VOICE IMITATED BY MECHANICAL, MEANS. J 80 



Consisted of signs and a jumble of articulate sounds not 

 belonging to any known language, and by these means, 

 they could easily carry on a conversation with each 

 other. The true solution of this strange affair soon 

 suggested itself to the gentlemen present. They knew 

 that both the parents very honest and industrious peo- 

 ple were remarkable for their taciturnity, they never 

 spoke except when it was absolutely necessary to speak, 

 and then they practised the most rigid economy in the 

 use of words. It was directly explained to their parents, 

 that the children could not talk for a very good reason 

 they never had an opportunity to learn they never 

 had heard any body talk. The father was therefore 

 persuaded to remove with his family to his native 

 town in Massachusetts where his children would neces- 

 sarily meet with other children, from whom they might 

 learn to talk. This he did, and in a short time his 

 children talked as well as others. 



Emily. A curious story indeed, and with few paral- 

 lels, I suspect. It reminds me of one, however, of a 

 similar nature, which I have read in some history of the 

 Egyptians. The king of the Egyptians ordered a couple 

 of young children to be confined alone and supplied with 

 proper nourishment, but to hear the sound of no human 

 voice, for the purpose of seeing what language they would 

 use, and hence determining which was the most ancient 

 nation. After a time, it was found that they frequent- 

 ly exclaimed, bekkos, a word which it was ascertained 

 meant bread in the Phrygian language; hence it was 

 concluded that the Phrygians were the most ancient peo- 

 ple. The author remarked, that they probably learnt this 

 sound from the goats which supplied them with milk. 



Dr. B. It is hardly necessary I should remind you, 

 that articulation is performed not in the larynx, but in 

 mouth by the aid of the tongue, teeth and lips. It is 

 peculiar to man, though imitated to a certain extent by 

 parrots, and some ingenious mechanical inventions, 

 a specimen of which has been lately exhibited in this 

 country by Mr. Maelzel. 



