The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1910-09-29
USES OF THE DRUM
IN AFRICAN WlLDS
REV. JOHN WRIGHT.

REV. JOHN WRIGHT.
An interesting feature of the village
life in West Africa is the drum. It
consists of section of tree about
four to six feet long and as big around
as the expert drum maker demands.
For use in the dance the average di-
ameter is about two feet. And there
are two varieties used for this purpose,
the upright which is bored out like a
great bowl and over which is stretched
the tanned skin of sheep, goat or an
antelope. This skin is fastened around
with a strong bush rope and it is
stretched by means of wooden wedges.
These upright drums are usually carved
and shaped at the foot very artistically
and the carving, burning and pitch
painting represents a crocodile or some
goblin that the village fancy suggests.
This upright drum is beaten with the
hands and is used only in the dance.
The other form of drum is horizontal.
The log is followed out through a slot
in the top and so made that one side is
thicker than the other and SO as it is
beaten with two stout hard wood sticks
about eighteen inches long, it gives
out three notes with variations, one
note on each side Of the hole and one
at the,ends.
For the moonlight dance the two
small drums are used, the upright and
the horizontal and ii the occasion is
great, other parts of the orchestra are
added, such as a concertina and an old
saw some of whose teeth are missing
and which is rubbed up or down as the
pitch varies with hard wood stick.
But Of course the drum Is the stand
by in the interior where the other in
strumants are too expensive. The
smaller. horizontal drum is used to give
war signals in. or near the village and
to call the wanderers home from the
forest If they are forgetting that dark
ness is drawing near. The large drum
is the. one that is used when ,communi-
cation must be had with other villages
or when.it.is desired to have general
assembly for war or hunting. Only the
skillful may beat this drum and like
the fiddler OF our forefathers memory
in Europe or America, no function is
complete without him. Tap, tap, tap,
tap. be calls attention and then he
beats out words and messages into the
air that .euery black man understands.
You will be at first surprised that, the
people of . village six or eight miles
ahead on the road from the one you
just left know long before they see
you that the white man is coming.
The missionaries on the West Coast
use these splendid drums for church
bells, but instead of a mere changing or
eMen the tune of the chimes, the drum
mer makes the announcements of the
services to the people. The drum Ne
beaten at 6 a. m. just as the people are
getting out of bed and when all is still.
The vibrations carry for an incredible
distance. When the drum has been
placed on hill and up on the stump of
a large tree the message will be heard
distinctly at from fifteen to twenty
miles and under favorable conditions
as far as twenty-five to thirty miles.
The missionary has thus taken these
Instruments that were used in as
sembling the clans to battle or sound
ing the alarm of the approaching foe
and he has turned them into messen-
gers that sound out the call to the
weary and heavy laden, the message
to come and hear of Gods peace and
good will to men.