MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
178 
to mako it contract : the instruments aro beaten with the 
hands. 
The piano, namod “ marimba,” consists of two bars of 
wood placed side by side, here quite straight, but, farthor 
north, bent round so as to resemble half the tire of a car- 
riage-whool ; across these are placed about fifteen woodon 
keys, each of which is two or three inches broad and 
fifteen or eighteon inches long; their thicknoss is regu- 
lated according to the deepness of the note required : each 
of tho keys has a calabash benoath it; from the uppor part 
of each a portion is cut off to enable them to om brace tho 
bars, and form hollow sounding-boards to tho koys, which 
also aro of different sizes, according to tho note required ; 
and little drumsticks elicit tho music. Rapidity of execu- 
tion seems much admired among them, and the music is 
pleasant to tho car. In Angola tho Portuguese uso tho 
marimba in their dances. 
When nine speakers had concluded their orations, Shinte 
stood up, and so did all tho people. Ho had maintained 
truo African dignity of manner all tho while, but my 
people remarked that ho scarcely euor took his eyes off mo 
for a moment. About a thousand people were present, 
according to my calculation, and three hundred soldiers. 
Tho sun had now become hot ; and tho scene ended by tho 
Mambari discharging thoir guns. 
18f/t. — Wo were awakened during tho night by a message 
from Shinto, requesting a visit at a very unseasonable hour 
As I was just in tho sweating-stage of an intermittent, and 
tho path to the town lay through a wet valley, I declined 
going. Kolimbota, who knows their customs best, urged 
mo to go ; but, independent of sickness, I hated words of 
tho night and deeds of darkness. “I was neither a hyena 
nor a witch.” Kolimbota thought that wo ought to con- 
form to their wishes in every thing : I thought wo ought 
to have some choice in tho matter as well, which put him 
•nto high dudgeon. Howovor, at ten next morning we 
went, and were led into the courts of Shinto, tho walls of 
