ST. AUGUSTIN TO BAHAMA ISLANDS 261 



One of them would often be entertaining his com- 

 rades with the music and songs of their country. The 

 instrument which he used for the purpose he called 

 Gambee ; a notched bar of wood, one end of which he 

 placed against an empty cask, or some other hollow, 

 reverberant body, and the other against his breast. In 

 his right hand he held a small stick of wood, split 

 lengthwise into several clappers (something after the 

 fashion of a harlequin's mace) ; in his left hand also a 

 small thin wooden stick, unsplit. Beating and rub- 

 bing both of these, vigorously and in time, over the 

 notches of the first stick, he produced a hollow rattling 

 noise, accompanied by a song in the Guinea tongue. 

 At the first, his gestures and voice were altogether 

 quiet, soft, and slow ; but gradually he raised his voice, 

 and began to grin and make wry faces, ending in such 

 a glowing enthusiasm that his mouth foamed and his 

 eyes rolled wildly about. The Guinea negroes are ex- 

 tremely fond of this rude, barbaric music, and sing 

 or hear their folk-songs sung never without the great- 

 est excitement; and they are at such times capable of 

 any enterprise. Hence in Jamaica, and elsewhere, 

 where there are many Guinea slaves, this sort of music 

 and song is forbidden for the same reason as the 

 ranz among the Swiss in service abroad. 



Another musical instrument of the true negro is the 

 Banjah. Over a hollow calabash (Cucurb lagenaria 

 L.) is stretched a sheep-skin, the instrument length- 

 ened with a neck, strung with 4 strings, and made ac- 

 cordant. It gives out a rude sound ; usually there is 

 some one besides to give an accompaniment with the 

 drum, or an iron pan, or empty cask, whatever may be 

 at hand. In America and on the islands they make use 



