268 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



of their annual prizes an inquiry into the nature of the 

 vowel sounds A, E, I, O and U, and the construction of 

 an instrument for artificially imitating them. This prize 

 was gained by M. Kratzenstein, who showed that all the 

 vowels could be distinctly pronounced by blowing through 

 a reed into the lower ends of the pipes of the annexed 

 figures, as shown in Fig. 47, where the corresponding 

 vowels are marked on the different pipes. The vowel I is 



Fig. 47. 



pronounced by merely blowing into the pipe a 6, of the 

 pipe marked I, without the use of a reed. 



About the same time that Kratzenstein was engaged in 

 these researches, M. Kempelen of Vienna, a celebrated 

 mechanician, was occupied with the same subject. In his 

 first attempt he produced the vowel sounds, by adapting a 

 reed R, Fig. 48, to the bottom of a funnel-shaped cavity 

 A B, and placing his hand in various positions within the 

 funnel. This contrivance, however, was not fitted for his 

 purpose ; but after long study, and a diligent examination of 

 the organs of speech, he contrived a hollow oval box, divided 

 into two portions attached by a hinge so as to resemble 

 jaws. This box received the sound which issued from the 

 tube connected with the reed, and by opening and closing 

 the jaws he produced the sounds A, 0, O U, and an 

 imperfect E, but no indications of an I. After two years' 

 labour he succeeded in obtaining from different jaws the 



