The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-24
THE TALKING i
PROF. GARNERS WONDERFUL MAR.
RATIvE OF AFRICAN DRUM BEATS.
A Method OF LOng-Dfstance mmun
cation Which Fills Europeans and
Americans With Astonfshment.
Pittsburg DISPATCH.

Pittsburg Dispatch.
THE talking drums of equatorial Africa
are something which puzzle the traveller
who sees what can be done with Them"
said Professor Garner, whose name has
become universally known on account of
his Investigations into the speech of the
monkey family. II first came across talk
ing drums when L was on my way up the
CAMERON river In a territory about four
degrees north of the equator. While we
were sailing up the river / noticed q pc
euliar beating of a drum which seemed
to be answered by another some little dis
lance of. / asked one Of the natives with
me what the meaning of the drumming
was. He listened a moment, then said,
That's a fisherman down at the river shore
in front of the town of CAMERON which
was then not in sight. He Is calling the
natives to come down to the shore 20 buy
his fish. He is telling them by beating his
drum: Come down and buy my fish. 1
have three large ones and two smaller ones
and many others smaller. All fish caught
to-day Then he explained that the other
drum / heard was a rival fisherman who
was beating on his drum to the inhabitants
of the town.. He lies. His fish are not
fresh. They were caught yesterday. But
come buy my fish. L have seven large ones
and just caught them
81 thought my native follower a clever
ronancer. but he insisted that that was
the significance of the drum beats and told
me he would prove 1t to me when we got
to town. When we arrived opposite to the
town to satisfy my curiosity 1 asked the
native to show me the fishermen. We took
a boat and were soon at the landing of
the town. There sure enough was the
hGharnlan still ri hlS hEIrn N in
his boat took the trouble to count them
lay three large fish and two small ones.
had been described to me from the drum
beats by my man. The fish did not look
very inviting and must surely have been
advertisement to the townsfolk.
A PRACTICAL TEST.
"He had seven large fish in the bottom
Of his boat, and he explained to my man
that the other fisherman had been fishing
up in the brackish waters above the town
and had been unsuccessful, whereupon he
attempted to dispose of some stock he had
left over from the day before. This was
my first experience with talking drums, and
it puzzled me to account for this method
of communication, inasmuch as the natives
had not the least idea of an alphabet. Some
little time after his 1 was at a town and
desired to get a boat and several men to
take me further UP the river. When l told
the natives what / wanted they told me
that they would have a boat come down
the river from a tow some twelve miles
above, as this was the. only boat which
they knew Of that would be suited for my
purpose.
When they asked me how many men I
OF the natives took a drum to the shore
of the river and began to beat it in a
strange manner; sounding in rhythm some
ment The drum was unlike those which
they used for dancing, being more cylin-
drical in form. 1t was about three feet
long and six inches In diameter. The shell
was made of wood. burned out, and it
looked like bamboo. There were holes in
the side and in the end, through which the
skin. The native sat down and placed the
drum before him. Then he beat with his
finger this strange tattoo. which he kept
away up the river, / heard the faint noise
of another drummer beating the same
that his fellow up at the next town was
repeating the message correctly, stopped. I
then listened. and soon the drumming above
casional beats could be distinguished. I
heard another drummer. / was then told
that my message would be repeated from
tination.
THE PROMISE MADE GOOD.
II asked II / would know whether the
boat would come, and they told me / would
receive an answer. Some time after this
I again heard drum beats. and a native told
me that they had received word that the
boat would leave and arrive here at such a
time. The boat arrived just when the drum
message said 1t would, and this proved to
me that the natives OF Africa have a sure
means Of communication by drum beats.
They told me that all kinds OF messages
were repeated from town to town by drum
beats. TIL towns are from one to two
miles apart, and the drumming can be
heard distinctly at that distance. They can
cali names OF an individual. represent
nouns and verbs and some few adjectiyes.
Even after having this strange system Of
communication demonstrated TO me, 1
doubted. So when / was spending my time
with Captain Buchan. who had lived in
Africa for years. and was well acquainted
with the characteristics of the various
tribes, / asked him concerning the matter.
He verified what / told him, and to demon
strate more fully called his boy and told
him TO drum for a certain man in the
town above. II was but a snort time until
that wanted person appeared Then. some