IX BEITISH EAST AFEICA 117 



certainly the worst, distinctly coarse and ill-flavoured. 

 This and zebra, however, are fully appreciated by the 

 safari, so need not be wasted. My brother, who 

 tells me he knows, gives the pride of place to the 

 klipspringer ; while I have grateful recollection of the 

 tiny dikdiks (Cavendish's and Giinther's), their flesh 

 being white and of exquisite flavour. Eland will 

 compare with the best of British beef — perhaps a trifle 

 too fat — and may some day possibly be utilised as 

 such. Oryx also stands in quite the front rank, and so 

 do impala and all the gazelles. Hartebeest is hard and 

 rather coarse, excepting the cut alongside the back- 

 bone. Guinea-fowl, francolin and bush-bustard form 

 invaluable adjuncts to the larder. 



A simple, careless soul is the average Swahili, strong 

 as a bull, willing, easily led and easily amused. He has, 

 besides, a distinctly musical turn, and it surprises, after 

 his feast, to hear the quality of melody he manages to 

 extract from the rudest of instruments. A siuo'le- 

 headed drum does duty as bass, Avhile a wooden 

 "chatty" containing peas or pebbles supplies rhythm 

 and beat. We had two strino- afl"airs, somethino- between 

 a guitar and a banjo, the sound-cases being formed of 

 the gourd-like shell of some tree-fruit, with a strip of 

 wood fixed lengtliAvise across the cavity and furnished 

 with one or two strings. "With these primitive tools," 

 my brother writes, " our ' boys ' succeeded in producing 

 music which undoubtedly possessed not only form, but 

 individuality and character. What struck me most was 

 the absence of any element of brightness or joy. All 

 was cast in minor key. Possibly the imperfect scale 

 and inability to modulate may contribute to this effect ; 

 but the resultant reiteration of melancholy phrase is apt 

 to grow wearisome. The folk-songs of Northern races 

 are, for the most part, in this minor mode ; but that is 

 consonant with environment and character. Why these 

 light-hearted children of the sun should also express in 

 song so much of sadness is not apparent. Possibly 



