172 SLAVE-TRADE FOLLOWS US. CHAP. VI. 



right word did not come he halted not, but eked out the 

 measure with a peculiar musical sound meaning nothing 

 at all. He accompanied his recitations on the sansa, an 

 instrument figured in the woodcut (c), the nine iron keys 

 of which are played with the thumbs, while the fingers 

 pass behind to hold it. The hollow end and ornaments 

 face the breast of the player. Persons of a musical turn, 

 if too poor to buy a sansa, may be seen playing vigorously 

 on an instrument made with a number of thick corn- 

 stalks sewn together, as a sansa frame, and keys of split 

 bamboo, which, though making but little sound, seems 

 to soothe the player himself. When the instrument is 

 played with a calabash (a) as a sounding board, it emits 

 a greater volume of sound. Pieces of shells and tin are 

 added to make a jingling accompaniment, and the cala- 

 bash (b) is also ornamented. 



After we had passed up, a party of slaves, belonging 

 to the two native Portuguese who assassinated the chief, 

 Mpangwe, and took possession of his lands at Zumbo, 

 followed on our footsteps, and representing themselves 

 to be our " children," bought great quantities of ivory 

 from the Bawe, for a few coarse beads a tusk. They 

 also purchased ten large new canoes to carry it, at the 

 rate of six strings of red or white beads, or two fathoms 

 of grey calico, for each canoe, and, at the same cheap rate, 

 a number of good-looking girls. 



