- Bolls, Chimes, Carillons, he. also apper tain to the class of percussion, they be ing all struck, either by clappers sus pended within them, or by hammers from without. We have some excellent bells in various parts of England ; but very few chimes, and those few so vilely regu lated, as to betome a disgrace to their keepers, and a nuisance to the public. On the continent the chimes of many churches are objects of admiration. We may often be well entertained with the carillons, sometimes suspended over the cages of squirrels, &c. ; which being touched by small projecting wires on the circular cage, the same as is done for notes on a barrel-organ, produce a pleas ing effect, especially when they are either touched in succession, like a peal of bells, or are made to perform some little air.
The most sonorous instrument of this class is the Gong, in general use through out China, and occasionally to be seen in other parts of Asia. Some of these im mense, round, fiat masses of bell metal, or other mixture, measure nearly a yard in diameter, and weigh seven or eight hundred weight; we have indeed heard of them much larger. In a still day, their mounds may be heard from two to three miles very distinctly. An author of eminence observes, that the tone of the gong cannot be appreciated ; but, though we admit the difficulty, we must observe, as has already been remarked under the head of Music, that every atom in na ture, when at liberty, and not damped by contact with others. nossesses ticular sound, tome division on our scale. ;truck with a wooden hanno.i. may consider the modern cymbals as a species of the gong; these are two plates of mixed metal, of various sizes, but generally near a foot in and about the sixth, or fifth, of an Inch n thickness ; cupolaed in their centres, for about three inches, so as to resound forcibly, and to fit into each hand of the performer, who usually strikes them in a passing manner to only the first and third notes of the measure. The ef fect of a pair of cymbals in a military band is grand; it is a powerful reinforce ment to the accent, so as to render it al most impossible for the soldiers to step out of time ; but, heard at a small dis tance, cymbals are distressing to a well tuned ear; they are seldom, if ever, of the same intonation ; and, when clashed together in the usual mechanical manner, yield a harsh and distracting sound. The nakokus is a kind of cymbal, which, hang ing in pairs near the altars of the Egyp tian churches, are clashed together to beat the time. The Asiatics, in their bands, and in their religious ceremonies, use diminutive cymbals, not more than three inches in diameter, and rather bell shaped.
Of the Drum species we have an abun dant variety. The side or military drum is well known ; it is monotonous, but ha. bit has so far reconciled us to its uses, that we consider it as a musical instru ment, though it is not in strictness entitled to that designation; nor is any instrument of this description to be so classed, ex.
cepting the kettle-drum,or timbale,which being regularly tuned, the one to the key note, and the other to its fourth below, or fifth above, are satisfactorily and effici ently introduced into full bands, in which their emphasis, their powers, and their thundering roll, frequently prove very acceptable aide, and produce the richest effects. The kettledrum derives its Eng. dish name from its form, the bottom being a large semi-spherical kettle of copper, and the head being of vellum stretched on a metal hoop, which being lowered or raised at pleasure, so as to vary the inter nal measurement, can be tuned precisely to any given intonation. They are ac counted bass-instruments, on account of their grave'sounds. Though our cavalry, for many years, were generally provided with kettle-drums, yet they were not of our own invention; nor were they known in Europe before the holy wars, when they were first adopted from the Saracens, or Moors, who were accustomed to carry them, of immense bulk, suspended on ei ther side of camels; the driver beating as the animal moved on. The Asiatic princes considerthe kettle-drum as the indication of royalty ; or, at least, of pre-eminent rank and power; accordingly the naugati rah, or nagarah, is even to be heard in the kobats, or musical balconies, over the gates of princes, and in all state proces sions: it is likewise used by the priests of the Mussulman religion, to announce the hour of prayers, &c. The designation, i. e. naugaurah, is to be found in Hindu manu scripts, of a much older date than any of our European records, or authenticated traditions. The musicians of Hindostan likewise use a very small pair of kettle drum; with wooden bottoms, which they call taublahs ; these are fixed in the cloth they pass around their waists, and are beat with three fingers of each hand, in a very peculiar manner, and producing very curious effects, according as the fin gers are more or less protruded towards the centre of the iaublah. Their note, as in our side drum, is perfectly adventitious. The bass drum, by many called the Turk. ish drum, is very large, and usually car ried cress-ways before the peribrmer,wbo beats one end with a short club, having a large knob at its end ; the left hand is pro vided with a lighter stick, or a bunch of split rattans, &c. so as to vary the sound considerably ; but only the right hand beats upon the accented parts of the mea sure. This instrument is derived from the Indian long-drum, called the dole, which, instead of being cylindrical, is of a barrel-form, contracting much towards the ends, which are covered with raw skins of different thickness ; no stick is used, the performers beating with their fingers.