sangitagainandagain，andnothingcouldbemoreludicrousthanhisvainattemptstocatchtheairandthewords。Theroyalsavageseemedtothinkthatbyscrewingallthefeaturesofhisfaceintotheendofhisnose，hemightpossiblysucceedintheundertaking，butitfailedtoanswerthepurpose；andintheendhegaveitup，andconsoledhimselfbylisteningtomyrepetitionofthesoundsfiftytimesover。
PrevioustoMehevi’smakingthediscovery，Ihadneverbeenawarethattherewasanythingofthenightingaleaboutme；butIwasnowpromotedtotheplaceofcourtminstrel，inwhichcapacityIwasafterwardsperpetuallycalledupontoofficiate。
Besidesthesticksandthedrums，therearenoothermusicalinstrumentsamongtheTypees，exceptonewhichmightappropriatelybedenominatedanasalflute。Itissomewhatlongerthananordinaryfife，ismadeofabeautifulscarlet-colouredreed，andhasfourorfivestops，withalargeholenearoneend，whichlatterisheldjustbeneaththeleftnostril。Theothernostrilbeingclosedbyapeculiarmovementofthemusclesaboutthenose，thebreathisforcedintothetube，andproducesasoftdulcetsound，whichisvariedbythefingersrunningatrandomoverthestops。Thisisafavouriterecreationwiththefemales，andoneinwhichFayawaygreatlyexcelled。Awkwardassuchaninstrumentmayappear，itwas，inFayaway’sdelicatelittlehands，oneofthemostgracefulIhaveeverseen。Ayoungladyintheactoftormentingaguitar，strungaboutherneckbyacoupleofyardsofblueribbon，isnothalfsoengaging。
SingingwasnottheonlymeansIpossessedofdivertingtheroyalMeheviandhiseasy-goingsubjects。Nothingaffordedthemmorepleasurethantoseemegothroughtheattitudesofapugilisticencounter。Asnotoneofthenativeshadsoulenoughinhimtostanduplikeaman，andallowmetohammerawayathim，formyownpersonalgratificationandthatoftheking，Iwasnecessitatedtofightwithanimaginaryenemy，whomIinvariablymadetoknockundertomysuperiorprowess。Sometimes，whenthissorelybatteredshadowretreatedprecipitatelytowardsagroupofthesavages，and，followinghimup，Irushedamongthem，dealingmyblowsrightandleft，theywoulddisperseinalldirections，muchtotheenjoymentofMehevi，thechiefs，andthemselves。
Thenobleartofself-defenceappearedtoberegardedbythemasthepeculiargiftofthewhiteman；andImakelittledoubtbutthattheysupposedarmiesofEuropeansweredrawnupprovidedwithnothingelsebutbonyfistsandstouthearts，withwhichtheysettoincolumn，andpummelledoneanotheratthewordofcommand。