pages: practicalmagicia00harr.pdf, 98
This data as json
path | page | folder | text |
---|---|---|---|
practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 98 | 88 THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. plane is made as though you were dwelling on the last part of the word hush-dwell upon the sh a little, as tsh, and then clip it short by, causing the tongue to close with the palate, then over again. Letters will not convey the peculiar sound of sawing-it must be studied from nature. A MOUNTAIN ECHO. Some persons imagine ventriloquism to be an echo ; but, as wo have said, an echo only repeats what has been said before-it could not answer a question. An echo is reflected sound, and the reflecting body must be at such a distance that the interval between the perception of the original and reflected sounds may be sufficient to prevent them from being blended together. No reflecting surface will produce a distant echo, unless its distance from the spot where the sound proceeds is at least 562 feet, because the shortest interval sufficient to render sounds distinctly appreçiable by the ear is about onc- tenth of a second ; therefore, if sounds follow at a shorter inter- val, they will form a resonance instead of an echo ; and the time a sound would take to go and return from a reflecting surface, 561 feet distance, would be onc-tenth of a second. It would, therefore, be impossible for a ventriloquist to produce an echo in a room of ordinary size, as the walls, being so near, would cause the sounds to be blended, and would only produce one impression on the car ; and yet the skilled ventriloquist can with case imitate, in a room, a mountain ccho. We will give the instructions, as it is very amusing. Turn your back to the listeners ; whistle loud several short, quick notes, just as if you were whistling for a dog then, as quick as possible, after the last note, and as softly and subdued as possible to be heard, whistle about a third the number of notes, but it must be in the same note 01° pitch ; this will cause the last whistle to appear just like an echo at a great distance. This im- itation, if well donc, never fails to take the listeners by surprise, and causes astonishment. The same thing can be donc by shout- ing. Call aloud any sentence, such as- 'Holloa, you there !"' Let your voice bc formed close to the lips ; then quickly, and mind in the same pitch 01° note, speak the same words very subdued and formed at the back of the mouth. This is not difficult, and is very effective. POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED. In giving the succeeding instructions, it must bo bornc in mind |