[9] One of the commonest sounds is a deep _Oh_;
and this would naturally follow, as explained by Helmholtz,
from the mouth being moderately opened and the lips protruded.
On a quiet night some rockets were fired from the `Beagle,' in a
little creek at Tahiti, to amuse the natives; and as each rocket,
was let off there was absolute silence, but this was invariably
followed by a deep groaning _Oh_, resounding all round the bay.
Mr. Washington Matthews says that the North American Indians
express astonishment by a groan; and the negroes on the West Coast
of Africa, according to Mr. Winwood Reade, protrude their lips,
and make a sound like _heigh, heigh_. If the mouth is not
much opened, whilst the lips are considerably protruded,
a blowing, hissing, or whistling noise is produced.
Mr. R. Brough Smith informs me that an Australian from the interior
was taken to the theatre to see an acrobat rapidly turning head
over heels: "he was greatly astonished, and protruded his lips,
making a noise with his mouth as if blowing out a match."
According to Mr. Bulmer the Australians, when surprised,
utter the exclamation _korki_, "and to do this the mouth is
drawn out as if going to whistle.
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