VII 
DRUxMS 
No account of a visit to East Africa, and particularly 
Uganda, would be complete without some reference to 
drums. In Uganda a musical band sometimes consists 
entirely of drums. They take the place of church bells 
in European cities, and, like bells, they are used for 
ceremonial purposes on such occasions as weddings, 
funerals, and religious services ; at times of national 
rejoicing, as well as to sound alarms. In the Sesse 
Archipelago they are used for signalling purposes 
between the islands : a special drum is beaten on Kome 
to announce the birth of twins, and a select drum is 
used on the appearance of the new moon. Drums were 
introduced into the British army in the sixteenth 
century, and used for giving signals in times of peace 
and war. 
The principle underlying the construction of a drum 
is the same in all countries, and in all ages. A drum is 
composed of a cylinder which may be of wood, bamboo, 
or metal, covered at each end with vellum, parchment, 
or prepared skin, the tension of which is regulated by 
strings. The sound is produced by percussion, usually 
by beating on the parchment or skin-covered ends with 
appropriate drum-sticks, or by means of the fingers 
or the palm. Much ingenuity is shown in making 
drums, and great skill is often displayed in percussing 
them. 
There is great variety in the shape and size of drums. 
The Uganda drum consists of a hollow truncated cone 
G 2 
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