508 Mi\ fVeekeis Deicription of 



is »cen the musical cylinder which 

 has beon previously menticmed. This 

 cjlinder is best constructed by glac- 

 iug together several slips of well-sea- 

 soned sonorous lir over a solid mould 

 of the same shape, and of proper di- 

 mensions, paying due attention to the 

 accuracy and soundness of the joints, 

 that they may be al all points in con- 

 tact. When the glue or cement is 

 dry, the work may be plam d down 

 Aery smooth to the requisite thickness, 

 (about one-eighth of an incli.) when 

 the mould may be cautiously driven 

 out, aud H holUnv cylinder, such as 

 required, will be presented. '1 he cy- 

 linder should be perforated with a 

 number of small holes, disjjoscd in re- 

 gular figures, which can be first traced, 

 according to fancy, with a pencil on 

 the surface of the cylinder. Two cir- 

 cular head-boards, of one inch in 

 tliickness, whose circunifircnce should 

 be made to project half an inch all 

 round the surface of (he cylinder, are 

 now to be accurately glued to its re- 

 gpective ends ; an axle of brass insert- 

 ed into each at the centre, long 

 enou^'h to pass through the liends of 

 the box, and receive the tloat-whcels, 

 one of which is fully shown on the left- 

 hand end of the instrument, and the 

 floats of the other mostly hid from view 

 at the opposite extremity. The centres 

 of these float-wheels are made to sit 

 tight upon their respective axles ; and, 

 aided by the wind, thus occasion a 

 revolution of the musical cjlinder 

 within the box. The brass axles of the 

 cylinder may be made to pass through 

 a leather collar, and sliould be fre- 

 quently supplied with oil, to prevent 

 too great a degree of friction, and any 

 consequent grating or discordant 

 sound. Longitudinally over the cy- 

 linder are stretched, at about an inch 

 apart, five cat-gut strings, all of them 

 (except two) such as are used for the 

 first or treble strings of a v'olin. The 

 two strings excepted should consist of 

 what violin-players denominate silver 

 itrings, and eni))loyed by them to fur- 

 nish the fourth or bass string of their 

 instrument. Let tliese two last men- 

 tioned strings be fixed on opposite 

 sides of the cylinder; and, when all the 

 strings arc tuned to the same note, as 

 should be done, they will :>dd consider- 

 ably to the sweetness of the tones of 

 this instrnment. ' I have found that 

 more tlian two strings oi' this descrip- 

 ion have an ellect rather detrimental 



hit Miuicus Vtntuicruni. [July I) 



than otherwise to the melodiousness 

 of the whole. These strings, at one 

 end of the cylinder, are made fast to 

 small brass pins, projecting from the 

 circumference or edge of th« circular 

 head-board; at the other extremity 

 they are attached to screw-pius, with 

 a notch in their respective heads, by 

 iiieans of which they can be easily 

 tuned by a proper key or instrument 

 for the purpose ; and thus the strings 

 always kept tuned to tho tame note, 

 (suppose the concert pitch of A,) and 

 at any time easily rectified. 



The? cyliader ought especially to be 

 placed in such a position with'm the 

 machine, that its strings may fall-in 

 exaitly wi'.h the current of air entering 

 by the narrow, longitudinal aperture, 

 before described, in front of the box. 

 (See Fig. 2.) 



The spokes or cross-pieces, and cir-' 

 cumferenee or rim, of the wheels, may 

 be made of light wood ; but the hori- 

 zontal floats will be best constructed 

 of sheet-tin, cnt of a convenient shape 

 and dimensions. They are painted 

 black, to preserve them from rust, and 

 varnished in the same manner as the 

 wood-work. The pillar which is in- 

 tended to support the instrument may 

 rise about three feet and a half or four 

 feet from the ground, on which it will 

 stand firmly, by means of its branching 

 tripod. 



There is no necessity for strictly 

 observing any particular dimensions 

 in regard to the general construction 

 of tliis iustrument ; but the following 

 will, I believe, be found preferable for 

 a convenient and portable machine : — ■ 

 Length of the external box, three feet 

 eight inches; dppth of ditto, seven 

 inches and a half; width of ditto, se- 

 ven inches; projection of the head- 

 boards of the angular prism or com- 

 pressor,, five inches ; width of open 

 part of ditto in front, three inches and 

 a half; diameter of the cylinder, four 

 inches. These dimensions are nume- 

 rically expressed in Fig. 1. The dia- 

 meter of the float-wheels maybe about 

 eight inches. 



To prepare the Musicvs Vnitusorum 

 f >r use is almost obvious on inspec- 

 tion. Being taken into a garden, the 

 passage or gallery of a house, or placed 

 near to or ujiou the top of an arbour or 

 summer-house, or otiicr convenient 

 situation, tiie air-comprt«sor or front 

 of the machine is turned so as to face 

 the prevailing current ; and, for this 

 purpose. 



