Water Music

They have a device much like our phonograph
To a slender rod of variable length
A circular metal pan is fixed

It can be turned by a foot pedal
And the angle at which it tilts
Is controlled by a hand lever

The method of using this contrivance is as follows
Water being poured into the pan
And sealed therein by a protective lid

It is caused to slide about
By means of the pedal and the lever
The sound made

As the water rolls over or slaps against the metal
Has a discernible musical pitch
Which alters

As the angle and rate of revolution
Of the pan are modified
A hornlike wooden tube serves as amplifier

To make an orchestra
They assemble a number of these instruments
The pans being of different diameters

A very lovely
If to our ears almost too uncorporeal
Music is thus produced