My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

—336 MY LIFEhad many opportunities of witnessing some of themore extraordinary of the phenomena under the mostfavourable conditions. At a much later period, whenI visited America, I made the acquaintance of someof the most eminent spiritualists in Boston andWashington, and had many opportunities of seeingphenomena and obtaining tests of a different kindfrom any that I had seen in England ; and some ofthese I may refer to later on.When I had obtained in my own house the phenomenadescribed in my " Notes of Personal Evidence,"I felt sure that if any of my scientific friendscould witness them they would be satisfied that theywere not due to trickery, and were worthy of carefulexamination. I therefore endeavoured to persuadeDr. W. B. Carpenter, Professor Tyndall, and Mr. G.H. Lewes to attend seances and investigate the subjectforthemselves, but each was too incredulous to givethe matter serious attention.In 1866 I wrote a pamphlet, entitled " The ScientificAspect of the Supernatural," which I distributedamongst my friends. After reading it, Huxley wrotethat he " could not get up any interest in the subject."Tyndall read it "with deep disappointment," and hedeplored my willingness to accept data unworthy ofmy attention.I received many letters referring to this pamphlet,both satisfactory and otherwise, but perhaps the mostinteresting was that from Robert Chambers, which Ihere give"Dear Sir," St. Andrews, February lo, 1867." I have received your letter of the 6th inst.,and your little volume. It gratifies me much to