is especially marked and evident, when uncommon causes have operated to secure such practice. And this is the state of things with the Blind. The readers of Sir Walter Scott may not have forgotten the blind fiddler, who figures so conspicuously with verse and harp in Red Gauntlet; a character sufficiently extraordinary, but by no means an improbable exaggeration. The blind necessarily rely much more than others on the sense of hearing. By constant practice they increase the accuracy and power of its perceptions. Shut out from the beauties that are seen, they please themselves with what is heard, and greedily drink in the soul of song. Accordingly music is made by them not only a solace, but a business and a means of support; and in the institutions for the Blind this is considered an important department of instruction.

Many particular instances on record and well authenticated confirm the general statement, that the ear may be trained to habits, and that thus the sensations of sound may come to us with new power and meaning. It is related of a celebrated blind man of Puiseaux in France, that he could determine the quantity of fluid in vessels by the sound it produced while running from one vessel into another. Any person may ascertain the presence and approach of another without seeing him by the mere sound of his voice; but there have been blind men, who were capable in consequence of being obliged from the lack of sight to rely much on the hearing, of ascertaining the same thing from the sound of their tread. Dr. Saunderson, who became blind so early as not to remember having seen, when happening in any new place, as a room, piazza, pavement, court, and the like, gave it a character by means of the sound and echo from his feet, and in that way was able to identify pretty exactly the place, and assure himself of his position afterwards. A writer in the First Volume of the Manchester Philosophical Memoirs, who is our authority also for the statement just made, speaks of a certain blind man in that city as follows;—“I had an opportunity of repeatedly observing the peculiar manner, in which he arranged his ideas, an acquired

his information. Whenever he was introduced into company, I remarked that he continued some time silent. The sound directed him to judge of the dimensions of the room; and the different voices, of the number of persons that were present. His distinction in these respects was very accurate; and his memory so retentive, that he was seldom mistaken. I have known him instantly recognize a person, on first hearing him, though more than two years had clapsed since the time of their last meeting. He determined pretty nearly the stature of those he was conversing with, by the direction of their voices; and he made tolerable conjectures respecting their tempers and dispositions, by the manner in which they conducted their conversation."

§. 187. Application of habit to the touch.

The sense of touch like the others may be exceedingly improved by habit. The more we are obliged to call it into use, the more attention we pay to its intimations. By the frequent repetition therefore under such circumstances, these sensations not only acquire increased intenseness in themselves; but particularly so in reference to our notice and remembrance of them. But it is desirable to confirm this, as it is all other principles from time to time laid down, by an appeal to facts, and by careful inductions from them.

Diderot relates of the blind man of Puiseaux mentioned in the former section, that he was capable of judging of his distance from the fire-place by the degree of heat, and of his approach to any solid bodies by the action or pulse of the air upon his face. The same thing is recorded of many other persons in a similar situation; and it may be regarded, as a point well established, that blind people, who are unable to see the large and heavy bodies presenting themselves in their way as they walk about, generally estimate their approach to them by means of the increasetl resistance of the atmosphere. A blind person,

owing to the increased accuracy of his remaining senses, especially of the touch, would be better trusted to go

through the various apartments of a house in the darkness of midnight, than one possessed of the sense of seeing without any artificial light to guide him.

In the celebrated Dr. Saunderson, who lost his sight in very early youth, and remained blind through life, although he occupied the professorship of mathematics in the English University of Cambridge, the touch acquired such accuteness, that he could distinguish, by merely letting them pass through his fingers, spurious coins, which were so well executed as to deceive even skilful judges who could sce.t

The case of a Mr. John Metcalf, otherwise called Blind Jack, which is particularly dwelt upon by the author of the Article in the Memoirs just referred to, is a striking one. The writer states, that he became blind at an early period; but notwithstanding, followed the profession of a waggoner and occasionally of a guide in intricate roads, during the night, or when the tracks were covered with snow. At length he became a projector and surveyor of highways in difficult and mountainous districts; an employment, for which one would naturally suppose a blind man to be but indifferently qualified. But he was found to answer all the expectations of his employers, and most of the roads over the peak in Derbyshire in England were altered by his directions. Says the person, who gives this account of Blind Jack, "I have several times met this man with the assistance of a long staff traversing the roads, ascending precipices, exploring vallies, and investigating their several extents, forms, and situations, so as to answer his designs in the best manner."

