THE SHAEI 



201 



represented by one snake - skin guitar, hung round 

 with cowries, and two rattles made of calabashes, 

 played by a woman — the only one of 

 her sex whom we ever saw play. 



The combination of sounds, played 

 without any heed of each other, was 

 as direful as a brass band and hurdy- 

 gurdy when played at the same 

 moment in some London square. The 

 musicians were perfectly friendly and 

 contented with each other, however, 

 and we could not make out whether 

 they considered there was a connecting 

 link between them, or whether they 

 performed in amicable rivalry. The 

 zakoki protested strongly against the snake-skin guitar. 

 infliction : they fled to the blackest 

 corner of their hut and refused to be comforted, 

 though whether their disgust may in fairness be 

 attributed to a musical ear, I hesitate to say, for 

 they always showed the keenest objection to any 



music. 



