Vol. IV, No4.] ‘The Jew’s Harp in Assam. 235 
[N.8.] 
Six different specimens of bamboo Jew’s harps hava been ‘ob- 
tained and will be described in order of their primitivene 
Lakhers and Chins, who live in the hills in the ex- 
vibrating tongue is of the same width throughout its length. 
Strings are neiadhol with which to hold and play it. As may be 
imagined the Chin harp is rather difficult for a novice to handle, 
but when played by an expert hillsinan the sounds produced 
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the loop of the string attached to the instrument, the end of the 
harp being firmly held between the tips of the thumb and first 
finger, allowing the string of the loop to pass through the closed 
hand. The harp is placed between the lips, being very lightly 
touched by het: the string is held by the little cross piece of 
bamboo at the end and jerked with the free hand rapidly, at the 
same time breathing in and out alternately. 
The Rev H. Lorrain, in the course of a tour to the 
south of Lushai, when staying in Chin and Lakher villages, was 
was playing the instrume - and chanting a love ditty to his 
sweetheart at the same tim and kept on so long that we 
began to marvel that any pha cut be wooed and wen by such 
an awful din e have heard a Jew’s harp played several times 
since, but we Sic own positively to dislike the sound ! 
In the Chittagong Hill Tracts the people do not make, but 
import and play the Jew’s harp. They do not attach any particu- 
lar significance to its use 
Lushais neither make or use ies form of Jew’s harp, 
Th 
e first two Sager near the end, and then be the tongue 
The Mikirs in the Nowgong and Sibsagar districts make 
at use a double Jew’s harp. It measures about six inches, 
