Shell- Trumpets and their Distribution. 39 



They are also blown to still the waves and ensure 

 safe voyages. The Chinese, likewise, use a large shell, a 

 species of Fiisus, for their fog-horns." 



Both Huish*" and Rein,*' in their works on Japan, 

 mention the use of 7>/V(7«-horns in that country. Rein 

 tells us that shells of Triton tritonis (Japan, Hora-gai) 

 " were formerly employed as signal horns and provided 

 with a brass mouthpiece to replace the tips. According 

 to Pinto, in blowing them, riot was indicated by one blast, 

 fire by two blasts, robbery by three, treachery by four, 

 though they also played a part as signal horns in war, and 

 were therefore also called Jin-gai, war mussel shells or 

 camp snails. Their blowers were the Hora-fiu, or Hora- 

 wo-fuku. Both these expressions for blowers of the 

 Triton's horn have become in Japan the common desig- 

 nation for a person who is fond of boasting : ' Ano hito 

 wa hora wo fuku,' he blows the Triton's horn, i.e., he is 

 bragging." 



In the East Indian Archipelago and the Pacific 

 Islands, we find many instances of the use of shells as 

 trumpets. 



In describing the wind instruments used by the tribes 

 of Borneo, Shelford" relates that some Brunei Malays 

 recently informed him that a trumpet, made by merely 

 knocking off the top whorl of the large helmet-shell Cassis 

 tuberosum, was used by them for calling their buifaloes 

 together ; their name for the trumpet was " buyong." He 

 could hear of no other people in Borneo who employ a 

 similar instrument. 



♦^ A. H. Cooke, " MoUusks/' Camb. Nat. Hist, 1895, PP- 101-2. 



*- Huish, "Japan and its Art," 1893, pp. 146-7. 



" J. J. Rein, -'Japan," 1884, p. 207. 



** R. .Shelford, " Illus. Cat. Ethnog. Coll. Sarawak Museum: Pt. i., 

 Musical Instruments.'' Joitrn. Straits Branch Roy. Asiatic Soc, No. 40, 

 June, 1904, p. 20. 



