The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-11-03
STRANGE SOUNDS.
GUNS OF BURRISAUL AND OTHER
MYSTIFYING PHENOMENA.

No EXPLANATION Has Ever Been Found.
Famous Sounds In Various Parts of the
Earth Have Scared Many.
Of strange sounds which probably de-
pend on meteorological or other natural
causes, one Of the most remarkable has
long been known as 1.-THE guns Of Bur-
~risaul," but though its causes have long
been debated no accurate explanation
has been given, SO far as we are aware,
that is thoroughly satisfactory. The
Sunderbunds-as the delta Of the Ganges
in native dialect is called-is covered
with a vast and luxuriant jungle of
marshy vegetation. One Of the stations
is named Burrisaul. From here, in the
rainy season., have long been heard mys-
terious sounds resembling the discharge
Of artillery, and therefore popularity
named the guns Of Burrisaul."
Only heard in the rainy season and
from the southwark, they have been
heard 100 miles off, yet on the coast it.
self they appear still farther south. The
sounds resemble the booming Of cannon
Mussulman and Hindoo superstitione
UdNc cdCi1 doSONldLIO l4C SObtLNk -
their religious traditions. Others have
thought the sounds were produced by the
breaking Of the sea on an island i'll the
bay of Bengal. But where? That some
atmospheric or meteorological cause Is
the explanation is all that can be said
after hearing all arguments.
a much lumber yet ancient instance
Of great local interest used to exist, we
believe, at BIddeley, in the New forest,
in the shape Of a grooming tree. Whether
it still lives and grOans we are uIcer-
tain, but it is said to have uttered mys-
ferrous and lGgubriOuS sounds at certain
times, probably dependent on wind or
weather, but full Of omen and import to
past generations. Indeed in the various
mysteries which, despite fin de siecio
acuteness, still surround Us, eeTie noises
have always played a most conspicuous
part, whether out of doors or within
ancient houses. Instances Of the latter,
indeed, abound. Some of the most thrill
ing Of inexplicable ghost stories turn
not on anything which has appalled, the
eyes, but has 'distilled horror through
the ears. It is, we believe, in East An
glia that the shrieks heard from time to
time round certain pits have long been
a tradition III which q female phantom
has part.
The drummer Of Tedworth's" phan-
tom sounds are so well known FROM
Aubrey and more modern DISORDERS as
only to need allusion, but we may here
say that, according to q communication
in Il popular periodical some few years
back, similar sounds had recently, com
paratively speaking, been heard in TIE
locality, and by people Of most practical
disposition. These may be called phan
tom sounds. Returning again to those
which hover on the border line between
the natural and inexplicable, there's th4
wild strain as Of weird music which has
been heard aboard ships when getting
within the circle CT q Mozambique cy-
clone.
One OF the same kid, formerly mys-
teriou3 AID thrilling enough, has been
resolved into & natGral one. Early trav-
elers through the lElmeval forests OF
B-azil-still among the few unexplOrcl
places Of the gioOc-were astonished and
aweI TO Leu1 tie distant resonant sound
of a bell pealir3 from the depths of tie
woods, which certainly had no building
and for ages had known 10 human foot
step. Many q legend was woven round
the stran3. sound. Ultimately it was
discovered 10 be the Iote OF the bell bird.
There are, however, few mysterious
sounds which have been as satisfactorily
explained this. For instance, Jhere is
the legend # the sounds heard at times
on the plains Of Marathon, the clash Of
weapons, tie snoring Of horses, the
~'shouting Of the sl;.yers and screeching
Of the sl;in,' which recall to memory
the famous battle that lives so much
more wildly than many modern ones in
the history Ct the world. Of course
there are many instances of sounds
which, at first mysterious, become so re-
ally from tie distance vel which they
travelled, D,i1 these Must be distinguished
from those which are our theme.
Onc of the O Interesting examples
rests en- tie authority Of the late Sir Ed
mund Head, who remembered when q
boy going to church on the famous
"Waterlco Sunday" June 10, 1915, at
Hythe. II hlnt. LIS father and he, on
arriving at the Church ut Ii It. H., found
to their surprise the congregation out
side listening intentiy 10 the faint sound
as Of distant cannon coming from the
east. AttaTVar0 i vas &s~certained that
NarolecD i1.yiu=. GA The for HIM IN
Fortunate Jrtv:y2 uf his artillery officers,
who Tl,1..& the sta Of tIe ground,
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