

THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



of the kraal honour these convivial assemblies, and 

 with flashing eyes and clapping hands exhibit, with 

 inexpressible empressement ', the enjoyment they derive 

 from being present at their reunions. 



There is in common use among these people a 

 peculiar musical instrument, which, in the hands of 

 a skilful player, produces many soft and harmonious 

 notes ; herd-boys appear to be particularly conversant 

 with its use, and often, when over half-a-mile from 

 where the player was situated, I have heard it dis- 

 tinctly. On such occasions, mellow as this music 

 may be when close at hand, distance seems to refine 

 it to such an exquisite quality that, if the listener be 

 at all superstitious or imaginative he might well 

 attribute its production to the skill of a fairy. This 

 instrument is simply a bow about two and a half 

 feet long, which is strung sufficiently tight to permit 

 great reverberation of the string. One end of the 

 wood is held between the teeth, the left hand steady- 

 ing it about the middle, while the fingers of the right 

 hand touch the chord slowly and at different distances 

 from the performer's mouth. 



At first, when I visited this hunter's arcadia, the 

 music accompanying these social meetings kept me 



