The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-04-12
The Singing FisI. Of Ccylo',.

The Singing FEsE. Of CcylGsl.
On the occasion of another visit which |
made to Batticaloa in September 1918, made
some inquiries relative TO u story which had
heard OF musical Sounds said to be heard iss,l-
ing from the bottom Of the lake, at several
places, both above and below the ferry, orpo-
site the old Dutch Fort; and which the natives
suppose TO proceed from some fish peculiar TO
the locality. The report was confirmed TO me
in all its particulars, and one of the spots from
whence the sound proceeded was pointed ont
between the pier and a rock which intcrsects
the channel, two or three hundred yards to the
eastward They were said to be heard at night,
and most distinctly when the moon was nearest
the full, and they were described as resembling
the faint sweet notes Of the .Eolian harp. |
sent for some of the fishermen, who said they
were perfectly aware Of the fact and that their
fathers had always known of the existence of
the musical sounds heard they said, at the spot
alluded to, but only during the dry season, and
they cease when the lake is swollen Ly the
lreshct after the rain. They believed them to
proceed from shell, which is known by the
Tamil name Of (oorie coolooroc craloe) or the
"crying she'll" q name in which TIE sound
seems to have been adopted as an echo of the
sense. I sent them i'll search of the shell and
they returned bringing me some living spcci-
mems Of different shells, chiefly Moriua and
cerahipm. In the evening, when the moon had
risen, took boat and accompanied the fish
crmen to the spot We rowed 0pout 200 yards
northeast of the ,ietty by the fort gate; there
was not q breath of wind, nor a ripple, except
that caused by the dip of our oars; and, in
coming to the point mentioned I distinctly
heard the sound in question. They came up
from the water like the gentle thrills of n mus
ical chord, or the faint vibrations of wine
glass when its rim is rubbed by n wet finger.
| 1t was not one sustained note, but Il multi
| tude Of tiny sounds, each clear and distinct in
itself; the swcctcr treble minglng with the
lowest bass. On applying the ear to the wood
creased in volume by conluction, The sounds
varied considerably at different points, as VIC
moved across the lake, as if the number of the
animals from which they proceeded was great
est in particular spots; and occasionally W,
rowed out of hearing of them altogether, until
on returning to the original locality, the sounds
were at once renewed. This fact seems to in
dicate that the causes of the sounds whatever
they may be, are stationary at several points
and this agrees with the statement of the native
that they arc produced by mollnsca, and no
by fish. They came evidently and scnsibly from
the depth Of the lake, and there was nothing i.
| the surrounding circumstances to support
conjecture that they could be the rcvc.beraiiol
Of noises made by insects on the shore, convey
cd along the surface of the water, for they wer
lcudest and most distinct at those points whcr
; the nature of the land and the intervention o
the fort and its buildings forbade the possibil
ty Of this kind of cOnduction. Sounds some
what similar are heard under water ut som
places on the western coast of India, cspcciall
in the harbor of Bombay. At Caldera, in Chill
musical cadcnccs are stated to issue from tn
sea near the landing place; they are describe
as rising and falling fully four notes, rcscnb
ing the tones Of harp-strings, and minging lik
, those at Batticaloa, till they produce a musica
, liscord Of great dclicacy and sweetness. Til
r animals from which they proccs / have not bee
identified at either place, and the mystery T.,
mains unsolvcd, whether those at Battcalo
are given forth by fishes or by mollusccs.-.S
j. Emerson Tane's Csylon.
D TINE AND ErERNTTY.-Wc step on earth, "
a look abroad over it, and it seems immense,
0 does the sea. What ages had men lived, M
= knew but portion? They circumnavigatc
+ now with speed under which its vast bu
. shrnks. But let the astronomer lift up his glas
: and he learns to believe in total mass of ma
i ter, compared with which this great globe
/, self becomes an imponderabc grain of dust
If And SO to each Of us walking along tue rof
l. of life, year, day, an hour, shall seem lon
e AS we grow older the time shortens br
4. when we lift up our eyes TO look beyond Ii
C Garth oar seventy years, and the few thouEcn
e Of years which have rolled over the hum.
e race, vanish into a point; for then We q
1t measuring Time against Eternity.
A generous, virtuous man, lives not to t
% world, but to his own conscience: he rs t
.e planets above, steers course contrary
lhas Of the wOrld. BACON