Bacon, Francis - Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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7036Natural Hiſtory; the Motion, cauſed by noiſe upon the Water. But theſe effects are from
the local motion of the Air, which is a concomitant of the Sound (as hath
been ſaid) and not from the Sound.

It hath been anciently reported, and is ſtill received, that extream ap-
11127. plauſes, and ſhouting of people, aſſembled in great multitudes, have ſo rari-
fied, and broken the Air, that Birds flying over, have faln down, the Air be-
ing not able to ſupport them. And it is believed by ſome, that great Ring-
ing of Bells in populous Cities, hath chaſed away Thunder; and alſo diſ-
ſipated peſtilent Air: All which may be alſo from the concuſſion of the Air,
and not from the Sound.

A very great ſound near hand, hath ſtrucken many deaf; and at the
22128. inſtant they have found, as it were, the breaking of a Skin of Parchmentin
their Ear: And my ſelf, ſtanding near one that lured loud and ſhrill, had
ſuddenly an offence, as if ſome what had broken, or been diſlocated in my
Ear, and immediately after a loud Ringing; (not an ordinary Singing, or
Hiſſing, but far louder, and differing; ſo as I feared ſome Deafneſs. But
after ſome half quarter of an hour, it vaniſhed. This effect may be truly
referred unto the Sound; for (as is commonly received) an over potent
Object doth deſtroy the Senſe; and Spiritual Species, (both Viſible and
Audible,) will work upon the ſenſories, though they move not any other
Body.

In Delation of Sounds, the encloſure of them preſerveth them, and
33129. cauſeth them to be heard further. And we finde in Rowls of Parchment, or
Truncks, the Mouth being laid to the one end of the Rowl of Parchment,
or Trunck, and the Ear to the other, the Sound is heard much further then
in the open Air. The cauſe is, for that the Sound ſpendeth, and is diſſipated
in the open Air; but in ſuch Concaves, it is conſerved and contracted. So
alſo in a Piece of Ordnance, if you ſpeak in the Touch-hole, and another
lay his Ear to the Mouth of the Piece, the Sound paſleth, and is far better
heard than in the open Air.

It is further to be conſidered, how it proveth and worketh when the
44130. Sound is not encloſed, all the length of his way, but paſſeth partly through
open Air; as where you ſpeak ſome diſtance from a Trunck, or where the
Ear is ſome diſtance from the Trunck, at the other end; or where both
Mouth and Ear are diſtant from the Trunck. And it is tryed, that in a long
Trunck of ſome Eight or ten foot, the ſound is holpen, though both the
Mouth, and the Ear be a handful or more, from the ends of the Trunck; and
ſomewhat more holpen, when the Ear of the Hearer is near, than when the
Mouth of the Speaker. And it is certain, that the Voice is better heard in a
Chamber from abroad, than abroad from within the Chamber.

As the Encloſure that is round about and entire, preſerveth the Sound; ſo
55131. doth a Semi-concave, though in a leſs degree. And thereſore, if you divide
a Trunck, or a Cane into two, and one ſpeak at the one end, and you lay
your Ear at the other, it will carry the Voice further, than in the Air at large.
Nay further, if it be not a full Semi-concave; but if you do the like upon the
Maſt of a Ship, or a long Pole, or a Piece of Ordnance (though one ſpeak
upon Surface of the Ordnance, and not at any of the Bores) the Voice will
be heard further then in the Air at large.

It would be tryed, how, and with what proportion of diſadvantage,
66132. the Voice will be carried in an Horn, which is a Line Arched; or in a
Trumpet, which is a Line Retorted; or in ſome Pipe that were Si-
nuous.

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