on Singhalese Music, 203 



shall take the instance of a person, endowed with a correct 

 ear, and possessing a moderate degree of skill in performing 

 on the German-flute. We shall, also, suppose him to listen, 

 with curiosity, to the performance of a native musician ; and 

 to endeavour to catch the air being played, on his own 

 instrument. To any one, who has tried the experiment, it is 

 needless to foretell its failure. Let us suppose our amateur, 

 to ask himself the reason, why ? The easiest solution of 

 the difficulty will be found in a comparison of the two 

 instruments. Not in the finish and perfection of the one, 

 and the native rudeness of the other ; but in the acoustical 

 proportions of both. He will find, to his surprise, that the 

 vents of his own instrument are apparently placed in the 

 most arbitrary manner, with regard to their relative positions ; 

 while on the other hand, the despised native instrument is 

 vented with more mathematical regularity. In seeking a 

 scientific explanation, we should begin from the most 

 elementary principles. 



6. Musical tones are supposed to be the results of atrial 

 vibrations, proceeding from a central vibrating body. Un- 

 der the influence of the same motive force, the relative 

 number of vibrations has been found, to be in the inverse 

 ratio of the dimensions of the vibrating body. Thus, in the 

 case already considered, the relative number of vibrations 

 (producing the different notes) is in inverse ratio to the 

 length of the column of air in the flute. The average 

 diameter of the flute throughout its length being supposed 

 to represent an uniform diameter, and beginning by closing 

 all the vents, as each successive vent is opened, the length 

 of the column of air in the flute tube is reduced in the same 

 proportion. Sounding the instrument with the same force, it 

 will be found, that the shorter the column the more acute is the 

 note. And, as already stated, the vents being placed at 



