THE TUBUm LAKES 



91 



hobbled away quickly to show he did not wish for 

 payment. 



Our popularity spread rapidly, and a neighbouring 

 chief crossed the water and brought a ram as tribute, 

 though it is no pastoral country, probably on account 

 of tsetse - fly. This young man was a great blood, 

 and he alone of all his race was able to play a long 

 flute composed of four gourd sections, 

 fitting one into the other, and increasing 

 in diameter from the mouthpiece down- 

 wards. The sections are fastened together 

 by means of cane pegs, and the joints are 

 rendered air-tight by an external plaster 

 of mud and cow-dung, or a layer of some 

 mucilaginous compound (decayed rubber ?) : 

 in the latter case the joint is further con- 

 cealed by a covering of hide. The mouth- 

 piece is a hollow piece of wood, simi- 

 larly secured with pegs and hide. The 

 tone is bass and throaty, and capable 

 of little variation ; but to sound a note 

 at all is an achievement. The common in- 

 strument is a small over-blown pipe. It has a sweet 

 tone ; and on the first night of our arrival we heard 

 the beautiful melody out of " Fingal's Cave " in the 

 Hebridean overture — 



Wadama Flute. 



repeated over and over again. The Wadama are really 

 musical, and a man habitually carries his instrument 

 attached to a string round his neck. They have no 



