208 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



into the pipe a b, 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. 49, to the bottom of a funnel-shaped 

 Fig. 49. 



cavity AB, 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, O, OU, and 

 an imperfect E, but no indications of an I. After 

 two years' labour he succeeded in obtaining from 

 different jaws the sounds of the consonants P, 

 M, L, and by means of these vowels and con- 

 sonants, he could compose syllables and words, 

 such as mama, papa, aula, lama, mulo. The 



