ever, ended suddenly. She usually walked through the
clearing every day into the forest beyond to fetch in
fire-wood. One day she did not return as usual, and a
search was made for her along the paths in the neighbourhood
without success. Some men who were returning
from gutta collecting, however, found her lying
beneath a large tree, and beside her was a large branch,
recently broken off. It was supposed that this branch
had accidentally fallen, and struck her, so causing her
death.
Modifications of the “ cheng,” or calabash pipes, are
made both by the Kayans, on the Baram river, and also
by the Dusun villagers, near Kina Balu. There are distinct
differences between the instruments as made by
each tribe. That from the Baram consists of seven
pipes; six arranged in a circle around a long central
one, all seven being furnished with a free reed at the
base, where they are inserted in a calabash-gourd. Holes
are cut in the six outer pipes for fingering; the central
pipe is, however, an open or drone-pipe, the tone being
intensified by fixing a loose cap of bamboo on the upper
end. It is played by blowing air into the neck of the
gourd, or by drawing the breath according to the effects
desired. The Dusun pipes are formed of eight pipes,
four short, and equal in length, and four long and
unequal. Beeds are cut at the lower end in all the
pipes, hut the fingering is performed on the ends of the
four equal short pipes, there being no holes cut in the
pipes for this purpose, as in the Kayan instrument.
I brought home examples of both varieties; and these
are now in the Yeitchian Museum at Chelsea. Two or
three varieties of flutes are made, also an instrument
resembling the old wooden flageolet, so common in
England before the advent of the tin whistle.
McNair, in his work on Perak, mentions a curiosity,
in the shape of an aeolian flute, formed of a bamboo,
in which holes are cut, so as to produce musical sounds
when acted on by the wind. An instrument like the
Jew’s harp is made of a single strip of bamboo; and
a curious stringed instrument is made of a joint of large
yellow bamboo, the nine or ten open strings of which
produce notes similar to those of a banjo, when twanged
with the fingers. A specimen of this instrument may be
seen in the Yeitchian Museum at Chelsea, together with
one of similar design but of much more complicated and
finer make from Madagascar. Wooden drums, formed
of hollow tree-trunks, and having goat or deer-skin tightly
stretched over the ends, are common, and of various
sizes. The old war-drums were made thus; but this
instrument is now nearly obsolete, being to a great extent
replaced by metal gongs, of native manufacture certainly;
but doubtless the idea was copied from the Chinese.
Nearly every trading prahu or boat carries one of these
gongs; and the Muruts are very fond of such music,
and keep up an incessant din on these instruments at
their festivals. Sets of eight or ten small such are
often fixed in a rattan and bamboo frame, and beaten
with two sticks, dulcimer fashion; and I have seen
similar contrivances formed of iron bars; and even strips
of dry hard bamboo wood in the Sulu isles, the scale in
this case being similar to our own.
It is very uncommon to hear performers playing in
concert, unless in the case of gong-beating; indeed,
music is at a low ebb throughout the island. The songs
of the boatman, on the other hand, are often pleasing and
melodious. A good many of their songs are Mahomedan
prayers, or chants; but occasionally the theme is on
secular, and often very amusing subjects. It is common
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