Landships II

Haven't heard much of dowsing in a long time.  It's a testament to the human spirit (and to optimism in particular) that it survives still.

Dowsers usually work on the unseen, that's the whole point of it - they have to know what they're looking for, in general terms (iron, flowing water, etc.).  My Dad was a part-time water dowser (one of several in my boyhood area) - I'm sure he would have tried his hand at other things but must have decided, early on, that water was his thing (that was important enough in a dry/arid country). He was, briefly, a gold prospector during the Great Depression so, fair to say, he was no good with gold (never heard of anyone who was).

Never knew a "cavity" dowser but I'm sure that's well within the range of claimed abilities, which seem to be limited only by imagination.  My boyhood recollection of it would say that usually a buried object would have to be in close contact with the earth - so sensing the cavity rather than the object in this case is consistent with that. 

Oddly enough confidence or belief has nothing to do with it - Dad trained a mate of mine once (for water), intensely skeptical to start with, 20 minutes later he was a convert for life, convinced he had the "power" based on unmistakable reaction of the "divining rod".  Tried iron/steel rods, wire fork and forked sticks (from some local gum tree), I forget which worked best for him - usually there is a sharp difference, partly individual, perhaps changing with what is being divined. 

Needless to say I was useless at it.  And I'm not a believer - though many without the "talent" are, and will/would happily invest much labour putting down wells at the spots indicated by any dowser of repute.  Or, it seems, excavate for a "lost" war trophy gun.