2 (J 2 HISTORY OF THE [book iv. 
Of those imitative arts in which perfection can 
be attained only in an improved state of society, it 
is natural to suppose that the negroes have but lit¬ 
tle knowledge. An opinion prevails in Europe, 
that they possess organs peculiarly adapted to the 
science of music; but this I believe is an ill-found¬ 
ed idea. In vocal harmony they display neither va¬ 
riety nor compass. Nature seems in this respect 
to have dealt more penuriously by them than to¬ 
wards the rest of the human race. As practical 
musicians, some of them, by great labour and care¬ 
ful instruction, become sufficiently expert to bear 
an under part in a public concert; but I do not re¬ 
collect ever to have seen or heard of a negro who 
could truly be called a fine performer on any capital 
instrument. In general, they prefer a loud and 
long continued noise to the finest harmony, and 
frequently consume the whole night in beating on 
a board with a stick. This is in fact one of their 
chief musical instruments; besides which, they 
have the Banja or Merriwang, the Dundo, and 
the Goombay; all of African origin. The first is 
an imperfect kind of violincello; except that it is 
played on by the finger like the guitar; producing 
a dismal monotony of four notes. The Dundo is 
precisely a tabor; and the Goombay is a rustic 
drum; being formed of the trunk of a hollow tree, 
one end of which is covered with a sheep’s skin. 
From such instruments nothing like a regular tune 
can be expected, nor is it attempted. 
