SONGS AND CHANTS. 253 



horrible noise at their feasts, &c., by blowing 

 through a bullock's horn, but this I think cannot 

 be called a musical instrument. 



They certainly are not a musical tribe, for 

 though they are always whistling or singing, 

 most of their chants are monotonous and melan- 

 choly, and usually in a minor key. I often hear 

 the cheerful bugle-calls whistled in minor ! Even 

 the crow of the Kafir cocks is melancholy, the 

 last note being very much prolonged, and run- 

 ning down the scale till it dies away. 



Some rather melodious songs or chants that I 

 remember hearing some years back seem quite 

 to have died out. 



The songs of the Chobi tribe are much more 

 musical. I heard one of their chants sung in 

 unison by about a hundred voices, and it was 

 quite imposing at a little distance ; a mighty 

 stamp was occasionally introduced also in unison 

 with good effect. This song had a rapidly played 

 accompaniment on the " Kafir piano," an instru- 

 ment belonging to more northern tribes, with 

 "keys" which are tapped by pieces of stick 



