playing. It was called a fiddle, but certainly did not resemble 
one, nor was a bow used on it. It consisted of a straight 
piece of wood, with D or 4 niches cut in one end, which served 
the same purpose as the frets of a guitar. Half a large gourd 
was affixed to it as a sounding board, and the hollow side is 
held against the breast when played. Two Banana fibre strings 
were fastened at one end and then tight drawn and secured 
on the niches. They were struck with the fingers of the right 
hand, and the thumb of the left assisted The music was 
plaintive, but not unpleasant although in a minor key. These 
people all looked very happy and contented and were not 
apparently in any hurry to get to their work however indus- 
trious they may be when at it, though that I take to be very 
doubtful. 
“Some distance further I came to another brook and bridge, 
and passed under instead of over the latter in search of 
cuiios. I there for the first time saw those singular animals 
called the ‘‘ Jumping fish,” Periopthalum Eoelneuleri. I at 
first took them to be Lizards, for they live as much out of the 
water as in it, taking life easily by sunning themselves on the 
roots of old trees or on stones. They are very quick, and 
when frightened dart into the water skimming its surface 
more like a bird than a fish, 1 was a long while before I 
succeeded in catching one and though his fins are bright 
yellow and grey, his coat is homely and the two eyes close 
together at the top of the head give him an evil look. The 
large pectoral fins have at their base strong muscles, and can 
bo lowered and by help of them and the ventrals, the fish can 
move rapidly when out of the water in humid places. Its prey 
is said to be terrestrial insects which it leaves the water to 
hunt, and it is found both in rivers and on the sea beach. 
“I have seen stone broken in many parts of the world, but 
here I found quite a novel method at least to me. I came 
upon a large fire of coco fibres, and asked what such an 
amount of good fuel w r as being wasted for. I was answerod 
that it was to crack the granite rocks, that are so hard that 
ordinary drills will not pierce the great boulders, so recourse 
is had to hoat to split them. 
