2W NARRATIVE. 



mounted with black and red leather of their own curing and 

 dyeing, and they weave stout cloth from the cotton abounding in 

 their neighbourhood. 



Their mirth is usually evinced by noise, called music, and is 

 composed of yeUs and drums ; but they are by no means so barba- 

 rous in their calmer moments. They have a sort of guitar, made 

 of a calabash, which I did not see ; but their other instrument, 

 the balafon, or balafew, is not unpleasing when well played. It 

 consists of two square frames, with uprights at each corner, 

 supporting the upper frame, and tied together with leathern thongs; 

 on the top are fastened twenty flat bars of hard wood, decreasing 

 in size, and under these are placed small calabashes, with an orifice 

 in each; they are so fastened to the bars, that the orifice is 

 immediately underneath, and the vibration of the bar, when 

 struck, fills the calabash, and causes the sound. The instrument 

 is played with two sticks, having heads, twisted round with cow's 

 intestines. The people do not seem to have any notion of 

 harmony, all their airs being in the same key, and only varying 

 with the formation of the instrument. The first I heard was 

 evidently tuned to A major, but my own approaches to C minor, 

 evidently the effect of chance. I was told, that the Mandingoes 

 have several national songs, but I had no opportunity of hearing 

 any, except the canoe song, which is very pleasing : a few sing the 

 air, after which the whole party joins in the chorus ; they are 

 heard when starting from the opposite side of the river, long 

 before they can be distinguished by the eye, and as they gradually 

 approach, the effect is very harmonious. The Mandingo dance, 

 I am told, is not ungraceful ; but that of the Joloffs is beyond 

 every thing disgusting. Those who have seen the peasantry and 

 lower classes of Portugal dance, may form some notion of it, 

 although the disgusting attitudes are carried to a greater excess ; 

 to those who have never seen any thing of the kind, I cannot 



