OF SOUND AND HEARING. 233 



distinctly inquired, not only whether they hear any sound 

 at all from above, which is made in the air, but also, 

 whether they hear the percussion of the body of the water 

 within the water, where no air is. I have made this trial 

 in a bath ; a pail of a good size with the mouth turned 

 over was, in such wise, pressed evenly down, as it carried 

 the air fairly down with it, in its hollow, below the water, 

 to the depth of an hand breadth; and in this manner the 

 pail was held down with the hands, that it should not 

 overturn nor rise : then a diver put his head within the 

 pail, and did speak : his voice was heard, speaking ; and 

 even his speech was articulately distinguished, but wonder 

 fully shrill, and almost like a whistling, as the voice useth 

 to be heard in a play of puppets. 



Let it be exactly inquired, so as it be clearly rendered 

 positive whether sound can be generated, except there be 

 air betwixt the percussing and the percussed body. As, if 

 two pebbles hanging by a string be let down into a basin 

 of water, or a river, and shaken, so as they shall strike 

 together in the midst of the water; or let an open pair of 

 tongs be thrust down into the water, and there knapped ; 

 and let it be noted whether they give a sound, and what. 

 I do suppose that divers, in swimming, make no noise 

 under the water; unless there may perchance be some, by 

 the succession of motion unto the surface of the water, and 

 the water thence striking the air. 



There is no doubt but in bladders tied, and not quite 

 full, and shaken, there is a sound given, namely, of the 

 liquor contained in them, and no less a sound is given on 

 letting down a stone into water, when it strikes the bottom 

 of the vessel. But in the former trial air is intermingled ; 

 in the second, the percussion of the bottom of the vessel 

 by the stone communicates with the air without the vessel. 

 But after the first percussion it needeth not that there be 

 air intermediate through the whole area of the sphere 

 deferent ; for that is shewn by the trial of one speaking in 

 a pail under the water, where part of the deferent from the 

 water is not air, but the wood of the pail, and the water; 

 whence the sound is sharpened, and minished, and lost. 



But because it is manifest that sound passes through 

 and penetrates hard bodies (as potters earth and glass) ; 

 and it is also most certain (although hitherto concealed 

 from men s observation) that there is, in every tangible 

 body, some pneumatical part, besides the gross parts inter 

 mixed, it is to be considered whether penetration of sound 



