54 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

every fine evening at a late hour, in the centre of the village, where, when the moon does not afford them light, a large fire is made for that purpose.

The young of both sexes, dressed in their gayest attire, attend on these occasions ; a ring is formed by them and the spectators, and the former dance in regular succession by pairs. The instrument which accompanies this dance is called a ballafo *, and affords better music than might be expected from such rude materials ; it is composed of cane and wood, in the following manner. A frame, three feet long, eighteen inches wide at one end, and nine at the other, is made of cane, split very thin, and supported at the corners, about nine inches from the ground, by four upright sticks of nearly an inch diameter ; across this frame are laid twenty pieces of hard wood, diminishing in size in the same proportion progressively, from one end to the other, as the frame to which they are slightly attached with thin twine. Under each of these cross pieces, is suspended an empty gourd, of a size adapted to the tone of note required, having a hole in the part where it comes in contact with the stick, and another at the bottom ; the latter is covered with a thin piece of dried sheep's gut.

* See figure Ij plate 9.