1812. 
KAABI'S KRAAL. 
65 
Round each ankle he wore a sort of rattle, made (in this instance) 
of four ears of the springbuck, sewed up and containing a quantity 
of small pieces of ostrich-egg shell, which at every motion of the 
foot produced a sound that was not unpleasant or harsh, but greatly 
aided the general effect of the performances. The figure of these 
dancing-rattles may be seen at page 45, and supersedes the necessity 
of a more minute description. * 
Although only one person could dance at a time, the surround- 
ing company were not therefore the less employed or amused: all 
joined in the accompani?nents, and were equally essential with the dancer 
himself, to the evening's entertainment, and contributed not less to 
the pleasure it afforded. These accompaniments consisted in singing 
and beating the drum. Every one of the party sang, and all kept 
time by gently clapping hands. The words made use of, and which 
had no meaning in themselves, were simply Ai/e 0 Aye 0, repeated 
during the whole time ; and at the sound 0, the hands were brought 
together: the dancer only, using the syllables Wawakoo. Both men and 
women assisted in this singing, and though not in unison, were still 
correctly in harmony with each other : but the voices of the girls, 
pitched a fifth or sixth higher, were maintained with more animation. 
The drum was nothing more tlian a bambus or wooden jug f 
having a piece of wet parchment strained over the top, and contain- 
ing a little water. This instrument was occasionally inverted for the 
purpose of wetting the parchment, as often as it became dry. It was 
beaten with the right forefinger, by one of the women ; while she 
regulated the pitch or quality of the sound, by placing the forefinger 
and thumb of her left hand, upon the parchment. It seemed to be 
accurately in tune with the voices of the assembly ; a concordance, 
which could hardly be accidental. 
The following notes, which I wrote down on the same night, 
* The figure on the right shows the manner in which they are tied to the leg; and 
that in the lower corner on the left, will give an idea of their construction. Above this 
latter figure, one of the rattles of which it is composed, is represented in profile. 
f Similar to that which is represented at page 406 of the first volume ; excepting 
only that it was much larger and had a wider mouth. 
VOL. II. K 
