248 Mr. Willis on the Vowel Sounds, ' 



I, E, Aj O, U, &c. so that it would appear as if in simple sounds, 

 that each vowel was inseparable from a peculiar pitch*, and that 

 in the compound system of pulses, although its pitch be lost, 

 its vowel quality is strengthened. To confirm this, we ought to 

 be able to shew that the note peculiar to each vowel in simple 

 sounds, is identical with that of the secondary pulse in the com- 

 pound sound, that is, with the note produced by a stopped pipe 

 of the same length as that in Tab. I. corresponding to the 

 given vowel, and as far as I have tried, it appears to be the 

 case, but there is so much room for the exercise of fancy in 

 this point, from the difficulty of fixing on the exact vowel 

 belonging to a simple .sound, that I do not mean to insist 

 upon it. 



No. 9. 



B a C b a Deb E d e 



1 12 12 12 



No. 10. 



A a B a b C b c D c d E 



I 2 1 2 1 2 1 



If we were to take the secondary interval = a + s or a - s, 

 we should obtain series of pulses like those in Nos. 9 and 10. 

 These being after the two first precisely similar to No. 5, in 

 the order of intervals and succession of intensity, would seem, 

 at first sight, to prove that we ought to have a direct and 

 inverse series of vowels like the others, on both sides of b. No. 1, 



* Kenipclen has a curious remark about this, §. 110 "II me semble, que lorsquc 



"je prononce des voyelles difFercntes sur le m^ine ton, elles out pourtant quelque chose 

 " qui donne le change k mon orcille, et me fait penser qu'il y a une certaine melodie, 

 " qui cependant, comnie je le sais tr^s-biea ne peut-6tre produite que par la variatioa 

 " des tons en aigus et graves " 



1 



