Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/154

 132 Revieivs.

the minor scale. Herr Grolimund's songs from Solothurn, 119 in number; Herr Tobler's songs from Appenzell, 134 in all; 72 Bern songs noted by M. Marriage and J. Meier, and 280 noted by Herr Gassmann (see above), are every one of them in the major, presenting with those from Canton Aargau a total of 877 in this key.-

The lack of distinction in Swiss folk-music is the more to be wondered at, since magnificent old chorales are habitually sung in school and church. But the popular music of the German Swiss shows no sign of being influenced by the music of their Church, either Roman Catholic or Reformed. This merely confirms the opinion of most serious students of folk-song, who maintain that the music of the people "gangs its ain gait," and is not a distorted reminiscence of something ecclesiastical.

Lucy E. Broadwood.

The Baganda. An Account of their Native Customs and Beliefs. By the Rev. John Roscoe. Macmillan & Co., 191 1. 8vo, pp. xix + 547. 111.

The author of this book had taught us to expect much when he came to render a connected account of the people among whom he had been labouring for so many years ; and the expectations have been abundantly fulfilled. Hitherto, of all the many books written about Uganda Sir Harry Johnston's has been the most comprehensive and on the whole the most authoritative. Nor is it likely to be speedily superseded. But it comprised an account of the entire Protectorate, and not more than a tenth of it was occupied with the special subject of the work now before us. Hence there was room for a book dealing in detail with the customs and beliefs of the Baganda by one having a close and intimate knowledge and long experience of that remarkable people. Mr. Roscoe has been able to amplify his distinguished predecessor's account, and even to correct it in particulars m which further enquiry showed that correction was needed. On

^Ir addition, Herr Tobler quotes one song from Eibel's Schildening der Gebirgsvolker der Schweiz, Leipzig, 1798. This, a cattle-call, is in the minor.