The Buhis, or Edeeyali of Fernando Po. 243 



of us as had guns were placed at the spots they expected the 

 goklen roode-bocke, or larger deer, to break through. 



Unfortunately a tornado came on, and the party was 

 obliged to break up without having secured much game. 



The Edeeyah mode of dancing is both strange and uncouth. 

 On festive occasions they fasten dry palm-leaves, &c. all over 

 tlieir persons ; — these, tossed about in their frantic evolutions, 

 cause a rustling noise, which, with a sort of pavior's grunt, eh! 

 ell ! eh ! eh ! eh ! eh ! is the only accompanying music, if the 

 word can be so employed. Spear in hand, they spring about 

 observing a certain regularity of time and figure — rude but 

 amusing. They are frequently under the influence of spirit- 

 ous liquors at such times, and this adds to their look of 

 wild excitement. One peculiarity in the Edeeyah is the in- 

 clination they feel to work, hunt, or amusement in unison. 

 Thus, whenever it is necessary to employ them on any work, 

 a whole village or town must be employed ; in this way, in a 

 few days an immense deal is cleared away, when they can be 

 persuaded to come together. 



Mr Scott, a respectable coloured man, who usually super- 

 intended their labours for the AVest African Company at 

 Fernando Po, informed me that trees of the largest size were 

 easily transported by them to the beach, merely by the habit 

 they have of employing their force simultaneously. Even 

 in the vocal exertions they observe this, and when they chant 

 their incantations to Rupi, either at a feast or hunt, or be- 

 fore working, they use their voices in such exact unison, that 

 it sounds like one stentorian effort, and produces an extra- 

 ordinary effect on the ear. The first time we heard them 

 thus occupied, it struck us as the most singular unison of vo- 

 cal power we ever listened to. On such occasions the Buyeh- 

 rupi uses a sort of wooden rattle, with which he keeps up a 

 noise during the intervals of the performance. The only 

 other instrument of a musical character used by the Edeeyali 

 is a sort of small gourd compressed in the centre, and open 

 at both ends. By blowing more or less forcibly into this, and 

 regulating the fingers or hand at the bottom, such a variety 

 of tones is produced as to enable them to communicate with 

 each other at a distance, and even to hold musical dialogues. 



