The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19

made" and sitting close together on the
ground they sing nrst in unison, IN q WHO
and plaintiYe key which might be called SAD
and sweet. You get tired Of this after NJ
tie, and perhaps fall to wondering why
there stands a beer keg behind eaeh singer.
But presently the man at the ieIt snaps MS
fingers, and all together the singers put
their hands behind them and thump upon
the goat-sl<in heads of the kegs, winch are
nothing more nor less than drums For
few minutes there is horrible din. ana
then there appears tenth man IN the
background with an enormous nous, pra 4Sa
drumming stops and he blows two most ter
rifle blasts, just two, but eXcruciatng to
American ears. These sounds are prolonged,
and cause the trumpeter considerable effort.
AS he finishes his second blast he stands
erect and stiff, the trumpet by his side
Then appear two banjOiStS with four
stringed banjoes. the lower part made of
gOurd and the strings passed through glass
beads. They are played on quite melodi-
OuSly for perhaps two minutes. linen trum-
peter and banjoiStS retreat and the singers
resume. The same order is gone through
with again and again, a "serenade' lasting
at least three hours. Such concert oc-
ours nearly every evening in almost all Of
the villages. and the hour when it COM
menCeS Is IL.
Meanwhile there is an animal and bird
chorus in full blast. All through the heat OF
the day the quiet of the country is very sing
uiar and seems to add to the OppreSSiVenesS
OF the heat. Almost the only singing bird
that is heard is d species OF blackbird,
whose voice, less sweet than that OF his
y
ing to night, intermittingly At the earliest
morning hour the crows are in evidence.
They are splendid fellows, with shining,
glossy plumage, black legs and beak. They
are very tame, and appear about the doors
like so many black hens. After sunrise
they disappear, but they cav necessarily
ali through the morning twilight. At night
they return, but aside from the Mapping OF
their wings, are very quiet. But now the
pigeons are heard. You have not seen one
all day, but from sunset until dark their
peculiar booming note makes monOtOny
monotOnOus. In the wet season there is
some relief for then the frogs are vocifer
Gus. They are yellow reptiles and so NUM-
erous that every pond and ditch Is crowded
with them until the water looks like Scotch
broth full of vegetables. The mosquitoes are
out of the same pools, and their irritating
hum. although not exclusively F1ipian, IS
heard too often to be left out of the cata-
logue of sounds. In the darkness thousand
bats course through the air, now and then
making a snappy squeal. Wild cats from
NEW dolorously. The goats and pigs bleat
and grunt nocturnally The carabao aWakes
al uncanny hours, and calls hoarsely. The
kites utter long-drawn and thrilling cries.
Swarms of rats, black and gray, infest
every apartment, and peculiar Shiny insects
crawl about.
Adding sound to sound, and multiplying
smell by smell, no one who has been in the
islands can recall wildly TO mind his ex-
without remembering at the same time the
atmosphere Of smells and sounds. II IS not
what is to be seen or felt Scenery and
heat, rainy season and flowers, are not the
attraction and veXatiOn that compare with
the hubbub and the apology for perfumes.