MUSIC. 363 
a bow, and across it, is fastened a very thin piece of split cane^ 
which is held between the hps at one end, and struck with a small 
stick; whilst at the other it is occasionally stopped, or rather 
buffed, by a thick one ; on this they play only lively airs, and it 
owes its various sounds to the lips. 
The Mosees, Mallowas, Bournous, and natives from the more 
remote parts of the interior, play on a rude violin : the body is a 
^ calabash, the top is covered with deer skin, and two large holes 
are cut in it for the sound to escape ; the strings, or rather string, 
is composed of cow^s hair, and broad like that of the bow with 
which they play, which resembles the bow of a violin. Their 
grimace equals that of an Italian Buffo : they generally accompany 
themselves with the voice, and increase the humour by a strong 
nasal sound. 
The Oompoochwa is a box, one end of which is left open ; two 
flat bridges are fastened across the top, and five pieces of thin 
curved stick, scraped very smooth, are attached to them, and 
(their ends being raised,) are struck with some force by the thumb. 
I can compare it to nothing but the Staccado nearly deprived of 
its tone. 
The Ashantees have an instrument like a Bagpipe, but the 
drone is scarcely to be heard. 
The rest of the instruments can hardly be called musical, and 
consist of drums, castanets, gong-gongs, fiat sticks, rattles, and 
even old brass pans. 
The Drums (see Drawing No. 7-) are hollow'd trunks of trees, 
frequently carved with much nicety, mostly open at one end, and 
of many sizes : those with heads of common skin (that is of any 
other than Leopard skin) are beaten with sticks in the form of a 
crotchet rest ; the largest are borne on the head of a man, and 
struck by one or more followers ; the smaller are slung round "the 
