Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/531

 Customs of the Loiver Congo People. 467

pulled through, and at the other end is a smooth stick. The fingers are wetted, and the stick drawn through them, and the drum-head vibrates and gives out a particular note.

5. Ntiita, also called kinkubula and nkombo. This is the same as the old "Etutu" dance, but a large drum with a big hole at the bottom, to make it sound well, is used instead of the friction drum.

6. Sala. A medium drum is used, and the formation is in two lines, one of each sex. This dance is characterised by rapid shaking of the whole body. They make up songs about one another, and the dance often ends in a general mdlee. In this dance the following exhibition of pride often takes place : — During the dance the chief or important man arrives, and someone not belonging to his family or town goes to the drum, and by beating carries on such a conversation as the following, asking questions and replying to them himself : — " Welcome to you, chief A. Are you quite well } " " I am quite well," replies the drummer. " Have you come a long way ? " " No, only from my town." " Are you very rich .-• " " Yes, I have plenty of wives, slaves, pigs, goats, cloth, and money. I am so rich that I don't know how rich I really am. I don't know what to do with my money. It fills my bags, boxes, and houses," " Have you much money with you } " " Yes, my bag and pockets are full." " Give me some of it, as you are so rich." The foolish chief, in the vanity and pride of the moment, and to win the admiration of those present, will hand over a sum equal to ten or fifteen shillings, or more, a large amount for these people. Then one of the men with chief A will go to the drum and carry on a similar conversation about the chief of the town, or some other chief present (but not his own chief), and draw money out of them. If the largesse is mean and disappoints the drummer, tap, tap will go the drum and a song on stinginess will be beaten, and words will be bandied about from side to