinguished. Mrs. Emma Hardinge (now in London), Mrs. Cora Daniels, and Miss Lizzie Doten, are the inspirational speakers who have held the most prominent place before the American public for several years. Miss Doten frequently delivers at the close of her addresses an impromptu poem, spiritually dictated, and many of these poems are very beautiful. To shew the peculiar and sensitively impressionable character of Miss Doten's mind, Professor Gunning, of Boston, related to me the following fact:Mr. Wiseman Marshall, of Boston, who possesses strong magnetic or will power, wrote out a short lecture and took his place in the audience unknown to Miss Doten. When she came upon the platform Mr. Marshall fixed his attention upon her, and in obedience to his will she repeated every word he had previously written.

In the lecture field there are several men of mark, including the venerable and highly respected Judge Edmonds, Robert Dale Owen, Professor Denton, Andrew Jackson Davis, Professor S. B. Brittan, Rev. J. M. Peebles, Thomas Gales Forster, and Dr. R. T. Hallock. Had space permitted I should have given extracts from addresses delivered recently at Convention

Meetings of Spiritualists by the two last-named gentlemen, which are unusually well reported in the Banner of Light. Mr. Forster appears to be a highly educated scientific man, and a very popular lecturer; and Dr. Hallock's original and very eloquent addresses are worthy of the best days of the controversy so ably conducted by himself Judge Edmonds, A. E. Newton, S. B. Brittan, Dr. John Gray, and others, 10 or 15 years ago, in defence of the claims of Spiritualism, and which as I have more than once said can never, in my judgment, be surpassed in this or any other country.

Andrew Jackson Davis, the Poughkeepsie Seer, is well known in all countries where Spiritualism has penetrated. The early history of his life forms the most remarkable page in American Spiritualism. His name, too, will go down to posterity in connection with one of the most useful and practical movements, originated by him in 1863, in the establishment of THE CHILDREN'S PROGRESSIVE LYCEUMS, which are now in successful operation in most of the leading cities of America.

When Mr. Davis proposed the plan, he described it as "An association for the mutual improvement of children of all ages, and of both sexes-an attempt to realise, partially at least, an ideal assemblage of young minds, which is actualised in the SUMMER LAND, where such children are constantly going from earth, and where they are received into groups for improvement, growth, and graduation."

Mr. W. A. Danskin, of Baltimore, a highly respectable and intelligent citizen, who has for many years been known as a prominent Spiritualist, writes to the Banner of Light attesting a very remarkable phenomenon which he has recently witnessed. Mr. Danskin prefaces his account by saying that though this particular class of spiritual manifestations has no special attraction for him, yet he extends his aid to uphold all classes of media who honestly and fairly submit their manifestations to candid examination, whether the phases be of an intellectual, sympathetic, or physical character. It appears that a youth about 20 years of age introduced himself to Mr. Danskin and said that he, like the Davenports, could be freed without any effort of his own however securely he might be tied.

The youth having assented to Mr. Danskin's conditions, was handcuffed and tied with 96 feet of small rope run through a board made to his size and perforated with a number of holes through which the cord was passed and knotted at the back, and one part of the rope was knotted round the boy's neck in two loops. The boy being placed in the dark in an adjoining room, walked forth to Mr. Danskin and his friends in four minutes and a half carrying the rope, fetters, and board in his hands, none of

the knots being untied; the loops which passed round his neck were just as they had been tied, and six or seven inches smaller than the medium's head. This fact made such an impression upon a gentleman who was present, that he had an iron ring made, seven inches smaller in circumference than the size of the boy's head, and brought it to Mr. Danskin asking him at his next séance to place it by the boy's side with the ropes and handcuffs, to see what would be done with it. This was tried several times without effect, but about 10 days after the iron ring was first brought, the boy, who was sitting in a dark room, Mr. Danskin and a number of his friends waiting in another, after a lapse of forty minutes called Mr. Danskin, who found the boy greatly excited, tied securely to a chair with the iron ring round his neck, and a portion of the rope around the ring. After carefully examining the ring the light was again extinguished, and upon entering the room in a few minutes they This manifestation found the boy released from his fetters. being repeated five or six times with the rope and handcuffs, they tried the experiment with the ring alone, and several times the iron ring was placed around the boy's neck in two or three minutes, whilst at other sittings 15 or 20 minutes would elapse before this extraordinary feat was accomplished, and occasionally the effort was unsuccessful.

The Rev. Mr. Forbes, the gentleman who suggested the ring, had another made, unknown to Mr. Danskin or the boy; this ring was marked by four indentations, and substituted by Mr. Forbes in the dark for the first ring, without the knowledge of any one except the smith who made it. The manifestation was successful, though it occupied a longer time and caused great exhaustion to the medium.

Mr. Danskin says, "The first ring had been thoroughly Had I known the magnetised by the invisibles and this had not. intention of the parties, I would not have permitted it; for although it was probably not meant to be unkind, it might have caused much annoyance and injury to the medium."

On another occasion, Mr. Danskin, a friend of his and the medium only being present, they joined hands, having thrown the ring some distance from them on the floor, and whilst sitting in this position, never having loosened their hold of each other, the ring was suddenly placed around Mr. Danskin's arm.

Most of these manifestations took place at Mr. Danskin's residence, and great interest having been excited by the wonderful phenomenon thus exhibited, he invited a party of twenty gentlemen, including one of the most learned and scientific celebrities of Baltimore to witness the fact. This gentleman, with two others, formed a committee to conduct the séance. The