Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-24

ly calm. The sky was cloudless, and the at
mosphere clear to that extraordinary degree
conceivable only by those who are familiar
with the elevated regions of southern climates.
So clear and pure, indeed, that at noon bright
star which had attracted our notice through
out the gray of the morning still remained
visible in the zenith. By the naked eye,
therefore, and still more with the assistance
OF telescope, any waterfalls of sfficient mag
nitude would have been distinguishable on a
front base, and exposed before us but not a
stream was to be detected, and the bed of what
gave event tokens of being occasionally a
strong torrent intersecting the valley at its
foot, was then nearly dry. Twill not presume
to assert that the SUMS rays, though at the
moment impinging in all their glory on every
point and peak of the snowy heights, and any
shore in vibrating these mountain chords !;
but on subsequent visit, few days after
wards, when went alone to explore this wild
scenery, and at the same spot, | listened in
vain for the moaning sounds; the air was
equally calm: but the sun was hidden by
clouds, and a cap of dense mist hung over the
greater portion of the mountain
There is no. small difficulty in accounting
for such sounds. They may be connected
with changes of temperature; but how p
Sometimes they may be produced at great
distance, but rendered audible by form Of
the ground favorable for the collection of the
rays of sound, so TO speak The wind is
doubtless the instrument in many instances.
Earthquakes, as we have seen, are another
these should be produced in such circum
stances We cannot say. Amidst this difficulty.
It is satisfactory to refer TO one class OF such
sounds for which an explanation has been at
tanned
On the east coast Of the Bay of Suez. about
three hours from Tor in Sinai, there's sand
stone ridge, at one part of which, where it is
about $50 feet high, there is steep ACTIVITY
named Nakuh, having much loose sand laid
against it, the produce of the upper part of
the hill. When the traveller ascends this
sandy cliff, his ears are saluted with a sound
which at first resembles the tone Of an Eolan
harp, then that of ahumming-top and finally
becomes loud, that the earth seems toshake
After many speculations about the cause of
this phenomenon, the matter was set at rest
by the distinguished naturalist Ehrenherg.-
He assembled from the base of the hill, over
its cover of sand, to the summit where he
observed the sand continually by the
weathering of the rock: and convinced him
self that the motion of the sand was the cause
OF the sound. Every step lie and his com
panion took caused partial sound, OCCASION
ed by the sand thus set in motion, and differ
ing only in continuance and intensity. from
that heard afterwards, when the continued
ascent had set loose greater quantity ofsand
Beginning with soft rustlng, it passed graiu-
ully into murmuring, then into hulnming
noise, and at length into threatening of such
violence, that it could only be compared with
distant cannonade, had it been more con
tinued and uniform. As the sand gradually
settled again, the noise also gradually ceased"
Mr.. James Prinsep, who also inquired into
these sounds, states that the effect is produced
by ga reduplication of impulse, setting air in
vibration in focus of echo" 1t is, in short.
phenomenon in acoustics.
There is a similar marvel at Reg-Ruwan.
about forty miles north Of Cabool, towards
Hindoo Koosh, and near the base Of the
mountains. To quote the description Of Sir
Alexander Burmese 1.-Two ridges of hills,
detached from the rest, run in and meet each
other. At the point of junction, and where
the slope of the hills is at an angle of about
40 degrees, and the heighth nearly 400 feet, n
sheet of sand, as pure as that on the sea-shore
is spread frem the top to the bottom, to a |
breadth of about 100 yards. When this sand
is set in motion by body of people sliding |
down it, a sound is emitted. On the first trial
we distinctly heard two loud hollow sounds,
such as would be produced by large drum. |
On two subsequent trials we heard nothing.
so that perhaps the sand requires to be srttl- |
ed and at rest for some space of time before
the effect can be produced. The inhabitants
have belief that the sounds are only heard !
on Friday; nor then, unless by the special
permission of the saint of Reg Ruwan, who is
close to the spot. The locality of the
sand is remarkable, as there is no other in the
neighborhood. Reg-Ruwan faces the south,
but the wind of Purwan, (bad Purwan,)
which blows strongly from the north for the
greater part of the year, probably deposits it
" an eddy. Near the strip of sand there IL a
trong echo ; and the same conformation of
uriacc which occasions this is doubtless con-
Iected with the sound of the moving sand"
An explanation being supplied in this case,
re may hope to see all mysteries Of the same
ind in time cleared up.
NEGRO ESCAPES PROM SLAvERY.-lIeis suf-
lcated in the hold ola Vessel-I'he schooner |
'eptune's Bride arrived in Brooklyn yesterday
ON port in North Carolina, loaded with !
avail stores. She was hauled into the Alta a
lntic Basin to Messrs Half & Co. Is wharf to a
nload. Upon removing the main hatch
orrible stencil greeted the men who were con
'cturing as to the cause, but no one could
Dive the mystery as to what produced the \