D I S 



751 



D I S 



Disap- encircled with a beach of the finest white sand, and was 

 pointment covere d w Jth tall trees, which formed the most delight- 

 Discord. ^ g roves > JU1( 1 extended their shade to a great distance. 

 s__~,,.^^ The natives were of a deep copper colour, and exceed- 

 ingly stout and well made. They were remarkable for 

 their agility, and astonished Commodore Byron with the 

 extreme rapidity with which they run. They carried 

 large spears about 16 feet long, and would not permit 

 the crew to land on their island. The larger island was 

 also inhabited. The middle of this cluster of islands 

 is in West Long. 145° 4', and South Lat. 14° 5'. (j) 



DISAPPOINTMENT Island, is the name of an 

 island in the South Sea, which was discovered by Cap- 

 tain Wilson in 1 797. It is one of the cluster called Duff's 

 Groupe, which are about eleven in number, having two 

 large islands in the middle, about six miles in circum- 

 ference. Several other islands are situated on the north- 

 west side of the groupe, and there is a remarkable rock 

 in the shape of an obelisk at the east end of one of them. 

 The two large islands were covered with wood. The 

 houses were- built close to each other ; and the natives 

 were stout and well made. The small islands were ap- 

 parently barren. East Long. l6'7°, South Lat. 9° 57'. 

 See Missionary Voyage, p. 296". (j) 



DISCHARGE of Fluids. See Hydrodynamics. 



DISCHARGER. See Electricity. 



DISCHIDIA, a genus of plants of the class Pentan- 

 dria, and order Digynia. See Brown's Prodromus 

 Plant. Nov. Holl. &c. p. 46l, and Botany, p. 181. 



DISCORD, in Music, called Diaphorica by the an- 

 cients, is the peculiar and disagreeable effect on the or- 

 gans of hearing, excited by two or more sounds, when 

 heard together and united, which are not in certain re- 

 lation to each other, and are called Concords. See 

 that article. The physical distinction, or cause of the 

 difference between discord and concord, is yet involved 

 in considerable difficulties. We know, however, from 

 experiments, so often repeated and varied as to leave 

 no doubts, that except the eight intervals in the octave 

 (including its extremes, as was done in deriving its 

 name,) which are indeed concords, viz. I, 3d, III, 4th, 

 V, 6th, VI, and VIII, and others formed by the addi- 

 tion of an eighth, or of two, three, &c. eighths, (VIII) 

 to each one of these respectively ; and excepting also a 

 certain extent of intervals within fixed limits of each 

 one of these concords on each side, which are called 

 Imperfect Concords, (and are distinguished by audible 

 Beats, see that article.) All other intervals whatever, 

 great and small, are discords, although having differ- 

 ent degrees of unpleasant effect on the ear, as Mr Lis- 

 ton's euharmonic organ is best calculated, of any other 

 method, for exemplifying by experiment. 



It has been ascertained, that Beats, or any other 

 noise repeated at uniform periods of time, quicker than 

 1 2 or 13 times in one second of time, cease to be heard 

 separately, and unite into anew continuous sound. In 

 the following Table we have calculated the sharp tem- 

 peraments necessary to be applied to each of the con- 

 cords in the octave above the tenor cliff C, in order to 

 produce 12 beats in a second in each case respectively, 

 viz. 



VIII 



C 



i 



a 



480 



21.8806 



VI 



A 



3 

 s 



400 



8.8172 



6 



Ab 



a 



384 



5.5210 



V 



G 



z 

 T 



36'0 



14.6470 



4 



F 



3 

 4 



320 



11.0079 



III 



E 



4 

 5 



300 



8.8172 



3 



Eb 



5 



288 



7.3537 



I 



C 



i 



I 



240 



43.2340 



In the 1st column the intervals are expressed, in the Dtjcount. 

 2d the notes, in the 3d the ratios, in the 4th the com- T— ' 

 plete vibrations in 1" made by each note, and in the 

 5th the sharp temperaments, which will produce 12 

 beats in 1", expressed in schismas, whereof 614.212639 

 make the octave. 



The grave temperaments of each of these concords 

 will be a little less, respectively ; but if we suppose 

 them equal, and we double all the temperaments but 

 those of I and VIII, and add these to the product, we 

 have about 1 77 S for the extent within which imper- 

 fect or beating concords can be produced in this octave; 

 and the remainder, or 437 2 nearly, will produce dis- 

 cords only. Whence it appears, that if any two sounds 

 are produced at random, within the limits of his octave 

 above the tenor cliff, the chances are nearly as 3± to 1 

 that they will produce a discord, instead of a tempered 

 or beating concord, or a perfect concord, for which last 

 effect the chances are very few. 



By the above Table it will be seen, how very une- 

 qual the limits are, within which the concords produce 

 beats respectively. In the next superior octave, the 

 halves of these numbers, and in the next above the 

 halves of these again ; in the next octave below tenor- 

 cliff C, the double of these numbers, and 4 times in the 

 next descending octave, will produce approximate sharp 

 temperaments of the concords respectively, for produ- 

 cing 12 beats per second, such as Dr Smith deduces 

 from the ultimate ratios, ("Harmonics," prop. xi. cor. 3.) 

 but which are not exact, as will be seen by multiply- 

 ing each of our numbers in col. 5. by the denominator 

 of its fraction in col. 3, which will not invariably pro- 

 duce a product of 43.2340, as would be the case, if the 

 ultimate ratios were the very same as the true ratios, 

 that are used in the 2d and 4th method of calculating, 

 in our article Beats. (?) 



DISCOUNT, in trade, is expressive of an abatement 

 allowed in consequence of anticipating a fixed period 

 for payment. When a bill has two months to run, and 

 a banker gives money for it on receiving the two 

 months interest, the interest so received is called dis- 

 count. When a warehouseman sells goods at ten 

 months credit, but on receiving ready money, consents 

 to abate 7~ per cent, the sum abated is called the dis- 

 count. The extent of discount granted in this manner 

 by persons in trade, is larger than might be inferred 

 ,from the magnitude of the commercial capital in this 

 country. Ten per cent, for twelve, or at least for four- 

 teen months, is quite common in London. The great- 

 ness of this discount is owing to the risk that would be 

 incurred by the seller in giving credit, as weU as by his 

 extending his trade beyond his capital. In this, as in 

 other respects, the political economist has ample reason 

 to lament the effects of expensive war. The vast sums 

 levied by government in loans and taxes operate to 

 keep the money market bare, and to prevent the appli- 

 cation of the funds of capitalists to commercial purpo- 

 ses. At different periods in the course of last century, 

 the interest of money was 4 per cent, but during the 

 last 20 years, it has been 5 per cent, and by no means 

 easily procured at that rate. Were we to investigate 

 the disclosures made in courts of justice in regard to 

 annuity transactions, we should be surprised to find 

 that 10 per cent, had, not unfrequently, been paid on 

 security, which, to most persons, would appear to enti- 

 tle the holders to pecuniary accommodation at a much 

 lower rate. In Holland, in the days of her commer- 

 cial prosperity, the rate of interest was remarkably low. 

 Three per cent, and frequently two and a half, might 

 be put down as the current premium on good security 



