Chap. XII. ASTONISHMENT. 285 



often protruded, the various sounds which are then com- 

 monly uttered can apparently be accounted for. But 

 sometimes a strong expiration alone is heard; thus Laura 

 Bridgman, when amazed, rounds and protrudes her lips, 

 opens them, and breathes strongly. 9 One of the com- 

 monest sounds is a deep Oh ; and this would naturally 

 follow, as explained by Helmholtz, from the mouth being 

 moderately opened and the lips protruded. On a quiet 

 night some rockets were fired from the ' Beagle/ in a 

 little creek at Tahiti, to amuse the natives; and as each 

 rocket was let off there was absolute silence, but this was 

 invariably followed by a deep groaning Oh, resounding 

 all round the bay. Mr. "Washington Matthews savs that 

 the Xorth American Indians express astonishment by a 

 groan; and the negroes on the West Coast of Africa, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Winwood Reade, protrude their lips, and 

 make a sound like heigh, heigh. If the mouth is not 

 much opened, whilst the lips are considerably protruded, 

 a blowing, hissing, or whistling noise is produced. Mr. 

 E. Brough Smith informs me that an Australian from 

 the interior was taken to the theatre to see an acrobat 

 rapidly turning head over heels: " he was greatly aston- 

 ished, and protruded his lips, making a noise with his 

 mouth as if blowing out a match." According to Mr. 

 Buhner the Australians, when surprised, utter the ex- 

 clamation korki, " and to do this the mouth is drawn 

 out as if going to whistle." We Europeans often whistle 

 as a sign of surprise; thus, in a recent novel 10 it is said, 

 " here the man expressed his astonishment and disap- 

 probation by a prolonged whistle." A Kafir girl, as Mr. 

 J. Mansel Weale informs me, " on hearing of the high 

 price of an article, raised her eyebrows and whistled just 



9 Lieber, ' On the Vocal Sounds of Laura Bridgman,' 

 Smithsonian Contributions. 1851, vol. ii. p. 7. 



10 ' Wenderholme,' vol. ii. p. 91. 



