306 ECHOES. 



arises from the want of moisture sufficient to let 

 the light through, and render the atmosphere 

 transparent ; because he had observed several 

 bodies more diaphanous when wet than dry ; and 

 did never recollect that the air had that look in 

 rainy seasons. 



My friend, who lives just beyond the top of 

 the down, brought his three swivel guns to try 

 them in my outlet, with their muzzles towards 

 the Hanger, supposing that the report would 

 have had a great effect ; but the experiment did 

 not answer his expectation. He then removed 

 them to the Alcove on the Hanger; when the 

 sound, rushing along the Lythe and Comb -wood, 

 was very grand ; but it was at the Hermitage 

 that the echoes and the repercussions delighted 

 the hearers : not only filling the Lythe with 

 the roar, as if all the beeches were tearing up 

 by the roots ; but turning to the left, they per- 

 vaded the vale above Comb-wood ponds ; and 

 after a pause seemed to take up the crash again, 

 and to extend round Harteley Hanger, and to 

 die away at last among the coppices and coverts 

 of Ward-le-ham. It has been remarked before, 

 that this district is an Anathoth, a place of 

 responses, or echoes, and therefore proper for 

 such experiments; we may farther add, that the 

 pauses in echoes, when they cease and yet are 

 taken up again, like the pauses in music, sur- 

 prise the hearers, and have a fine effect on the 

 imagination. 



The gentleman above-mentioned has just fixed 

 a barometer in his parlour at Newton Valence. 

 The tube was first filled here (at Selborne) twice 

 with care, when the mercury agreed, and stood 

 exactly with my own ; but being filled again 

 twice at Newton, the mercury stood, on account 



