BOOK III. CHAP. III. 423 



of every fentcnce ; after which, he drinks up the refidue of the 

 mixture, and may therefore be faid litGnxMy to ftval/ozv the oath, 

 which is to this effedt. If I have (ftolen this hog, fowl, corn, 

 or — as it may happen to be the cafe), may the grave dirt make my 

 bowels rot! may they burft and tumble out before my face! may 

 my head never ceafe to ach ! nor my joints to be tortured witli 

 pain ! &c. Regularly, the oatji ought to be adminiftered by an 

 obeah man ; but their fuperftition makes them hold it in great re- 

 verence and horror, even when adminillered by any other Black, 

 efpecially by an old man or woman : but they do not apprehend any 

 ill confequence will arife from breaking it, when tendered by a 

 white perfon. 



They have good ears for mufic; and their fongs, as they call 

 them, are generally impromptus, without the leaft particle of 

 poetry, or poetic images, of which they feem to have no idea. 

 The tunes confift of ^folo part, which we may flyle the recitative, 

 the key of which is frequently varied ; and this is accompanied with 

 a full or general chorus. Some of them are not deficient in 

 melody ; although the tone of voice is, for the moft part, rather 

 flat and melancholy. Inftead of choofing panegyric for their 

 fubjed-matter, they generally prefer one of derifion, and not un- 

 frequently at the expence of the overfeer, if he happens to be near, 

 and liilening: this only ferves to add a poignancy to their fatire, 

 and heightens the fun. In the crop feafon, the mill-feeders en- 

 tertain themfelves very often with xh&{Q jeux d'efprit in the night- 

 time ; and this merriment helps to keep them awake. 



Their merry-'watig is a favourite inftrument, a ruftic guitar, of 

 fourftrings. It is made with a calibafh ; a flice of which being 

 taken off, a dried bladder, or ikin, is fpread acrofs the largeft 

 feflion ; and this is faftened to a handle, which they take great pains 

 in ornamenting with a fort of rude carved work, and ribbands. 



The goomhah, another of their mufical inllruments, is a hollow 

 block of wood, covered with fheep-{kin Gripped of its hair. The 

 mufician holds a little flick, of about fix inches in length, iTiarpened 

 at one end like the blade of a knife, in each hand. With one 

 hand he rakes it over a notched piece of wood, fixed acrofs the in- 

 ftrument,. the whole length, and crofles with the other alternately,, 



7 ^fing, 