In the interesting Schools for the Blind, which have been established in various parts of Europe, the pupils read by means of the fingers. They very soon learn by the touch to distinguish one letter from another, which are made separately for that purpose of wood, metals, or other materials. The printed sheets which they use are conformed to their method of studying them. The types are much larger than those ordinarily used in printing;

† Memoirs of Manchester Philos. Society, Vol. I. p. 164.

the paper is very thick, and being put upon the types while wet, and powerfully pressed, the letters on it are consequently raised, and appear in relief. The pupils having before learnt to distinguish one letter from another, and also to combine them into syllables and words, are able after a time to pass their fingers along the words and sentences of these printed sheets, and ascertain their meaning with a good degree of rapidity.

Perhaps it may occasion some surprise, when we add, that men may not only read by the touch, but may even find a substitute for the hearing in that sense. Persons, who were entirely deaf, have in some instances discovered a perception of the proportion and harmony of sounds.

"It will scarcely be credited (says an English writer, speaking of one in that situation,) that a person thus circumstanced should be fond of music; but this was the fact in the case of Mr. Arrowsmith. He was at a gentleman's glee club, of which I was president at that time, and as the glees were sung, he would place himself near some article of wooden furniture, or a partition, door, or window shutter, and would fix the extreme end of his finger nails, which he kept rather long, upon the edge of some projecting part of the wood, and there remain until the piece under performance was finished, all the while expressing by the most significant gestures, the pleasure he experienced from the perception of musical sounds. He was not so much pleased with a solo, as with a pretty full clash of harmony; and if the music was not very good, or, I should rather say, if it was not correctly executed,he would show no sensation of pleasure. But the most extraordinary circumstance in this case is, that he was most evidently delighted with those passages, in which the composer displayed his science in modulating the different keys. When such passages happened to be executed with precision, he could scarcely repress the emotions of pleasure which he received within any bounds; for the delight he evinced seemed to border on extacy."*

* London Quarterly Review, Vol. XXVI, p. 404.

§. 188. Habits considered in relation to the sight.

The law of habit affects the sight also. By a course of training this sense seems to acquire new power. The length and acuteness of, vision in the mariner, who has long traversed the ocean, has been often referred to. There are numerous instances to the same effect, occasioned by the situations in which men are placed, and the calls for the frequent exercise of that sense. The almost intuitive vision of the skilful engineer is beyond doubt in most cases merely a habit. He has so often fixed his eye upon those features in a country, which have a relation to his peculiar calling, that he instantly detects the bearing of a military position, its susceptibility of defence, its facilities of approach and retreat, &c.

No man is born without the sense of touch, but many are born without the sense of hearing; and whenever this is the case, we are entitled to look for habits of sight. Persons under such circumstances naturally and necessarily rely much on the visual sense, whatever aids may be had by them from the touch. Hence habits; and these imply increased quickness and power, wherever they exist. It is a matter of common remark, that the keenness of visual observation in the DEAF and DUMB is strikingly increased by their peculiar circumstances. Shut out from the intercourse of speech, they read the minds of men in their movements, gestures, and countenances. They notice with astonishing quickness, and apparently without any effort, a thousand things, which escape the regards of others. This fact is undoubtedly the foundation of the chief encouragement, which men have to attempt the instruction of that numerous and unfortunate class of their fellow beings. They can form an opinion of what another says to them by the motion of the lips; and sometimes even with a great degree of accuracy. That this last however is common, it is not necessary to assert; that it is possible, we have the testimony of well authenticated facts. one of his letters, Bishop Burnet mentions to this effect the case of a young lady of Geneva." At two years old

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