1811. 
THE GORAH-PLAYER. 
459 
This quill, being applied to the lips, is made to vibrate by strong- 
inspirations, and expirations, of the breath; each of which ending 
with an increased degree of strength, had always the effect of forcing 
out the upper octave ; exactly in the same way as produced on the 
flute, an instrument, therefore, which may be made to imitate the 
gorah sufficiently near to give some idea of it. 
The old musician, seating himself down on a flat piece of rock, 
and resting his elbows on his knees, putting one fore-finger into his 
ear, and the other into his wide nostril, either as it so happened, or 
for the purpose, it might be, of keeping the head steady, commenced 
his solo, and continued it with great earnestness, over and over 
again. The exertion which it required to bring out the tones loudly, 
was very evident ; and, in his anxious haste to draw breath at every 
note, our Orpheus gave us into the bargain, intermingled with his 
music, certain grunting sounds which would have highly pleased the 
pigs ; and, if any had been in the country, would indubitably have 
drawn them all round him, if only out of curiosity to know what was 
the matter. 
In the mean time, I was not less employed than he, being 
obliged to exercise two faculties at the same time ; one to listen to, 
and learn the notes he was playing, so as to enable me to write them 
down correctly ; the other to draw his figure and portrait. The ac- 
companying plate * presents a likeness of him, and is a copy of the 
* Plate 9. His dress, reddened by an ochraceous earth, consists only of a leathern 
kaross, which is of smaller dimensions than those customarily worn. Suspended from 
liis neck, is a knife of African manufacture, such as are worn, in a similar manner, by all 
the tribes in the Interior. The horn of one of the smaller antelopes, hanging from the 
same place, serves the purpose of a snuff-box, or receptacle for powdered dakka, or 
hemp-leaves. Below the knee, a cord of acacia-bark was woru as an ornament. The 
sandals are such as form part of the aboriginal dress of all the natives of Southern Africa, 
with no other variation than in the mode of their beino- bound to the foot. In Bushmen 
who are a little advanced in life, the eye-lids are often so much closed as to conceal the 
whole of the eye-ball, and to leave an aperture but just sufficient for the sight, a circumstance 
which gives to such individuals, as in the present, the appearance of having their eyes shut ; 
this they probably are obliged to do, to pi-otect them from the glare of sunshine. The 
piece of rock on which he sits, will show the geological character of the neighbouring 
3n 2 
