THE WAGANDA 



107 



stretched over the top of it. A small boy carried it under his 

 left arm, but it was supported by a strap of leather passed over 

 the shoulders. 



The Waganda like to do their work to the sound of drums 

 and in company with others. In this way they work ever so 

 much better and quicker. On the march through Singo we had 

 an illustration of it. The courteous sub-chief, where we had 

 camped, sent word over-night to all the villages around, that 

 men were wanted to construct a bridge next morning across a 

 very long and dangerous 

 swamp which we had 

 to pass over. Crowds 

 of villagers came, and I 

 learned something new, 

 when I saw how they 

 proceeded to form a 

 bridge. They cut a 

 wide path right through 

 the papyrus which was 

 standing 6 to 10 feet 

 high above the surface 

 of the water. The stems 

 of the papyrus were cut 

 off close to the water, 

 and thrown in inter- 

 lacing masses upon the 

 stumps of the papyrus 

 plants. The advantage 

 of selecting the thickest 



and densest papyrus growth was obvious, since the papyrus 

 plants had there the strongest hold on the bottom of the 

 swamp and thus offered a firmer support to the superimposed 

 weight. Another reason was that a greater quantity of papyrus 

 stems could be cut for constructing the foot-bridge, and there 

 was less chance of coming upon open patches of water too wide 

 to be spanned. Across this novel form of bridge the whole of 

 my caravan passed, practically dry-foot ; and there I came 

 upon the drummers, two little lads, banging away without 

 intermission on their small drums. A man was sitting by and 

 preparing out of split papyrus reeds a tiny fish-basket for 

 capturing the small fish found in these swamps. 



UGANDA DRUMS. 



