THE DANCE. 



137 



even in Europe such a raid through an enemy's 

 country is not always easy. 



My companion and I landed in the cool of 

 the evening with our Portuguese servants and 

 our luggage. We were received with all honours 

 of noise and crowdins^. The orchestra consisted 

 of three monstrous drums (Xgoma Khu). 

 caissons of cocoa-trunk, covered at both ends 

 with goat-leather, and pounded, like the pul- 

 pit, with fist ; and of Siwa or bassoons of hard 

 blackwood, at least five feet long. These were 

 enlivened by a pair of Zumari, or flageolets, whose 

 vile squeaking set the teeth on edge ; by the 

 Zeze, or guitar ; the Kinanda, or banjo ; by the 

 Barghumi or Kudu horn ; and by that instru- 

 ment of dignity, the Upatu, a brass pan, the primi- 

 tive cymbal, whose bottom is performed upon by 

 little sticks like cabbage-stalks. The Jemadar, 

 Asad XJllah, came en grand' tenue. The Diwans 

 capered and pyrrhic'd before us with the pomp 

 and circumstance of drawn • swords, whilst the 

 prettiest of the slave girls, bare-headed and with 

 hair a la Brutus, sang and flapped their skirts 

 over the ground, performing a pa vane with a very 

 modest and downcast demeanour, as if treading 

 upon a too hot floor. They reminded me of a 

 deceased friend's clever doggrel — 



