262 Mr. Willis on the Vowel Sounds, Sj-c. 



obtained on the principles I have laid down, and I think would 

 be a source of very pleasing variety ; but it must be remembered, 

 that there will always be a natural limit to the extent of such 

 a stop upwards, from the impossibility of imparting each vowel 

 quality to the notes of the scale beyond its own peculiar one. 

 Thus we might have an O stop, but it could not extend above 

 c'\ an A stop might reach to f", and an E to d"*, and so 

 on. 



I shall here, for the present, conclude; reserving the appli- 

 cation to the action of the human organs, of the facts and 

 principles I have endeavoured to bring forward, to a future 

 opportunity. 



* The pipes attached to the reeds might be made to give E, and shades be brought 

 over all their mouths simultaneously, by a pedal, so as to enable them to give any vowel 

 at pleasure, imitating Fig. 4, where however the cavity Z may be made of any convenient 

 form, and the shade LM need not rest on its edges, but be made to approach the mouth 

 in any way most suitable to the mechanism employed. The common reeds mat/ be used, 

 but their vowels are by no means so distinct as those produced by the free reeds, which 

 should always be employed in experimenting. 



ROBERT WILLIS. 



Cmus College, 

 March 16, 1829. 



