A TEST OF SPIRITUALISM.—SHIP MATOAKA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 645, 17 June 1870, Page 2

A TEST OF SPIRITUALISM.— SHIP MATOAKA.

To the Editor of the Evening Star. Sir, — The following spiritual communication was received by me and others about a month since. Answers to questions through the table are not generally considered as reliab'e as other means known to highly-deve-loped mediums. You can take them for what they are worth. I did intend to give you the communication when it was first received, and many persons in town to whom I mentioned it urged me to do so, but I thought it better to test the matter further. Well, last night we had most of the communications repeated, the medium being a. little boy six years old. We had a great many more questions and answers last night than what I give you. The following were some of them : — Ib the ship Mataoka wrecked ? — Yes. How many days after leaving ? — Six days. Did she carry away her mast and spring a leak ?— Yes. How many days were they drifting about after that ?— Seven days. How many of them are in the spirit world ("dead) ? — Nineteen. .. How many of them still in the body (alive)? — Thirty-seven. Are they on some islands ?— Yes. On the Auckland Islands ? — Yes. Have any been picked up from a boat ? — Yes. How many ?— Seven. That leaves thirty on the island ? — Yes. Are they short of provisions ? — Yes. Are they in distress ?— No. Did they take any provisions from the ship ? — Yes. Is the wreck of the vessel on the rocks ? — Yes. How many passengers had she when she left New Zealand ? — Forty-one. I may remark that there are either two born since she left, or they in some way are not accounted for amongst the crew and passengers : either fifty-six or fifty-eight left in all by her (the Customs authorities in Lyttelton may be able to tell). They are to be relieved in a month. Yours, &c, R. Dunedin, June 12, 1870.