The Uutuned Ear Of The Savage Can No More
Enjoy The Tones Of Civilized Music Than His Palate Would Relish
The Elaborate Dishes Of A French Chef De Cuisine.
As the stomach
of the Arab prefers the raw meat and reeking liver taken hot from
the animal, so does his ear prefer his equally coarse and
discordant music to all other.
The guitar most common is made of
either the shell of a large gourd, or that of a turtle; over this
is stretched an untanned skin, that of a large fish being
preferred; through this two sticks are fixed about two feet three
inches in length; the ends of these are fastened to a cross piece
upon which are secured the strings; these are stretched over a
bridge similar to those of a violin, and are either tightened or
relaxed by rings of waxed rag fastened upon the cross
piece--these rings are turned by the hand, and retain their
position in spite of the strain upon the strings. Nothing
delights an Arab more than to sit idly in his hut and strum this
wretched instrument from morning until night."
I was thoroughly tired of Sofi, and I determined to move my party
across the river to camp on the uninhabited side; the rains had
almost ceased, therefore we should be able to live in the tent at
night, and to form a shady nook beneath some mimosas by day;
accordingly we busily prepared for a move.
CHAPTER IX.
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