A CURIOUS PHENOMENON

Grey River Argus, 13 April 1911, Page 2

A CURIOUS PHENOMENON

A curious phenomenon is described by Sir Gaston Maspero in a recent numoer of the Annales de la 5...v.: des Antiquites. A few years ag"o two of the great stones in the hypostyle hall of the Temple of Edfu showed signs of falling, and were supported on an iron structure as a temporary measure. From this date until five years ago, when the improvised iron, support was exchanged for one of wood and concrete, the stones every morning, at sunrise give forth noises liKe revolver shots, sometimes single and at intervals, sometimes in a continuous volley, but always' terminating in a clear and vibrating 1 sound like a deep sigh. This is supported by the evidence given by M. Barsanti, who was. in charge of the works, and other officials. This gives some colour to the tradition that one of the two Colossi at Thebes, known as the Vocal Memnoh, emitted sounds when the sun's rays fell upon it. Many theories have been ventilated by scientist's to .explain the origin of this legend. The popular solution of the mystery is that the credulous worshippers were deceived by a

'"pious fraud" of the priests, who were -either possessed of centriloquial 'skill, or contented themselves with hiding in the statue and secretly striking it. The phenomenon may, however, be a perfectly natural one. Certain kinds of granite have, it is well known, a musical ring". Humooldt has described similar sounding rocks in the Orinoco Valley, which yielded musical notes supposed to be caused by wind passing through the chinks and agitating- the spangles of mica into audible vibration.