WELSH BARDS AND MUSIC. 33 1 



ers. — In its conflrudlon it is nearly allied to the 

 violin, having fix firings, and being played by 

 means of a bow. Its length is near two feet, its 

 breadth at the bottom ten inches, and thicknefs an 

 inch and a half. Its fides are continu id in a flraight 

 line through the whole length, and, as well as the 

 finger-board, are joined at the top to a crofs-bar on 

 which the tuning pegs are fixed ; the upper part by 

 this means forms a kind of frame round the hand. 

 Four of the firings are conduded down the finger- 

 hoard, and the remaining two leave it about an inch 

 to the right. The former only are played with the 

 bow J the latter are ftruck with the thumb, and 

 form a kind of accompaniment to the others. Thefe 

 are all fupported by a bridge flat at the top, (and 

 not, as in the violin, convex,) by which it follows 

 that in drawing the bow acrofs them the firings mufl 

 all be ftruck at once, and thus produce, with pro- 

 per fingering, not a fucceiTion of notes merely, but 

 of concords. The bridge alfo is not placed at right 

 angles to the fides of the inftrument, but in an ob- 

 lique direction, one end entering the found hole and 

 refting on the back (ferving by that means the pur- 

 pofe of a found-pofl), and the other end placed on 

 the belly jufl above the other hole. It is tuned by 

 pegs with a key or wrefl, in a manner fimilar to the 

 guittar. The following are the notes of each of the 

 firings. 



6th 



