VII 
DRUMS 
91 
drum used by the Niam-Niam. It is roughly shaped 
like an ox, with head and horns attached by a narrow 
neck to a thick body two feet in diameter, furnished 
with a tail and supported on four short, thick legs. The 
whole is cut out of one log. The part representing the 
body of the ox is as big as an ox and narrow towards 
the spine. The whole is hollowed out like a trough, 
with a narrow, slit-like mouth replacing the backbone. 
The sides of this drum are of unequal thickness and 
enable the drummer to produce two distinct sounds 
according to the side struck. The wood is extremely 
hard and resonant. Schweinfurth states that three 
important signals are rendered on these drums—one 
for war; another for hunting, and the third a 
summons to a festival. The war signal sounded on 
the drum of a chief and repeated by other drums 
brings together thousands of armed men when 
necessary. 
War drum of the Niam-Niam. Captured 1905. (Gordon College, Khartoum.) 
