Prehistoric Music. 



243 



shown him that the gravity of the flint is in direct proportion to the 

 number of irregularities on it; thus a long flint may give a good result 

 if it is, to some extent, regular in shape, but the full extent of the 

 vibrations is only obtained when the flint is full of projections and 

 cavities. Yet flints long and absolutely flat on each side may pro- 

 duce fine effects, always on condition that the flint is perfectly homo- 

 geneous. As a rule, it is necessary to strike the stone on the smoothest 

 surface to obtain the most perfect note; the sides opposite to the 

 smooth, produce disagreeable multiple vibrations. The stones used 

 to strike the flints are free from all sound. The collection forms two 

 chromatic scales, commencing on D, and ending on upper E sharp, and 

 the strings to which they are suspended are about two yards in length. 



M. Baudre devoted twenty-four years to making this collection, 

 wandering with untiring perseverance through the departments of 

 Haute Marne, the Somme, Perigord, Artois, and lastly the basin of 

 Paris. More than two hundred thousand stones Avere tested before 

 deciding upon the fitness of a single one. He was led to make the 

 search, which resulted in acquiring this geological wonder, in the fol- 

 lowing manner. In 1851, he was superintending the works of a rail- 

 way in France ; the workmen came upon great quantities of flint 

 which, producing a faint sound, attracted his attention. It seemed to 

 him a whole revelation, and he immediately thought it might not be 

 impossible to find in those quarries something useful to the musical 

 world. It required nine months of searching before he found the first 

 one that gave a satisfactory sound. He then began to regard his dis- 

 covery as belonging to the realm of science, rather than something to 

 be exhibited in concert halls as a mere curiosity, and only thought of 

 founding a geological collection of musical stones. Encouraged by 

 the result of his first truly sonorous stone, he continued his search at 

 his own expense, often laboring day and night, and thus in twenty- 

 four long years he obtained the desired result, and had his geological 

 piano complete. He considers these sonorous flints very rare, especi- 

 ally those with so pure and charming tones. 



However this may be, such a collection must remain almost unique, 

 for although there may be more stones, it would be difficult to find 

 another man to seek for them, with so much patience, perseverance, 

 and ardent enthusiasm as M. Baudre has shown. One of the stones 

 was once in the possession of Mr. Boucher de Perth, who valued it 

 from its resembling the head of a Sphinx. WhenM. Baudre saw this 

 stone in the museum of Abbeville, he remarked to the mayor of the 

 city, who was with him : That stone would speak if I touched it." 

 The mayor, rather astonished, desired him to try it, and handed him 

 the stone. He touched it slightly with a small stone, and to the 



