Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/411

] amusing, with a very simple stringed instrument, which she accompanied with her agreeable voice. It was formed of a joint of bamboo, about six inches in length, covered at one end with a piece of parchment, like a drum. Three strings of bark, each of them stretched by a bridge, were fixed to the two extremities of this cylinder, which was placed upon the knees. The two most distant chords sounded an octave, and the intermediate one a fifth with the farthest chord. A circle at each extremity, about 4-10ths of an inch in height, supported other strings, intended to render the instrument more sonorous. These strings were more or less stretched, by a slider, which connected two and two together, and which could be moved at pleasure, through almost whole length, as in our drums. A little slip of bamboo bark, put the chords supported by the bridges into vibration. The accompaniment, although monotonous, seemed infinitely pleasing to our guides, whose ears were accustomed to this species of music.

This habitation was encircled with nutmeg-trees, not far advanced in growth, but already well proportioned; although at Amboyna, their culture is not generally relished. The vicinity formed a beautiful orchard, in which the brilliant flowers of the eugenia malaccensis attracted our ad- miration;