1is no intercourſe betwixt the external and
internal Air, can be heard by thoſe with
out, unleſs the ſounding Body do imme
diately ſtrike againſt ſome part of the in
cloſing Body. But not having now time
to handle Controverſies, we ſhall onely
annex, That after the foregoing Experi
ment, we took a Bell of about two Inches
in Diameter at the bottom, which was
ſupported in the midſt of the cavity of
the Receiver by a bent ſtick, which by
reaſon of its Spring preſſ'd with its two
ends againſt the oppoſite parts of the in
ſide of the Veſſel: in which, when it was
cloſ'd up, we obſerv'd that the Bell ſeem'd
to ſound more dead then it did when juſt
before it ſounded in the open Air. And
yet, when afterwards we had as formerly
emptyed the Receiver, we could not diſ
cern any conſiderable change (for ſome
ſaid they obſerv'd a ſmall one) in the loud
neſs of the ſound, whereby it ſeem'd that
though the Air be the principal medium
of ſound, yet either a more ſubtle mat
ter may be alſo a medium of it, or elſe an
ambient Body that contains but very
few particles of Air, in compariſon of
thoſe it is eaſily capable of, is ſufficient
for that purpoſe. And this, among o-
internal Air, can be heard by thoſe with
out, unleſs the ſounding Body do imme
diately ſtrike againſt ſome part of the in
cloſing Body. But not having now time
to handle Controverſies, we ſhall onely
annex, That after the foregoing Experi
ment, we took a Bell of about two Inches
in Diameter at the bottom, which was
ſupported in the midſt of the cavity of
the Receiver by a bent ſtick, which by
reaſon of its Spring preſſ'd with its two
ends againſt the oppoſite parts of the in
ſide of the Veſſel: in which, when it was
cloſ'd up, we obſerv'd that the Bell ſeem'd
to ſound more dead then it did when juſt
before it ſounded in the open Air. And
yet, when afterwards we had as formerly
emptyed the Receiver, we could not diſ
cern any conſiderable change (for ſome
ſaid they obſerv'd a ſmall one) in the loud
neſs of the ſound, whereby it ſeem'd that
though the Air be the principal medium
of ſound, yet either a more ſubtle mat
ter may be alſo a medium of it, or elſe an
ambient Body that contains but very
few particles of Air, in compariſon of
thoſe it is eaſily capable of, is ſufficient
for that purpoſe. And this, among o-