The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-20
A SAND THAT BARKS.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE MUSICAL EARTH
OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS,.

A Savant Describes n Cufious Portion of
the Globes Makeup-Musical sand Is
Found in Several Countries-some Hy-
potheses to Explain the Cause.
The so-called barking sands" of Kauai
are mentioned in the works of several
travellers in the Hawaiian islands, and
have u worldwide fame as a natural curl
osity. AS IA rule, however, the printed &C.
counts are meager in details, and show
the authors to have been unacquainted
with similar phenomena elsewhere.
Jointly with DR.. Alexis A. Julien, of
Columbia college, New York, l have been
studying the properties of sonorous sand
for u long time, and have visited many
localities in America, Europe and Asia;
hence l was able during a recent visit to
Kauai to make SOM notes and compari-
sons that may interest the residents Of
this kingdom.
Notwithstanding recent rains l found
the sand on the dune at Mana dry to the
depth of four or five inches, and when
pushed down the steep incline it gave
out a deep base note having a tremulous
character. This hardly resembles the
barking" of d dog. but a sound some
what like it is produced by plunging the
hands into the sand and bringing them
vigorously together. Another way is to
ill a long bag three-quarters full OF sand,
and then dividing its contents into two
parts. holding one in each hand, to clap
the two portions together. This l had
found to be a good method for testing
the ~onorousne Of sand on sea- beaches.
A bag of the sand will preserve its
acoustic qualities a long time if kept dry
and not too frequently manipulated.
The angle at which the sand lies where
it falls ove the dune is 81 degrees; the
extends several hundred
feet along the dune, being interrupted
by a creeping vine that thrives marvel
ously in such Il soil.
A similar dune of sonorous sand &C.
u on Niihan, as has long been known
to residents of the island. and it has been
also reported to occur neal Koloe.
These observations, simple as they are,
have been of special interest to me, be-
cause they show that the sand of these
localities forms II link between that of
the sea beaches and that of n certain hill
On the Gulf of Suez known as Jebel Ma
gous. and which l visited in April, 1889.
Sonorous sand is of more common occur
renee than generally supposed. 1t is
found on the Atlantic coast of the Unit
ed States from Maine to Florida. on the
Pacific coast, in Europe, Japan, Africa,
Tasmania, ETC., as well as on the shores of
many fresh water lakes. In these localities
it forms areas generally between low
tide and the base of adjoining dunes, and
einits sounds only. when subjected to
friction by the feet and hands or in a
bag as described. AT Jebel Nagous, in
Arabia, on the other hand, the sand rests
in Il ravine, and produces sound only
when it rolls down the incline (Which it
often does spontaneously and fails to g
spond to kicks and cuffs.
The sand at Mana, as shown, unites in
itself both these acoustic properties. The
angle at which the sand lies at Jebel
Nagous is the same as at Mana, 81 de-
grees being the "angle of rest" for fine
dry sand. The musical notes obtained
at these far separated localities are also
the same, but in Arabia the incline is
300 feet high, and consequently thY
sounds are far louder, especially as they
are further magnified by being echoed
from adjoining cliffs.
The sand ut Kauai and Niihau is made
mp of fragments of shell and coral, while
that of I'll ether localities known to us
(over 100 IN numlar) is siliceous. This
shows that tn s~oaoGousuess is indie
pendent of mate.i,;!. discrimination under
the microscope iI.'.',er shows that, the
sonorous quality Is rot connected with
the sha1H vi lie gran.
Sonorous sand Is distinguished by
being free iro.l fine dust on silt; the in
dividual grains are very uniform in size.
1t is very easy to deprive sand of it's
acoustic power by mixing Il little earth
with it OF by wetting it. 1t is difficult,
if not impossible, to restore to sand its
sonorous quality when once KILLED"
A number Of hypothesis have been
proposed to explain the cause of this Gu
rious property Of certain sands. The
prevalent idea i'll these islands that the
sound is due to the cellular structure Of
the sand must be abandoned, since most
sonorous sund is not SO constituted, that
of Kauai forming an exception. Some
have attributed the sonorous quality &c
saline crusts, others to electricity, effer.
yescence of air between the particles
| reyarberation within s"ubterranean cav.
tiles and to solarization, and one autho,
attempts to explain The phenomena b,
writing of "a reduplication of imnulse
sett;nm ,;r in v;hr.+;nn IN . fan1,s =.
eota "' :" :" :" !" 'oo"e "
IAese tlleOfleS Dr. Jullen ana l re1ect
for reasons | canno here detail, and We
believe the true cause of s~onorousness tc