THE &UENARD aEOUP. 173 



tenant in the navy of the United States, in his voyage 

 to the seas of China, relates to the same purpose, that 

 being at the mouth of the river of Cambodia, the ship's 

 company were ' astonished by some extraordinary sounds 

 which were heard around the bottom of the vessel. They 

 resembled,' he says, ' a mixture of the bass of the organ, 

 the sound of bells, the guttural cries of a large frog, and 

 the tones which imagination might attribute to an enor- 

 mous harp J one might have said the vessel trembled 

 with it. The noises increased, and finally formed a uni- 

 versal chorus over the entire length of the vessel and the • 

 two sides. In proportion as we went up the river the 

 sounds diminished, and finally ceased altogether.' As 

 the interpreter told Captain White, the ship had been fol- 

 lowed by a ' troop of fish of an oval and flattened form,' 

 they were most probably pogonias. Humboldt met with 

 a similar adventure in the South Sea, but without sus- 

 pecting its cause. ' On February 20th, 1803, at seven 

 p. M., the whole crew was astoiinded by a very extraordi- 

 nary noise, resembling drums beaten in the air ; we at 

 first attributed it to the breakers ; speedily it was heard 

 all over the vessel, especially towards the poop, and was 

 like the noise which escapes from fluid in a state of ebul- 

 lition : we began to fear there might be some leak in the 

 bottom. It was heard synchronously in all parts of the 

 vessel, but finally, about nine p. m., ceased altogether.' 

 How these fish manage to jmrr in the deep, and by 

 means of what organ they communicate the sound to 

 the external air, is wholly unknown. Some suppose it 

 to proceed from the swim-bladder ; but if that be the 

 drum, what is the drum-stick that beats upon it ? and 

 cushioned as it is in an obese envelope and without 

 issue, the swim-bladder cannot be a bagpipe or wind- 

 instrument. 



