Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/76

68 plenty of paddlers, to listen to the rowers' songs. They will often improvise a song, one of them keeping up a recitative in which circumstances which have occurred on the journey are introduced, while the others chime in with a chorus at regular intervals, a favourite one being "He! misy va?" "Oh! is there some?" This question refers to various good things they hope to get at the end of the day's journey, such as plenty of rice, beef, sweet potatoes, &c., these articles of food being mentioned one after another by the leader of the song. A little delicate flattery of their employer, the Englishman they are rowing, is often introduced, and praises of his hoped-for generosity in providing these luxuries for them; something in this style:—

and so on, ad libitum.

My friend and brother missionary, the Rev. J. A. Houlder, amusingly describes the canoe songs he heard on a journey down to the eastern coast, and gives a free translation of one of them. He says, "the men burst out with

After an unsuccessful attempt to get some rum from their employer, "as if to show their independence of the close-listed strangers who could not be induced to comfort them thus," they mockingly led off with "Is there any there?" As much as to say, "Were we not fools to ask them?" This is a favourite chorus, sung very rapidly, but having a long pause on the first word. The men never seemed to tire of shouting it out after any strain the leader cared to improvise. Thus his thoughts ran on to the work in hand, and he sang,

And was responded to by the chorus,