348 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



talk, he would go on for hours, and, in fact, till he 

 was thoroughly hoarse. 



One night, when I was just sinking into sleep 

 after a severe attack of fever, he was on guard, and 

 came to my tent to call me. His face was grey 

 and he was shaking with fear. He said " simha " 

 (lion). I heard the noise, and got my rifle, and 

 we watched for about half an hour. I felt sure 

 that the beast was going to spring over the fence, 

 and was making up my mind to blaze away at it 

 when in the air, when I discovered the noise was 

 produced by a man suffering from indigestion. 



Yet this man was always first to swim across a 

 swollen river, and would have done anything for 

 me. 



Their chief passion is for dancing, singing, and 

 a big drum. They really possess a musical taste, 

 in spite of the nasal tones and curious monotony 

 of their music. 



One of my men possessed a riddle of a very 

 primeval type, composed of one string, a gourd, 

 and a stick. This instrument yielded eight notes, 

 which he had combined to form a real tune (of 

 course a simple one). After hearing this tune 

 for about an hour and a half every night for 6 weeks, 

 I grew tired of it. Fortunately he sacrificed his 

 aesthetic development to the craving of his appe- 

 tite, and sold it for a fowl. 



I have noticed also in Suahilis, and never in 

 any other natives, a real delight and appreciation 



